Original or Replacement styli

[farflungstar]

Hi - I just bought (the Bay) an Empire Scientific 2000 EIII without stylus. I have to make a decision - the cart was a tad under $100 and is new (allegedly- though it looks it and comes in original case) but a new original stylus from Germany is $150 - a replacement from LPGear is $40. Both are elliptical - which should I go for....?

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[malden]

NOS styli are a gamble, cantilever could have corrosion and/or suspension could be dried-out.

 

[1tumbleweed]

...and aftermarket styli are also a gamble, depending on manufacturer.

I'd recommend you wade through this long discussion:

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=468129

Empire cartridges are kind of a special case - compared to more prevalent brands such as Shure, Stanton or Audio Technica - because the company has been out of business for so long. Given the choice, I'd opt for a NOS original, but I'm sure there are some decent aftermarket ones, too. Just do yourself a favor and do some in-depth research before dropping the $$.

Happy trails,
Larry B.