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🔷 OPTONICA RP-5100 — Rare Vintage Full Automatic Stereo Turntable with Direct Drive🎵 A Serious Vintage Turntable from the Golden Silver-Face Era The Optonica RP-5100 is the kind of turntable that appeals to people who want more than just attractive retro styling. It combines direct drive stability, full automatic convenience, electronic tonearm lift control, and the disciplined design language that made late-1970s and early-1980s Japanese hi-fi so memorable. This is not just a decorative vintage piece. It is a proper home turntable built for real listening.👤 If You Are Reading This — You Already Understand Some vintage turntables are interesting only because they look good. The RP-5100 is more than that. It offers the kind of everyday usability that makes ownership enjoyable: automatic operation, stable speed, a proper tonearm with adjustable tracking force and anti-skate, and SME-type headshell mounting for practical cartridge setup. It is a collector-friendly machine, but also a very usable one.🎧 What You Get 🎼 A fully working vintage Optonica turntable 🔧 Serviced tonearm control mechanism 🛠 Fresh lubrication and microlift adjustment ⚙️ Full automatic operation 💿 Direct drive system with tachometric speed control 📍 Stroboscopic speed indicator 🎚 Tonearm with SME-type headshell mount for magnetic cartridges 🧩 Adjustable tracking force and anti-skating 🛡 Heavy protective dust cover 🇩🇪 Unit imported from Germany🧠 Why This Model Matters The RP-5100 represents a very attractive balance of engineering and convenience. It gives you three important things in one machine: — direct drive, — full automatic operation, — real tonearm adjustment and cartridge flexibility.That makes it appealing both to collectors of the Optonica brand and to buyers who simply want a refined vintage turntable that is practical to use in a real system.🔍 Condition Imported from Germany. In working condition. The tonearm control mechanism has received preventive service, including lubrication and microlift adjustment. Cosmetic condition is shown in the photos. Overall, it presents very well for its age, with normal signs of careful vintage use.⚙️ Technical Specifications • Model: Optonica RP-5100 • Type: Full Automatic Stereo Turntable • Production period: 1979–1982 • Drive system: direct drive • Speeds: 33 and 45 rpm • Wow and flutter: ±0.04% WRMS / ±0.06% DIN • Signal-to-noise ratio: 65 dB • Platter: 30 cm die-cast aluminum • Operation: fully automatic • Speed control: tachometric servo control • Indicator: stroboscopic speed indicator • Tonearm: SME-type mount for magnetic cartridges • Adjustments: tracking force, anti-skate, electronically controlled tonearm lift • Additional function: auto stop • Power consumption: 12 W • Dimensions: 48 × 10.8 × 38.4 cm • Weight: 8.5 kg📝 Product Description Please see the pictures of the product for more details about the cosmetic condition. Fully tested. In working condition. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. ⚡ Please check and take into account the specifics of your local electrical network and audio setup. ❗ Cartridge, stylus, and any record shown for demonstration are not included unless explicitly stated otherwise.🔒 Warranty All buyers are granted a 30-day Global ORT warranty on product functionality. Before sending, you receive a control test video to check functionality, cosmetic condition, and packaging quality. Should any issues arise, you can contact us for post-warranty support and repair services. For an additional fee, you can opt for an extended warranty of 6 or 12 months. Please contact us to discuss details and pricing.📦 Shipping The item will usually be shipped within 2–3 business days after full payment has been received. The tracking number will be provided once the order has been dispatched. Items are shipped from the USA, Poland, and Ukraine. Standard shipping: approximately 10 working days. 📌 Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer’s responsibility. I will do my best to reduce the risk of customs duties where possible. Please check with your country’s customs office to determine what these additional costs may be prior to buying. 🌍 Worldwide delivery available. If your country is not listed, please contact me and I will find a personal shipping solution for your location.⭐ Feedback Your satisfaction is my first priority. If you are satisfied with your purchase, please take a minute to leave positive feedback — it is truly appreciated. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me first — I will do my best to make sure you are satisfied.📩 Contact Me Please click “Ask a question” to send a message through eBay. I always respond within 24 hours. Any situation, any question — you are welcome to contact me.🌀 Looking for More? We always have over 250 models of vintage audio gear and accessories in stock — including turntables, boomboxes, cassette decks, amplifiers, and rare parts. Check out our other listings to discover more retro treasures. Do not forget to follow our store to stay updated on new arrivals and never miss rare and exclusive items.🔍 SEE OUR OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS 🙏 Thank you! — Igor ORT
At USD672 for a serviced Optonica RP-5100, the asking price feels ambitious against the used market, where clean examples typically trade in the USD300-400 range—I've seen one recently at USD350 on Marketplace. These direct-drive full-autos from '79-'82 punch above their weight with solid rumble rejection and speed stability, but rarity doesn't command four figures when serviced units surface lower.
Buyers should verify the tonearm wiring and auto-return mechanism, as 40+ year-old solenoids and switches often flake out even post-service—run full cycles on both speeds with a test LP. Confirm the original headshell, cartridge (likely a basic MM), dust cover, and 45 rpm adapter are included, plus stroboscope functionality for pitch accuracy.[web:1][web:7]
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Sharp is a Japanese electronics company founded in 1912 by Tokuji Hayakawa, who began with a small metalworking workshop in Tokyo. The company’s name comes from its early “Ever-Ready Sharp” mechanical pencil, and its broader corporate identity grew out of a long history of practical consumer innovation rather than specialist audio alone.
In audio, Sharp has been associated mainly with mainstream consumer hi-fi and AV rather than ultra-audiophile hardware. Over the decades it has produced items such as radios, televisions, receivers, and other home-electronics components; in the modern era its audio presence is tied more to compact systems and mass-market electronics than to a deep catalog of standalone amplifiers, DACs, turntables, or headphones.
In market terms, Sharp is best understood as a heritage Japanese consumer brand with periodic involvement in audio, not a dedicated high-end hi-fi marque. For knowledgeable buyers, that means the brand carries historical legitimacy and recognition, but its reputation is closer to reliable mid-market electronics than boutique or reference-grade specialist audio.
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