anyone else running vintage Empire carts?
- Thread starter gadget73
- Start date
Doug G.
Lunatic Member
The original spec. is .75 - 3.0 grams. It seems there was a revised spec. later on although I may be thinking of another model.
Anyway, I run mine at 2 grams and it sounds really good. A nice full-bodied sound with plenty of detail. Kind of puts the kibosh to the idea that conical styli can't provide that.
Doug
1tumbleweed
Kozmik Kowboy
Euphemistic? Euclidian? EU-centric?
Happy trails,
Larry B.
Happy trails,
Larry B.
Yes, but you have to be a hunter like a feral housecat in a vacant lot. The stylus is out of production and any retailer will have a high price on it strictly due to its rarity. But it's not that rare. I've seen and bought NOS examples of the S912E/S910E on eBay for reasonable money. It's got the smooth Empire 'house' sound.
Here's the S912E stylus in factory packaging. Click to enlarge the glorious purpletude.
Here's the S912E stylus in factory packaging. Click to enlarge the glorious purpletude.
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looks like the one my buddy broke in a drunken record playing evening.
MWalt
Super Member
Yes, but you have to be a hunter like a feral housecat in a vacant lot. The stylus is out of production and any retailer will have a high price on it strictly due to its rarity. But it's not that rare. I've seen and bought NOS examples of the S912E/S913E on eBay for reasonable money. It's got the smooth Empire 'house' sound.
Here's the S912E stylus in factory packaging in a photo that's way bigger than I expected:
Thanks for the tip! I just did a "google search" for S912E stylus and LP gear has it for only $34.00.
No retailer has this stylus for a reasonable price. If you do see such a thing, it's 99.99% likely to be an aftermarket replacement. That's the case here. Which could be fine-- I have no experience with replacements for the S912E. JICO probably makes that one, and they do good work, so if you do get this, let us know how it sounds.MWalt said:
Just so you know, it's not going to sound exactly like the original. In other words, you'll be listening to JICO's handiwork, not Empire's, since the sound of a cartridge is the sound of its stylus. Fingers crossed!
The physical construction of the rest of the cartridge is going to have something to do with it.
MWalt
Super Member
I know it's not an original. Those NOS styli are way overpriced and I will take a good value over nostalgia. I have a Shibata on a AT cart that sounds great.
MWalt
Super Member
Now $50 is a deal and I would certainly opt for NOS in this case.
Heh. Ya gotta remember, I'm a cheapskate; I couldn't in good conscience steer you to an expensive NOS stylus. The problem, as always, is that the good deals are slowly getting less and less frequent. It's a choice you have to make, go for something good now or wait (and wait and wait) for the good deal.
And people are starting to pop up and report much better results than I've gotten from aftermarket Empire styli, which is good news. So either way could be good. Try for the original, but if that doesn't work out, then heck, get the JICO. Whatever works.
And people are starting to pop up and report much better results than I've gotten from aftermarket Empire styli, which is good news. So either way could be good. Try for the original, but if that doesn't work out, then heck, get the JICO. Whatever works.
Onegizmobob
Active Member
Tried using a 2003ZE/X cartridge I bought off EBAY. Not too amazing. I wish I could find replacement styli for my 2000E/III and 2000Z. I loved both of them. My 2000E/III suffered a similar fate to the stylus like onwardjames mentioned. The 2000Z stylus had too many hours on it and I replaced it with an AT30E moving coil.
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