A Netherlands-based family business took minimalism to the extreme in 2017 with a Kickstarter for the striking Wheel turntable. Now the third iteration has rolled out with a more refined look, direct drive, optical stylus and improved sound.
The original Wheel turned traditional turntable design on its head by positioning the linear tonearm inside the platter. This meant that the vinyl album secured to the spindle was played face down. But that wasn't challenging enough for the folks at Miniot, the platter also sat upright on a support base for extra visual pop.
The hand-built turntable took a bit longer to be realized than expected, and the first design was promptly replaced by an upgraded version. Then came the Black Edition, a version aimed directly at audiophiles looking for something a bit different. However, the Schagen-based family business has been working on an "ultimate" version since 2022, and the Wheel 3 is that model.
Though a diamond stylus follows the grooves as the record spins on the direct-drive platter, there are no magnets or coils in the wings to convert minute vibrations into a usable signal that's ready for amplification. Instead Miniot employs light to detect tiny stylus movements.
"Unlike magnetic pickups, which measure acceleration, an optical pickup measures position, allowing it to 'see' sound all the way down to 0 Hz," explained the company.
This mechanism is mounted to a redesigned linear tonearm, which peeks out of a slot in the housing and moves vertically from the bottom until it reaches the mini platter in the middle. The platter spins via an optically controlled direct-drive motor built in-house.
That motor features 24 neodymium magnets, five optical sensors and a next-gen control system that's reported to "look ahead" for potential issues – such as unbalanced, off-center or warped records – and adjust accordingly before those problems affect playback.
"Because it also continuously compares stylus and arm position measurements, it is pitch perfect from the first note," Miniot boasts. "Tracking and groove contact precision are second to none."
Light from the optical stylus setup is directed onto a small plate at the stylus and a sensor measures the shadow that's cast. Subtle variations are converted into electrical signals, which are fed into the bespoke high-end pre-amp – for the promise of "exceptional sonic clarity."
The front of the Wheel 3 is made from a thick billet of aluminum, milled to shape and polished to a shine. The rear of the main unit is machined from a composite block – though there is talk of a wood-backed special edition. A dimmable display and touch controls are positioned at the top of the unit, within the rim of the circular aluminum front.
The Wheel 3 can operate vertically on a new anodized aluminum stand, flat on a table or hung on a wall thanks to a recessed slot to the rear that's ready to hang from a wall screw – "no adapters needed, just a single screw in the wall." There's a similar slot to the left for USB-C power and another to the right for a stereo mini-jack.
The team reports that the Wheel 3 is available now for a whopping US$3,458 apiece, but with each unit being hand-built you may have to wait a short while for delivery.
Product page: Wheel 3
