- The Miniot Wheel 3 has impressive science fiction looks and a really intelligent design
- Optical optical pencil, hidden tonon and integrated preampling
- € 2,900 / $ 3,443 / £ 2,550 / au $ 5,351
The new Miniot Wheel 3 is exactly what I expected to see the musical hardware of 2025 when it grew in the late 1970s and early 1980s: I knew that in 2025 my huge, airy and affordable apartment on the Moon would be full of friendly robots, holographic televisions and vertical vinyl. Therefore, it is good to demonstrate about one of those things, at least.
As the name implies, the Miniot Wheel 3 is the third generation of the miniot vertical vinyl player. And there is an intelligent technology to match the retro-fouturist design.
A toadiscos that looks good
This is not the only vertical toadiscos: we have seen several models since the 1980s, and among the current crop you will find pro-project with its vertical TV dish and the audio fuse last year, which seemed impressive.
But this is a much more premium model, with a price label to coincide: it is listed at € 2,900 / $ 3,443 / £ 2,550 / AU $ 5,351.
Miniot says that the optical pencil is optical. It is not a laser, it is a diamond optical pencil, but instead of using magnets or coils to convert the vibrations that the pencil reads into an audio signal, uses an optical sensor.
The optical pencil is combined with a direct drive motor controlled by the optical sensor and an integrated preampling. There is a hidden tobarm under the record that moves vertically from below to center, and wheel 3 can be placed flat, hang on a wall or stop on your support.
Although the early orders began in May, I have not been able to find any review of Wheel 3, but there are some reviews of the previous model on YouTube of people such as Techmoan, which was not particularly enthusiastic or condemnatory: it was an impressive design and, unlike anything else in the market, but audiophiles would probably be done more than something more traditional and affordable.
But then, do not buy a record player like this for its sound. You buy it to mix with the rest of your apartment on the moon.
The Miniot Wheel 3 is now available from Miniot.com. The orders of the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom are expected to be sent in about 10 weeks.
