How many cartridges do you own?

All Empires...All the time. With inductance readings. Many with original Empire styli.


  • 4000D/III.........R230mH..........L 238 mH
  • 440D...............R 242 mH........L 246 mH
    999 XE/X........R 274 mH.........L 272 mH
  • 1000 XL/E..... R 267 mH........ L 266 mH
  • 2000 E/III........R 276 mH.........L 271 mH
    1000 XL/E......R 281 mH.........L 288 mH
  • 999 III ME/X.. R 292 mH ........L 288 mH
    66 QE/X.........R 301 mH.........L 315 mH
  • 999 XE/X ......R 320 mH.........L323 mH
    1000 E/X........R 338 mH.........L 343 mH
  • 200 E/X .........R 338 mH ........L 343 mH
    2000 QX ...,....R 349 mH.........L 339 mH
    3000 ME/X.....R 350 mH.........L 349 mH
    5000 XEI........R 359 mH.........L 337 mH
  • 1000 ZE/X ..590 mH (even)
  • #1 999 VE/X..R 591 mH.........L 586 mH
  • #2 999 VE/X...R 600 mH........L 587 mH
  • 1000 SE/X.... R 605 mH ........L 607 mH
  • #3 999 VE/X..R 613 mH.........L 595 mH
    2000Z............R 636 mH.........L 629 mH
  • 2000 E/III...... R 667 mH ........L 673 mH
    TC-40............R 704 mH.........L 696 mH






 
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The testing and comparisons are fun , looking at a cross section of a couple of decades of cartridges . Eventually you just keep what you like and move on , goes with any equipment . Good thing about cartridges they're small and don't take up much room , unlike speakers and Amplifiers / Receivers .
 
MRL_Audio said:
Isn’t it really about quality and system synergy and not quantity?
Click to expand...

To each their own.....one man's trash is another mans treasure. The joy is in the experience, whatever that may be.

With me, I have 8 kids and I'd like to leave them all with a nice analog system before I go on to that big system in the sky. lol
 
Sumiko Blue Point.
A low-to-mid grade Grado cartridge from the same general period of time.

I slightly prefer the Sumiko.
 
I have too many to list as I regularly restore turntables and replace the original cart with a brand new at3600L for the new owner. I keep the old carts and order replacement styli.

The best sounding to me, in my listening space, are "empire" gold series carts. Over v15, xv, 97's, ortofon, grado, m91 m93, etc.

All sound great, but for an all rounder in my opinion it ks hard to beat. Good bass, mixs and trebble. Some carts sound too hot for my ears. I always compare carts using Van Morrison "Astral Weeks" and the detail one cart with a new styli can produce vs another is remarkable. Honourable mention goes to the old OM series with a 20, 30, 40 stylus. I usually stick with the 20's value vs diminishing ROI which is what I percieve with high dollar carts / set ups.
 
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russdall said:
All Empires...All the time. With inductance readings. Many with original Empire styli.





    • 4000D/III.........R230mH..........L 238 mH
    • 440D...............R 242 mH........L 246 mH
      999 XE/X........R 274 mH.........L 272 mH
    • 1000 XL/E..... R 267 mH........ L 266 mH
    • 2000 E/III........R 276 mH.........L 271 mH
      1000 XL/E......R 281 mH.........L 288 mH
    • 999 III ME/X.. R 292 mH ........L 288 mH
      66 QE/X.........R 301 mH.........L 315 mH
    • 999 XE/X ......R 320 mH.........L323 mH
      1000 E/X........R 338 mH.........L 343 mH
    • 200 E/X .........R 338 mH ........L 343 mH
      2000 QX ...,....R 349 mH.........L 339 mH
      3000 ME/X.....R 350 mH.........L 349 mH
      5000 XEI........R 359 mH.........L 337 mH
    • 1000 ZE/X ..590 mH (even)
    • #1 999 VE/X..R 591 mH.........L 586 mH
    • #2 999 VE/X...R 600 mH........L 587 mH
    • 1000 SE/X.... R 605 mH ........L 607 mH
    • #3 999 VE/X..R 613 mH.........L 595 mH
      2000Z............R 636 mH.........L 629 mH
    • 2000 E/III...... R 667 mH ........L 673 mH
      TC-40............R 704 mH.........L 696 mH






Click to expand...
To me they check all the boxes and look great as well.

I just found a lady locally that was selling 2 full storage cases of NOS styli after her father passed away. I picked up new in package styli for empire, v15 and xv15. She had tons of them, but mostly for carts I do not own.
 
My stable
1) Audio Technica AT-150MLX with a ATN150Sa Shibata stylus.
2) Audio Technica AT-14sa
3) Audio Technica AT-33PTG/II
4) Audio Technica AT-VM740ML
5) Denon DL-103
6) Denon DL-103r
7) Denon DL-301MKII
8) Denon DL-110
9) Ortofon Concorde with 30 & 40 stylus
10) Pickering TL-2S
11) Hana EL
 
Denon DL-301 MKII
Nagaoka MP-200
Grado Opus3
Grado Gold3
Grado ME+ Mono
Audio Technica VM540ML
Audio Technica AT-440MLa
Audio Technica VM95C
Audio Technica Technicraft TC-4000
Shure M97xE
 
S. Pupp said:
Sumiko Blue Point.
A low-to-mid grade Grado cartridge from the same general period of time.

I slightly prefer the Sumiko.
Click to expand...
Having obtained a kit to make cartridge adjustments, I have to say I prefer the Sumiko Blue Point to the Grado ZCE+1. Cymbals on the Grado sound like white noise, whereas on the Blue Point they sound like cymbals.

The Blue Point is labeled “Blue Point” without the “No.2,” but is a standard mount cartridge rather than P-mount, and otherwise looks exactly like pictures of the Blue Point #2. I remember ordering a #2, and thought I must have made an ordering mistake when mine arrived not labeled as such.

Is it possible the first batch went out without the “No.2” on them?
 
Ilikevinyl said:
Denon DL-301 MKII
Nagaoka MP-200
Grado Opus3
Grado Gold3
Grado ME+ Mono
Audio Technica VM540ML
Audio Technica AT-440MLa
Audio Technica VM95C
Audio Technica Technicraft TC-4000
Shure M97xE
Click to expand...
Forgot to list, Empire 2000Z, Audio Technica AT33 PTGII. New to the lineup is the Denon DL-103. :thumbsup:
 
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