anyone else running vintage Empire carts?

The suggestion by boreas is apt. When getting hold of an aftermarket stylus, realize that it's likely to be bright, so if this isn't to your taste, and depending on your setup, have a way of dealing with the up-top brightness, either by having a similar body with a higher inductance (a 2000E body for a 4000D Shibata) or an equalizer, or a preamp with versatile tone controls and/or resistance-loading options to tweak the treble.
 
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Though the additional brightness characteristic of most aftermarket styli may help, styli designed for the 4000 Series quad cartridges will likely sound dull in the 66 bodies and even duller in the 2000 through 2000E/III. It would be a good inductance match for the 2000X though.

Have you tried one in a 66? If so, Just curious how much it was tuned down?
 
Have you tried one in a 66? If so, Just curious how much it was tuned down?

No, I haven't. I'm fortunate in having original styli for all my Empires except for the Chunkies. My remarks regarding the JICO Shibata were more a general statement regarding generics in general.
 
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The other day I had the opportunity to compare on the body 4000D two needles of the original S912E and Jiko 4000D3 (white). Not only that, with the tracking 1 g, only the original passed all the tests for tracking ability (Jiko passed only three out of five). But at high frequencies, Jiko sounded too bright, unlike the S912E.
 
600 LAC. Still my favorite cart and stylus. Just picked up a NOS stylus again so I should be good to go for awhile. I don't feel a need to change. And I've owned the Signet TK10MLs, etc. I just keep coming back to the 600.

I honestly feel it's easily one of most underrated carts ever. Love it. Detailed yet smooth and dynamic in places yet quiet. You can really tell they took tjoer time listening to these guys when they made them.

1000 ZE/X and the Edr 9 are other great ones that I like alot.
 
That 600 LAC with some Mullard Xf2s. Pure magic.
 

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BTW that stylus wasn't clicked all the way in at the bottom. Just replaced it with a NOS s600lac and didn't realize. Last one I'll find probably. Anyway, just a heads up guys if you get one. You can see it in my pic if you look close.

I had to change vta because of it. About 4-5mm rise on the tonearm. Was wondering why I needed negative vta all go a sudden to get close to 92 degree range on the rake and the right sound. Clicking it in changed the angle that much. Bass was out of control when I fixed it. Once I changed the vta pure glory again.

Anyway just wanted give anyone buying one a heads up.

And as I said, I am absolutely in love with this still after all these years. Bought a NOS stylus last week. No reason to change carts , or try anything different.

I can't explain how good Hendrix If 6 was 9 sounds on the mono repress, full blast with my Bell Carillon 6060 el34 integrated and a Lounge Audio MkIII phono pre. Got my Empire on a JVC QL-A75. All hooked up to my Klipsch. I was shocked.

Almost knocked me out the window with dynamics, yet still smooth and no harshness. It's like a smooth punch. I can hear the bass crack off the wall, but no harshness in highs. But plenty of detail

I think the Klipsch match up perfectly with the smooth motor of the jvc and smooth yet detailed empire.

First time I've been shocked in a very long time.



I'd love to see a comparison of an Ortofon black for that price to this cart. No way in hell the Empire loses imo. I think to build a cart and stylus of this quality you'd need to spend 4 figures.
 
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I think I’ve seen you here before under another name. :dunno:


Are you being sarcastic or you really mean that. Should onky have one name. But I have noticed its not letting me edit certain posts. What other name? I should onky have one account, but like I said I might have screwed up and made two with very close names. The other posts we talked in should be this account
 

Empirelvr, that link shows a generic looking no name headshell in AudioGroome packaging. I don't see an Empire Logo on it. It looks like a copy of or made by Jelco headshell. What Boreas (I think) and I are questioning are those pressed metal ones with holes in them that are second only to the Technics style knock-offs on the Bay, and which have an Empire label on them. Are those Empire labeled pressed metal ones with holes in them genuine old stock Empire, or some new Empire branded thing by Russell/EVG now that Russel/EVG owns the Empire brand or rights, or are they clearly foobies made by someone else?

This one looks like a jelco headshell that someone has labeled Empire:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Empire-Headshell-shell-12-5-g/253321203870?hash=item3afb1ed09e&enc=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&checksum=25332120387016a71e73e2164b2bb2710648dc3692af

This one looks like one of the older pressed metal designs with EMPIRE on it. Its design and condition indicate it could be original Empire, but without any provenance or historical proof, who knows: https://www.ebay.com/itm/EMPIRE-GEN...037706?hash=item260637318a:g:m3kAAOSwKQFbwegz

Can anyone with connections to Russell/EVG determine if they sold newer headshells under the Empire name? I would have an interest in acquiring one, if I knew it was legit, and the design is a quality one.
 
Empirelvr, that link shows a generic looking no name headshell in AudioGroome packaging.
I agree.
I don't see an Empire Logo on it. It looks like a copy of or made by Jelco headshell.
Quite possible.
What Boreas (I think) and I are questioning are those pressed metal ones with holes in them that are second only to the Technics style knock-offs on the Bay, and which have an Empire label on them. Are those Empire labeled pressed metal ones with holes in them genuine old stock Empire, or some new Empire branded thing by Russell/EVG now that Russel/EVG owns the Empire brand or rights, or are they clearly foobies made by someone else?
I understood that, but I was addressing a musing about whether the "real" Empire ever sold a SME like headshell. That the headshell linked to wasn't stenciled "Empire" or made by them, themselves, isn't the point. The point is, Empire did sell a replacement headshell other than for their own tonearms while still "themselves" and before Benz pulled the plug on them. That it might have been an OEM part made for them or whatever is moot.
 
I would agree with Boreas. I've never seen an Empire "Universal" type headshell for S shaped tonearms, until a few like that showed up recently on fleabay. (not for Empire Turntables)

Perhaps I should have been more specific and used the words "Empire Branded" and not just the word "Empire" in my original quote, as that is what we were discussing. But yes, moot now. Case closed, next case.
 
Hi to all,
I found an Empire 2003 ze/x cart but i cant find any information regarding sound, if it is good or bad. So please any feedback will be appreciated.
Andre.
 
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