Sharp Optonica RP-3636 MKII Turntable?

[Sandman175]

I'm seeking advice. I've been looking to buy a good (used/vintage) first turntable for a couple of months now. I had a line on a Denon DP 1200 last month & posted here for opinions. I got great input that was generally very positive but I missed getting the TT.

Now, I have a chance at the Optonica. I am just recently back into vintage audio & this will be my first TT purchase in 40+ years. I am really a novice. The TT looks nice from the pics but I have found relatively little info on them, probably because they weren't as well known or well regarded as some TTs from the period; my understanding is that Sharp introduced Optonica in the late 70s to compete against the more established home hifi brands. I would appreciate any input from the more experienced AKers, especially if you've owned or had personal experience with these TTs. Are they considered good performers from a fidelity standpoint? How's the build quality? How would one compare to the DP 1200 that I missed? Are there any particular concerns or problems that I should watch out for? Thanks in advance!

 

[DustyOldPile]

Wow...35 lbs! That's quite a unit.

I would jump on the Optonica, it was Sharp's higher end line. I had one of their turntables for a while years ago and liked it. Yours looks to have some sort of stone plinth. Very nice.

 

[Bob in WI]

Got one. Trouble free. I was told the arm was sourced Mori Seiki but don't know that for certain. It plays nice with Shure & Ortofon carts for me. In my experience, its a keeper. The manufactured granite plinth is pretty cool too. Good luck & let us know how you make out. It would take something pretty special to displace mine.

 

[Sandman175]

Thanks Balifly! You've been kind enough to help me out a couple of times now.

I had actually checked out that page before I posted & it looks pretty good to me. However, I seem to find TT specs a little more confusing than other specs. For example, is S/N the same as Rumble? Better than 68dB Rumble looks good to me but not as good as the over 75dB S/N ratio of the DP 1200. Both come from vinylengine but the terminology is different. Anyway, published specs aside, do you have any general impressions or personal experience with the Optonica? Have you spoken with others who have? Published specs are a good reference but it seems they may be best in comparing different tables from the same manufacturer. I'd really like to get some opinions about Optonica in general & maybe their turntables more specifically. Also, in your opinion, are there any TT specs that you think are more important than others? And are there some general guidelines like "anything over 60dB should be pretty good" or "wow & flutter above .1% is unacceptable" that I might want to keep in mind? Thanks.

 

[Sandman175]

Wow...35 lbs! That's quite a unit.

I would jump on the Optonica, it was Sharp's higher end line. I had one of their turntables for a while years ago and liked it. Yours looks to have some sort of stone plinth. Very nice.

Thanks. The stone plinth & the weight is what got my attention. It's a CL seller fairly near where my daughter lives. Since I've read that shipping TTs is risky, I may try & have my son-in-law pick it up for me.

 

[Sandman175]

Got one. Trouble free. I was told the arm was sourced Mori Seiki but don't know that for certain. It plays nice with Shure & Ortofon carts for me. In my experience, its a keeper. The manufactured granite plinth is pretty cool too. Good luck & let us know how you make out. It would take something pretty special to displace mine.

Thanks. Good to get the personal experience. I'll probably go for it.

 

[chaz]

I have an Optonica rp 7205 ( full auto belt drive). It was my first 'adult' table after I graduated from 'all in one systems'. Got in the early 90's as a gift from a colleague that was getting out of vinyl.
Has run without issue since I got it. Hasn't gotten a lot of use since 2005, when I got my planar 3.
I'd say that build quality is top notch considering my trouble free experience.
As for sound quality: I ran it with a Ortofon OM10 and never really missed anything - untill I got my Rega.
I'd say go for it I was quite happy with mine for years.

Eddit: I should qualify the recommendation if you think it's a good price go for it.

 

[Sandman175]

I have an Optonica rp 7205 ( full auto belt drive). It was my first 'adult' table after I graduated from 'all in one systems'. Got in the early 90's as a gift from a colleague that was getting out of vinyl.
Has run without issue since I got it. Hasn't gotten a lot of use since 2005, when I got my planar 3.
I'd say that build quality is top notch considering my trouble free experience.
As for sound quality: I ran it with a Ortofon OM10 and never really missed anything - untill I got my Rega.
I'd say go for it I was quite happy with mine for years.

Chaz et al,

I just texted CL seller to try & lock it up until I could get my son-in-law to pick up for me. He replied that it just sold! I congratulated him & he proceeded to tell me how great it was (salt in the wound!). Unfortunately, finding a quality vintage TT in my area (extreme South Texas) seems to be pretty tough; I keep reading about all of the thrift store & yard sale finds other folks have & I haven't seen anything remotely close! The DP 1200 that I found last month was in Orlando (near my son) & the Optonica was in Charleston (near my daughter). Both were on CL. By the time I checked with you guys & checked with my kids to make sure they would pick up for me, they were sold. Oh well, hopefully the satisfaction I'll feel once I do finally score will make the search worthwhile. Thanks for the input! I trust the AK community to help me avoid a major mistake.

 

[Bob in WI]

That bites but you'll find something. Patience is a virtue.

 

[chaz]

Where are you located. Looking at the San Antonio CL there are a few interesting looking prospects - mostly Technics.
What's your budget?

 

[kermit z]

Study up on turntables here on AK. You will start to see a pattern with certain brands that most love. The problem with CL, is you have to jump fast if you want it. If I see something that interest me I do a quick search and jump. Sadly asking a question about one will cost you time. To add to that, your question is being viewed by other looking at the same table. But as Bob said, patience is key

 

[Sandman175]

Where are you located. Looking at the San Antonio CL there are a few interesting looking prospects - mostly Technics.
What's your budget?

Chaz, I'm about 250 miles South of San Antonio, near the border in the Rio Grande Valley. Because nothing worthwhile seems to ever show up in the local - McAllen or Brownsville - CL, a trip to San Antonio is reasonable for the right table. I do keep an eye on the SA CL listings as well. My budget would probably go from as little as possible up to the $200 range.

However, my lack of experience is really making my decision tough. I find myself conflicted; quality, condition, price, and distance all are factors. With my 55 years old ears, I'm pretty sure that some of the differences in specs are ones that I won't be able to appreciate anyway. I think that it is starting to come down to how "cool" do I think it looks, is it at least semi auto, is it solid/heavy (personal bias), and finally are it's published specs (w&f, rumble, s/n) respectable & are most opinions that I've heard generally positive. Hopefully, after owning one for a while, I'll have a better idea of what I want with the next one. Driving 250+ miles to pick it up looks likely.

 

[Sandman175]

Study up on turntables here on AK. You will start to see a pattern with certain brands that most love. The problem with CL, is you have to jump fast if you want it. If I see something that interest me I do a quick search and jump. Sadly asking a question about one will cost you time. To add to that, your question is being viewed by other looking at the same table. But as Bob said, patience is key

Kermit, thanks for your honest assessment. Unfortunately, I agree 100%, lol! Your last point regarding patience is - I think - the most important and a good reminder for me. I've missed a couple that I think would've been really nice & a couple more that were promising, so I definitely start to feel impatient at times. But after a few days, I seem to come back to reality that just taking my time, checking thrift stores, yard sales, estate sales & auctions when possible will probably yield decent results eventually. Thanks again!

 

[kermit z]

Another option for you would be having the table shipped, since you are at a fair distance from a major market. Now, finding the right person to ship is important as turntables are fragile to say the least. You might consider becoming a subscriber to Audiokarma. This gives you access to Bartertown, where subscribers buy and sell items to AK members. It's 25.00 a year and you can post a want ad and a price your comfortable in paying. Just a thought, but most AK'ers take care of their gear and know how to ship.

 

[Sandman175]

Another option for you would be having the table shipped, since you are at a fair distance from a major market. Now, finding the right person to ship is important as turntables are fragile to say the least. You might consider becoming a subscriber to Audiokarma. This gives you access to Bartertown, where subscribers buy and sell items to AK members. It's 25.00 a year and you can post a want ad and a price your comfortable in paying. Just a thought, but most AK'ers take care of their gear and know how to ship.

That sounds like a good idea. I really do need access to all available options. The only downside would be far less likelihood of finding a "steal", since I would be competing against a more knowledgeable pool of buyers. I spent a lot of time buying at auctions, and the real bargains are when you have an opportunity to buy a quality item that the seller and/or other buyers aren't knowledgeable about or in the market for. But often a fair deal is a good deal; I can see that buying from a source who is likely to have properly cared for a table & would know how to ship it, is definitely worth something. I can always continue with the thrifts, yard sales, estate sales, etc., in hopes of occasionally finding a "steal". Thanks again. I'll subscribe soon.

 

[jgordon]

Your budget seems fairly fixed, so Id rule out shipping. You'll likely need a cartridge (or at least a replacement stylus) when you get a table so Id figure out total budget. Phono pre as well.

The two tables you've mentioned have both been good. Next one that pops up and seems reasonable, Id jump on. You're not going to find a perfect table in perfect condition. Ascertain that it works at the sellers place and take it home. start tinkering and listening. If it's not to your taste, move on.

Not trying to be harsh. Giving you my best assessment of a game plan. You seem to have a good eye and the market is thin around you. Rely on your gut rather than wasting time here. If t works, is heavy and seems well made, it will be a good first deck. Once it's at home, post here and we can start tweaking and modding it. Then the fun really begins.

 

[Sandman175]

Your budget seems fairly fixed, so Id rule out shipping. You'll likely need a cartridge (or at least a replacement stylus) when you get a table so Id figure out total budget. Phono pre as well.

The two tables you've mentioned have both been good. Next one that pops up and seems reasonable, Id jump on. You're not going to find a perfect table in perfect condition. Ascertain that it works at the sellers place and take it home. start tinkering and listening. If it's not to your taste, move on.

Not trying to be harsh. Giving you my best assessment of a game plan. You seem to have a good eye and the market is thin around you. Rely on your gut rather than wasting time here. If t works, is heavy and seems well made, it will be a good first deck. Once it's at home, post here and we can start tweaking and modding it. Then the fun really begins.

Thanks j. Not harsh at all. I appreciate the push. It's about where I was anyway & it's good to hear confirmation that I'm probably on the right track. Normally, I'm pretty decisive. But as you noted, in addition to my lack of experience in this area, funds are a little tight right now. That said, the amount we're talking about is actually a pretty small amount to pay if it gets me in a position to start enjoying vinyl. I'll post as soon as get something. After all the positive input, when I do pull the trigger, it'll probably be a chorus of "you paid way too much" & & "you should've got x, instead" & "good boat anchor", lol! I'm kinda looking forward to it.

 

[jgordon]

With a good eye and a tight market around you, you can simply pick up the next one. Use your experience with the first, read audio karma (while spinning vinyl) and make your next step on the ladder. Then sell the last one to the next guy. And so on.