Review: Sharp RP-TT100

This is actually the first time we are testing a turntable here at Senses. And it feels fitting that Sharp is behind this premiere, as they are making a comeback in the turntable industry after an absence of about 20 years. The Sharp RP-TT100 is a fully automatic, belt-driven turntable featuring Bluetooth, USB-C, and a remote control. All for under 3,000 SEK. The question is whether it delivers—let’s find out!

Design and Build Quality

The box contains everything you need: the turntable, an aluminum platter with a rubber mat, a pre-mounted Audio-Technica AT-3600LA cartridge, a remote control with batteries, a 45 RPM adapter, an RCA cable, a power adapter, and a tinted dust cover.

The first thing that strikes you when unboxing the Sharp RP-TT100 is how discreet it is. The matte black finish allows it to blend into most living rooms without shouting for attention. The build quality is decent, although there is a lot of plastic. It doesn’t scream premium, but it looks both modern and timeless. Weighing in at just under 2.8 kg, it is quite light, which means it performs best when placed on a very stable surface to avoid vibrations.

The buttons are illuminated, which is practical if you are listening in dim lighting. The aluminum platter with the rubber mat feels good and gives the player some weight and a sense of quality to compensate for the somewhat plasticky feel of the player’s chassis itself.

The tonearm’s S-shaped metal design looks and feels good. However, it is worth noting that the counterweight is fixed. This means that, in practice, you cannot manually adjust the tracking force or anti-skating. This is a clear limitation for anyone wanting to upgrade the cartridge later on, but at the same time, if you’re interested in an LP player with Bluetooth, it’s highly likely that you won’t be doing that anyway.

Both the buttons and the unit itself are quite sensitive to fingerprints, so if you’re bothered by that, you’ll need to wipe the unit down every now and then.

As mentioned earlier, it comes with a tinted dust cover that also looks quite decent; the player is definitely sleeker without it, but it serves its purpose, and you don’t have to feel embarrassed about how it looks with the dust cover on.

Automation and Remote Control

This is undoubtedly the Sharp RP-TT100’s strongest asset. It is a fully automatic turntable, which means you put the record on, press play, and the player handles the rest. The tonearm lifts, moves to the lead-in groove, lowers, and when the record ends, the arm lifts and returns automatically. It works reliably and smoothly.

But it doesn’t stop there. There is fast-forward and rewind via a dial that moves the cartridge about one centimeter at a time across the record. Additionally, there are pause and repeat functions. And you can control all of this from the sofa with the included remote. You can literally listen to vinyl without getting up from the sofa after putting the record on. It’s actually quite cool.

The only thing we noticed is that the remote control’s IR receiver is a bit picky about the angle. You need to aim fairly accurately at the player for it to respond, which slightly diminishes the experience. But it works, and the concept of a remote-controlled turntable is fun.

Connectivity

Sharp has really put some thought into this. There are three ways to listen:

Analog via RCA with a switch between phono and line (built-in phono stage), Bluetooth 5.4 for wireless playback to a Bluetooth speaker or headphones, and USB-C to a computer for digitizing your vinyl records.

The RCA output also features a 3-step gain control (Low/Mid/High) and a ground connection to reduce hum. This is not a given in this price range and is much appreciated.

Bluetooth pairing is smooth and fast. Just press the button and it finds the speaker/headphones immediately. We have tested it with everything from simple speakers to higher-quality headphones, and everything just works. It is worth noting, however, that Bluetooth only supports SBC. No aptX, aptX HD, or LDAC. This means the audio is compressed somewhat, and we will get back to how that affects the experience.

The USB-C connection works well for digitization. We plugged it into the computer, and the player appeared as a “USB Microphone.” It worked without any hassle, and the quality is 48 kHz/16-bit—just above CD quality in sampling frequency but with standard 16-bit depth. Perfectly fine for archiving old records.

Sound Quality

We start by listening via the analog RCA connection, and the first impression is positive. The sound is warm and harmonious, with a balance that works surprisingly well. The bass is tight but without a huge amount of depth, and the treble is restrained, providing a calm and easy-listening character. This isn’t the player that reveals every detail of the mastering, but it makes vinyl fun to listen to.

We played everything from pop and rock to hip-hop and some classical, and it handles all genres without issues. The pre-mounted Audio-Technica AT-3600LA cartridge is a classic budget cartridge, and it does its job well. It is smooth and forgiving, which means even our old records that aren’t in top condition sound quite alright.

Switching to Bluetooth, we notice a clear difference. The sound becomes somewhat flatter and loses some of the dynamics and detail that the analog connection provides. The lack of better codecs is evident. It’s certainly not bad, but if you really want to enjoy the vinyl experience, a cable is recommended. But then you’ll need a decent system to plug it into.

Conclusion

The Sharp RP-TT100 is a turntable that makes vinyl accessible and easy. Put on the record, press play, sit back on the sofa, and control it with the remote. The sound via RCA is warm and pleasant, it has all the features you need, and setup takes no time at all. The convenience of Bluetooth, allowing you to listen to vinyl with your favorite headphones without needing an amplifier or other equipment, is great.

This isn’t the player for someone who wants to fine-tune tracking force and swap to an Ortofon 2M Black. It is the player for someone who wants the vinyl experience to be just as seamless as pressing play on Spotify, but with that special feeling of physically putting on a record.

That said, the only real negative is perhaps the price. 2,990 SEK feels a bit on the high side; sure, you get a lot for your money and we are very satisfied, but in the 3,000 SEK price range, there are quite a few alternatives, and the Sharp RP-TT100 doesn’t feel premium, but rather like a cheaper mid-range option.

But overall, we are very pleased, and the rating will be 8/10; had it cost well under 2,000 SEK instead, it would have been a definite 10/10. This is a really good entry-level model that will hopefully encourage more people to start playing vinyl.

Sharp provided a review unit for this test. The provider of the material has no editorial influence on our tests; we always write independently with our readers and consumers in focus.