anyone else running vintage Empire carts?

[doctor fuse]

I bought a VividLine replacement styli for my 2000e/III and I'm finding it quite a nice match! Maybe not quite as detailed as my old original stylus, but a very nice replacement for sure! Seems a tad brighter so far, but really only has 6 hours on it at this point. Happy so far to get this cart back up spinning tunes!
Charles

I just ordered the Vivid Line for my 2000e. How do you like it now that it's run in for almost a month?

 

[The Fuxtor]

I just ordered the Vivid Line for my 2000e. How do you like it now that it's run in for almost a month?

No complaints! Very happy with it!
My sonic memory isn't the best, but compared to the original styli i had for it, it sounds just as good! It's as bit brighter, but i like it. I think my original was worn out but it lost the tip somehow so I'll never be able to compare now.
What styli do you / had for your yours?

 

[doctor fuse]

No complaints! Very happy with it!
My sonic memory isn't the best, but compared to the original styli i had for it, it sounds just as good! It's as bit brighter, but i like it. I think my original was worn out but it lost the tip somehow so I'll never be able to compare now.
What styli do you / had for your yours?

The cartridge came with a CEC BD2000 turntable that I got for $30. It's a surprisingly nice deck and I like the arm (Jelco?). I bought it mostly because it had a Dust Bug installed which I wanted to try, so the table and cart felt like a free bonus.
The original Empire stylus was unfortunately broken. I still can't tell if it's the green 2000E/I or the blue E/II. It's some sort of sea green/blue!
I'm running a crappy cheapo generic stylus I got from eBlech. The first one's cantilever was slightly off center so to the seller's credit he sent me another one and said I could keep the defective one, no need to send it back.
It has a nice big, bold, bassy sound. Tracking is noisier than my expensive carts and styli, and it could have more air and transparency, but the beefiness is kind of fun.
I am hoping the VL has the same big sound, except with better tracking and a bit more bass control, refinement and detail.
I'll post a comparison when I get it.

 

[The Fuxtor]

Cool! Actually do have one complaint!
The new stylus has a flip down guard that doesn't seem to lock properly when you flip it up? Kinda cheap feeling really? It sags down and almost scrapes on the vinyl when it decides to not stay all the way up. Thinking i may just snip it off if i can't figure out how to keep it snug

 

[wualta]

...The new stylus has a flip down guard that doesn't seem to lock properly when you flip it up...

I'm assuming it looks like LPG's illustration:

You could stick it in the upright position with a dot of poster putty, but you can also simply unsnap it by setting it as you see it in the photo and pulling straight forward. Be careful doing that and be even more careful should you want to snap it back in.

 

[The Fuxtor]

I'm assuming it looks like LPG's illustration:
View attachment 1378156
You could stick it in the upright position with a dot of poster putty, but you can also simply unsnap it by setting it as you see it in the photo and pulling straight forward. Be careful doing that and be even more careful should you want to snap it back in.

I wasn't aware they could pulled off, at least without breaking it! I gotta do it,
Thanks!!

 

[sanlanman]

Waulta is the Empire knowledge King.

 

[wualta]

Heh. Knowledge borne of Doing It Wrong [and screaming like a toddler, sometimes].

 

[boreas]

Picked up a NOS Duotone1237D empire stylus. Said it is for an Empire 250E, but the stylus is marked for an Empire 150, which is a .6 spherical tip. Picked up a 150 cart body off the bay. Hooked it up and very surprised how good it sounded. Vocals are very distinct. Bass is good, The high end, while not the last word, was good, not sibilant. I have a LTD 400 cart with a generic 0.3 x0.7 elliptical, but sounds dark to me. Considering the 150-250 body are identical to Azden carts, I found an original Azden YM-10 VE (Vital Eliptical) stylus at Pickupnaalden.com and got it coming to see if it would be better. But very happy with the 150 stylus.

I'll be curious to learn how you like the VE stylus. I have a YM-10C (same as the Empire 150 with the original - and seemingly unused - conical stylus) and I like it a lot.

Here are some Azden cartridge specs that include the YM-10 Series. These specs should align with the specs for the Empire 150, 250 and 350.

 

[wualta]

Empire elliptical specs:

 

[boreas]

Slight differences but they seem to be describing the same cartridge.

 

[wualta]

I do believe so. My LTD 150 measures 485mH both channels. So mid-inductance for a fixed-coil design.
Now-- anyone with an EDR.7 will recognize the "mouth" or "input" or "flux-gathering" end of the YM-10, YM-P20, ADC PSX, ADC SX-5. The SX-5 stylus fits the YM-10, the others are just slightly off, but all are obviously of the same family, with an ADClike hole into the body lined by the pole pieces, with two holes for locating pins on either side:

EMPIRE/AZDEN 190 LT CARTRIDGE, CLONE OF THE YM-P20C

 

[boreas]

And my YM-10 measures 490mH and 497mH. I'd call that a match with your LTD 150.

 

[Vinylmasters]

A couple weeks ago, I picked up a Empire RM95GT off of Fleabay. Claimed it was 'very low use', ect. When it arrived, I popped it on just to watch skate right to the label. Stylus was shot AND suspension had collapsed on top of it all. While I did get a refund for it, I did notice something that should be of interest to other Empire p-mount owners: contrary to claims that Pfanstiehl 242 series styli 'work' on Pfanstiehl 241 style carts. They fit and plug in fine, but all you get is 'mud' in return as for sound. I had a 4241-DID here to try it on, which sounds absolutely spectacular in my Empire 280LT cart, but brutal in that Empire RM95GT. Has anyone else had an issue like this?

 

[wualta]

...Has anyone else had an issue like this?

No, never, not even close. It seems to me that the RM 95GT body has a problem, but I'd have to play with it to see.

 

[Vinylmasters]

No, never, not even close. It seems to me that the RM 95GT body has a problem, but I'd have to play with it to see.

Ok, so essentially, the purple 4241-DID and the orange 4242-DEX are the same exact thing?

 

[wualta]

Ok, so essentially, the purple 4241-DID and the orange 4242-DEX are the same exact thing?

If we're talking about the ones from tVOM/Gary, then yes. Both are purple. Not that I was surprised, because, y'know, aftermarket.

 

[Vinylmasters]

If we're talking about the ones from tVOM/Gary, then yes. Both are purple. Not that I was surprised, because, y'know, aftermarket.

If we're talking about the ones from tVOM/Gary, then yes. Both are purple. Not that I was surprised, because, y'know, aftermarket.

Drat! I wanted an orange one too!

 

[1tumbleweed]

Drat! I wanted an orange one too!

Yeah, me too! Direct from the horse's mouth, the horse in this case being Gary:

"The color shown on website is of the ORIGINAL needle for ID purposes. It has nothing to do with aftermarket replacements. Ever. In this specific case, the 4241-DID and 4242-DEX are the exact same needle because the EVG JICO replacement data says it replaces needles in both families."

As an aside to Walt and any other Goonites, ever seen a movie with Alec Guiness called "The Horse's Mouth"? Quite Goon-esque.

 

[Vinylmasters]

Yeah, me too! Direct from the horse's mouth, the horse in this case being Gary:

"The color shown on website is of the ORIGINAL needle for ID purposes. It has nothing to do with aftermarket replacements. Ever. In this specific case, the 4241-DID and 4242-DEX are the exact same needle because the EVG JICO replacement data says it replaces needles in both families."

As an aside to Walt and any other Goonites, ever seen a movie with Alec Guiness called "The Horse's Mouth"? Quite Goon-esque.

BUT I STILL WANNA ORANGE ONE!!!!