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anyone else running vintage Empire carts?

Definitely still a Chinese manufacture or something like that. As I mentioned above, it's better to spend a little more money ordering from a site specializing in the sale of diamonds than from some exotic or not serious sites. On which site did you buy this diamond?
 
Jeannot61 said:
Definitely still a Chinese manufacture or something like that. As I mentioned above, it's better to spend a little more money ordering from a site specializing in the sale of diamonds than from some exotic or not serious sites. On which site did you buy this diamond?
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Looks like a snip from an Amazon page...
 
Yup. It's a capture from an Amazon page. With "generic" listed as the brand, it probably is of Chinese manufacture. There's a chance that "pignose" stylus' brass tube was made slightly oversized - it does happen from time to time.
 
I recently bought a diamond for my brother-in-law, intended for an Empire 2000E. As he didn't want to spend too much money on it for the moment, he went for a spherical for 2000. As the "smoke" diamond was out of stock, I was sent a diamond from the previous generation, and without a guard. This time, it was slightly too loose (although it had 2mm on each side of the square), I had to add a slight dot of glue that I dried, then scraped so that it fits and is held in the cartridge. But it was with a well-known seller on the Internet, who gave me this solution. Otherwise, he would have reimbursed me. It goes to show that it is necessary to buy from recognized shops on the Internet. Secondly, as a secondary market product, I always prefer Japan first, and only then, by far, Switzerland. I think that the Japanese do a better job than the Swiss, but that's a personal opinion.
So as far as the Chinese are concerned, I'll remain polite if you understand what I mean...
 
If Wire Nut bought what's depicted in that capture, he bought what was intended for Empire, and I misinterpreted his photo. But then we're down to "if the product doesn't fit, return or exchange it".
 
It was a screen shot from an Amazon page, that is the exact stylus and I am returning it. But I would like to get a less expensive stylus than the one LP Gear suggested, what I want this cartridge for is to test play thrift shop records. On my main table (the one in the thumbnail to the left) I have a V15 V with the Jico SASb and in my second table I have a V15 IV with the Jico SASb as well so I am covered. I had this cartridge left over from when I owned Cryo-Parts and refurbished and upgraded hundreds of vintage tables- the only Empire experience I have is mounting new ones on tables when I worked at stereo stores in the 70's & 80's
LP recommended a Vivid Line but I would like to get something between say $50 & $75 if there is such a thing?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
You guys have really been great, I usually post on the Vinyl Engine but this was a huge post and I knew there were guys here that know the Empire line... thanks so much.
 
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Now that we know its intended use, we're free to recommend a stylus we would normally, as audiophiles (yeh rite), eschew. [all yell "Gesundheit!"]
I've had surprising (to me) good luck with thevoiceofmusic.com's Duotone styli. Gary has a conical supposedly meant to cheaply replace a 4000D/I for $14 + ~$6 shipping. 4238-D7. Long known for solid customer service. Caveat: I haven't tried this particular one myself.

I'm hoping for other suggestions suitable for go/no-go auditioning of thrift-store LPs.
I'd recommend a 0.7 mil conical because (1) cheap and (2) it will play the scoop-out in the groove walls caused by play with 0.7 size styli, elliptical and conical. A Vividline is likely to bridge over this sideways wear groove, thus giving the impression that the record is not so bad after all. Line-contact styli are great for playing worn records once you've decided they're worth cleaning and keeping/selling, but not what I'd recommend for auditioning.
 
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Wire Nut said:
So what about this stylus is not for empire
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For the ‘record’, that particular website that the picture above is from is not a very good site to buy phono needles for Empire cartridges. Could be many reasons why but it’s better to shop at sites dealing with just needles or music-type products. Just my opinion, and several sellers sell there as well as other places, but that site is not where you are likely to find good info or products for these old Empire carts.
 
Thanks for the suggestion on that stylus, I will look into it. I would also like to see if anyone has any suggestions about a 3x7 stylus at a reasonable price?
 
I ordered this diamond for my brother-in-law, I have one personally, great for testing old discs and being sure not to deteriorate another diamond. It is softer than ellipticals but performs well for the price. Be careful, I ordered in France, but I think you will find the same product at home. Finally, as the product was temporarily no longer available, another spherical diamond was sent to me, I just had to rectify it so that it fits better in the cell, but I already talked about it above. Otherwise, it's very good for the sound reproduced.
 
Otherwise, I have a feedback from the seller for the Old New Stock diamonds. I can buy several for Empire 2000 E II at (99) 79 euros each plus delivery, if some are interested, let them tell me quickly, because the offer only lasts one day. They are perfectly adaptable for 2000 E, 2000 E I but also 2000 E III (I tested on one of my cartridges and without any problem, it sounds like a diamond for 2000 E III, it's only the color that changes).
20250218_160845.jpg
 
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After talking with the seller, he offers the OEM diamond for 79 euros plus shipping. On the other hand, I don't know how much it amounts to outside France. I nevertheless think that it is a very good offer for a New Old Stock Empire 2000 E II, especially since the cantilever is still conical and not cylindrical like the post 85.
 
The 1100E (another 66 clone) hasn't come up here on AK for about 16 years, which may be a record. While I hope LP Gear is never the only option for anything, I myself have little to no recent experience with aftermarket styli. NOS isn't out of the question, but not likely to be as cheap as in the olden times, and places like Euro sellers and eBay will have to be searched. All suggestions for kidcrimson welcome, and in turn we ask him for a budget amount not to be exceeded so we don't end up recommending things he'll never buy.
 
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For my part, having been lucky enough to get a NOS Empire 2000 E/III diamond and two NOS Empire 2000 E/II diamonds that play as well as the E/III (same size, same profile, and above all always made directly by Empire in the USA, with the conical cantilever and the diamonds always cut by hand. As a reminder, Pfanstiehl, which manufactured the S2000E/II or the S/2000E/III, usefully indexed them both as 237-DET. Only the color of the plastic has changed.), I still have a moment with my OEM 2000 E/III stylus from after 85 (with the cylindrical cantilever and the black dot). Nothing to do with the contemporary productions of Tonar and others, even if some are really of quality, but not with the same dynamics, nor the same definition, and sometimes the sibilance. I think that with the Vivid Line, we need to find the dynamism with the NOS diamonds of yesteryear. But the tracking pressure must certainly be higher than that of NOS diamonds, or am I wrong?
I forgot, Zafira's 5588 stylus is also a superb clone of the Empire 2000 E/I stylus and plays just as superbly, and with the same tracking pressure as the NOS or OEM. But it is also very difficult to find today, since it has not been manufactured for many years, and above all its production must have been reserved for a few countries in Europe, including France where I live.

Pfanstiehl 237.png
 
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My diamond supplier explained to me on the phone that in fact Empire manufactured diamonds until 1987, then was bought back, and that's when the cantilevers went from the conical shape to the cylindrical shape with a black dot to recognize the elliptical shape of the diamond, as it is done today. He also has a nice collection of Empire cartridges and diamonds, as well as cartridges mounted directly on the arm heads. He worked in a company specializing in the sale of hi-fi equipment, which explains the many references he offers for sale.
 
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Does anyone have a spare diamond reference for an Empire 2000 E IV cartridge? It seems to be a specific diamond with the purple plastic, and my question is whether the diamonds for Empire 2000 E III are compatible with this 2000 E IV cartridge (including variants like the Vivid Line or the Shibata). I thought I read on a forum that this could be the case. Someone to confirm it for me?
 
If the 2000 E/IV is physically the same (I have never had one but it almost certainly is) as far as the stylus shank is concerned, any stylus made for the 2000/2000E series will work, at least as far as fitting into the cartridge and producing sound.

A cylindrical, as opposed to a tapered (conical), cantilever will result in greater mass which may or may not be audible in typical use.

Note the often repeated error in the Pfanstiehl listing, including the 2000Z cartridge with the other 2000 series as among those compatible with that stylus which, of course is not true. Gary does state this in the comments below, however.

Doug
 
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