A Turntable That Stands Vertical On Your Table As It Plays Your Favorite LPs

Turntables are great additions to any living space, providing about as authentic a music experience as possible. Collecting vinyl over time has become a hobby for many. Now, this family-owned business is turning this pastime on its head by introducing a new form factor that could double as an art piece.

Miniot started in the Netherlands in 2017 and is rooted in minimalistic decks that played the underside of a record with a linear tonearm. Its incoming Black Wheel offers a unique conversation starter. 

This vertical record player allows audiophiles to quickly load in their beloved LPs thanks to it standing upright. It’s crafted from sleek aluminum and can sit nicely on a coffee table or hang on a wall. It will use its magnetic disk clamp to keep the vinyl in place if upright. 

Outside of this, the Black Wheel can detect if you’re playing 33 or 45 RPM, and it will adjust its playback speed accordingly. And unlike other, more traditional versions, this one has a tracking scanner and volume slider, and you can skip songs. This is all possible via its trio of closed-loop motors and digital linear tonearm, which employs Audio-Technica’s Nude Shibata.

As each piece is handmade in the brand’s Schagen facility in Noord-Holland, Miniot will only make 10 units monthly, each of which will set you back US$4,010 and can be purchased through its website.

[via HiConsumption and New Atlas, images via Miniot]