For the record, it’s a wheel
“But where is the rest of it?”
That was our question too, when we first had a look at Wheel, by Dutch family-run wood handcraft specialists Miniot. A Kickstarter for now, there’s every reason why an audiophile should back this, since it is a thing of beauty, aural and visual.
With the tonearm and stylus tucked beneath the record in the cavity of the rotating platter, this allows the record player to be designed in a way that barely reveals itself – peaking out from the circumference of the disc. This inversion of things, of course, means that your vinyls will spin upside down and counter clockwise. Sure, some purists might consider defilement, but hey, who cares when it looks and sounds this good. After all, the world will always welcome innovations and improvements. Plus. it’s design even means that it can be mounted on walls.
Wheel will be available in a base of mahogany, walnut or cherry (with a mahogany tonearm and transparent LP to protect its innards). Hey, good looking. But this beauty also has brains. The central spindle is infused with smarts, holding the record in place but also acting a power switch and a control knob that will pause and skip tracks by tapping or clicking. When does it go on sale? Miniot is targeting a November 2017 release date.
That’s music to our ears, for sure.
