A unique Empire turntable

[arcorob]

Saw this on ebay...Have no interest / affiliation /etc...Just think it looks cool

 

[Doug G.]

The Empires.

So iconic and beautiful.

Doug

 

[jeremyjustic]

looks like every other Empire to me. now if you want to see a unique Empire check out Redboy's , http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=351986&highlight=empire

 

[vinyl1]

"This turntable will be completely disassembled for safe shipping"

Now, there's an eBay seller who knows turntables.

 

[leepal]

I'd love to own one but, alas, they rarely come up for sale this side of the pond.

 

[mhardy6647]

looks like every other Empire to me...[/url]

I concur. The only "different" Empire I remember seeing was at Myer-Emco in the DC metro area ca. 1976. Same basic gizmo, but with illuminated touch controls a la the Philips GA-212 of the same era. I don't know the model number (presumably the last of the Empire tt line) and I also haven't seen one since those days.

 

[Nat]

Was that the 689, which finally had a low mass arm that was actually an appropriate match for their high compliance cartridges? (Leave aside whether low mass arms are actually such a hot idea -- if you are going to advertise your cartridges as working at 1/4 gram, which I think some of the Empires were supposed to, you kind of need to provide a less massy arm than Empire put on their turntables until the last of them).

 

[1tumbleweed]

I agree - I really liked some of their cartridges, loved the platter part of the TT, but that arm - ugh.

 

[Doug G.]

Nat, I know you mean 698.



Doug

 

[mhardy6647]

I agree - I really liked some of their cartridges, loved the platter part of the TT, but that arm - ugh.

The (higher mass Empire) arm's great with the right cartridge. The whole world ain't Shure V-15 family members or AKG P8s

 

[Doug G.]

Besides, I think most cartridges work better with a medium mass arm rather than an ultralight arm anyway.

I think you reach a point of general instability.

Doug

 

[jhoyt]

I know where there's a 598 in a box, on a shelf in a garage. I'm trying to convince the owner to part with it!

 

[Nat]

I wasn't trying to argue that low mass arms are better than high mass arms -- I was just commenting on Empire's bundling of their high compliance cartridges with their high mass arms. I suspect that the very low tracking forces they specified as the lower limit were overstated, but even the high limit was pretty marginal for the earlier heavy arms.
And yes, I got the number wrong -- I wondered as I was typing it.

 

[JohnVF]

I concur. The only "different" Empire I remember seeing was at Myer-Emco in the DC metro area ca. 1976. Same basic gizmo, but with illuminated touch controls a la the Philips GA-212 of the same era. I don't know the model number (presumably the last of the Empire tt line) and I also haven't seen one since those days.

That is a 698, like other's have said. There's one in the shop I hang out in- I've been eying it for a few years now. They'll sell it to me but I don't need it. It's prettier than my 298 but not by much. I love the wood framed covers.

 

[VintagePlus]

Thats a 598. I just had a 698 it has 2 buttons not just one.

 

[JohnVF]

Thats a 598. I just had a 698 it has 2 buttons not just one.

I was referring to the one referenced up above, not the linked to one- which is a 598. I think the 598 is the prettiest of them all, but I've wanted to try a 698 with the different arm. It doesn't look as sturdy as the earlier ones, but still plenty well built.