How does it sound?
Contents
We have listened to the Wheel in different rooms and situations. At the Alpha-Audio studio, on the Pass Labs combination pre and power amplifier and TAD floor stander speakers. At your author’s home, paired with the Hifiman Jade II electrostatic headphone set. Directly on some headphones and on a mobile speaker; the Libratone Zipp.
With vinyl, the soundstage typically tends to be larger than with digital sources. The sonic image is bigger, somewhat warmer. Playing the Wheel 2, this generous soundstage was not manifest. It sounded similar to entry-level record player brands with built-in phono preamp; playing records, we felt there was more possible in terms of sonic performance. And that there was something ‘in between’ the record and the listener. Not surprising, considering the Audio Technica element also found in these turntables. Too bad we could not find out more on the origins of the phono preamp.
There is certainly nothing wrong with the sound but unfortunately it does not renders the extra glow, smoothness and space we are used to from vinyl. We have played many types of music on the Wheel 2. With classical music we missed the spatial information of the room, with a soul/funk track we heard the thickness of the bass less ‘thumpy’ than expected. With vocal music, the voice got ‘stuck’ a few feet in front of us. The liveliness is missing, It seems as if the phono preamp is the bottle neck. Add to that that there is no way we can bypass it for another, or try a better power supply. Recent multitests with phono preamps have convincingly shown that there are significant differences between these devices; moreover, the quality of the power supply helps in lowering the noise floor, enlarging and detailing the soundstage.
Rumble, flutter?
After a few months of use, we hear some mechanical “rumble” in the quiet passages; the needle dropping into the groove and waiting for the music is a sound familiar to us, but it seems like we hear the linear system of motors and guides when we listen on good headphones. It depends on the quality (flatness, thickness of the vinyl) how bad this is, but it is audible.
It’s not really fair to compare Miniot to design and lifestyle audio brands like Bang & Olufsen and Devialet. And yet we do. Because in terms of pricing, the Wheels can definitely be placed in this league where form factor and ease of use count heavily. Miniot’s website also exudes luxury and lifestyle .
We are facing a dilemma we when reviewing this product. After all, we are a platform for music and the equipment that makes this music sound. If an ugly yellow-speckled thick garden hose disguised as a power cable takes us into musical heaven, we think it really adds value to the audio chain. We are carried away by the music, that’s what counts. A nice design comes second.