Vinyl is back—and thriving—but how we experience records is changing fast. Gone are the days of bulky, old-school turntables collecting dust. Enter the Miniot Wheel 3, a bold reinvention of the turntable from Dutch company Miniot that blends cutting-edge engineering with sleek design. It doesn’t just play records—it redefines how we interact with them.
From Miss to Momentum: The Evolution of Miniot’s Wheel
Miniot’s path with the Wheel series began with a bumpy launch. Their first vertical turntable was novelly appealing but could not build a lasting following. Wheel 2 changed that, moving towards performance and simplicity. By centering the record itself as the main source of audio quality, Miniot honed its process. Wheel 2 had three closed-loop motors and a fixed linear tonearm that remained rock-steady, even on imperfect pressings, providing consistent 33 1/3 rpm playback and seamless, unbroken sound.
With Wheel 3, Miniot has built on that foundation and pushed it in every direction.
Wheel 3: Turning Turntable Design on Its Head
Wheel 3 is more than a turntable—it’s a conversation piece, a piece of precision engineering, and a minimalist work of art. It will play records flat on a table, portrait-style like a painting, or even wall-mounted. The front is made from polished aluminum, with the back from a solid composite material, with a premium wooden-backed model in the works for those who want a natural finish.
The pièce de résistance, however, is its optical pickup system. Different from those old-school cartridges with magnets and coils, Wheel 3’s stylus transmits vibrations through a diamond tip to an optical sensor. According to ecoustics, “Wheel 3 uses a diamond stylus without magnets or coils.”. Stylus vibrations are optically converted into an analog audio signal, as well as a position signal.” The result is precision groove tracking and minimal distortion, all thanks to a sensor that is positioned right beside the stylus tip.
Precision Motor, Innovative Engineering
Most turntables use belt drives to reduce motor noise and vibration. But with the special layout of Wheel 3, Miniot created a proprietary direct-drive motor—a flat, low-profile rotor of 24 robust neodymium magnets laid out to keep just millimeters from the tonearm. Though this level of magnetic power would normally destroy ordinary cartridges, the optical system remains entirely unaffected.
Speed control is managed optically, and the motor system integrates sensor information with AI to smartly adjust for imperfections. It learns the form of each record, picking up on warps or minor off-center pressing, and corrects in real-time, providing precision, skip-free playback from the initial rotation.
User Experience: For Today’s Listeners
Wheel 3 isn’t high-tech only beneath the surface; it’s also a pleasure to use. A clean slider for volume and play is built directly into the rim, in addition to a dimmable display. The whole system may be installed in any orientation—horizontally, vertically, even upside down—without loss of performance.
Its design adheres to a minimalist philosophy. The linear tonearm moving vertically is entirely covered, eliminating dust and giving the look a perfectly balanced look. Its aesthetic functionality belongs equally well in a design studio or a living room.
How It Stands Out
While other manufacturers have experimented with extreme turntable ideas—such as Goldmund’s reference-level linear trackers or Pro-Ject’s vertical VT-E range—Miniot’s Wheel 3 is unique. It is the sole system to combine optical tracking, AI-driven playback, and direct-drive accuracy in this small, attractive package.
As ecoustics describes, “The Miniot Wheel 3 is a chic piece of industrial design encasing some truly smarttech-no-nonoo magnets, no coils, just a diamond stylus into an optical system that looks like it’s straight out of a lab, not a living room.”
Availability and Price
The innovation has a price to pay: Wheel 3 can now be pre-ordered for $2,624, shipping to follow by the end of June 2025. The Special Edition made of wood is in production, but no launch date is forthcoming.
If you’re looking for a turntable that blends form and function—something that sounds incredible and makes a statement—Wheel 3 is one to watch. It’s not just a way to listen to vinyl; it’s a new way to experience it.
