Anyone know where to find a NOS Empire 2000E stylus?

[doctor fuse]

I scored a minty CEC BD-2000 turntable last month, for the nice sum of $30 CAD. That's about $2.47 USD, for you Yanks.

It came with a Dust Bug arm brush, and what looks like an Empire 2000E cartridge, with a broken stylus (green mount). I just ordered a fleabay aftermarket replacement. Slight bend to the new stylus's cantilever, so I aligned appropriately (according to the cantilever, not the body).

It sounds very nice, overall, but there is a bit of IGD. In particular, the bass drum at the end of Rite of Spring (Stravinsky conducts the Columbia Symphony, CBS reissue - plays much better with a Grado XF-3 or on my main system, Benz-Micro Wood SL, Thorens TD60, Benz-Micro PP1). I am tracking at 1.5 g (specs say 0.75-1.5). I might try a bit more weight.

The new stylus has just under 10 hours on it. Should I expect things to improve over the next 20-50 hours?

And does anyone have any leads on finding NOS Empire styli?

FINAL QUESTION (promise!): do the 4000D styli fit the 2000E bodies?

[nat]

Empire has been gone for decades, and, for whatever reason, there seems to be less of a market for serious aftermarket styli than for other makers. So you don't have as great a set of choices as you might expect.

[audiodk]

The 4000D stylus does fit the 2000E body but the internal inductance and resistance are different in the two body types and the output frequency response and sound will not be the same. Here are the specs for some Empire cartridges including the 4000D and 2000E.

EMPIRE-VINTAGE-SPECS1.jpg

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[newriverrat]

Hope I'm not too late to the party.....



https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_f ... 6&t=112703

[donovan]

I have a Empire 2000E and didn't like the aftermarket stylus either. After a week or two of looking around, I found a NOS Empire conical stylus on the big auction site. Be patient and one will show up sooner or later.

[Collux]

LPGear have a number of replacement styli. (not NOS)
- search Empire 2000
Jico offerings:
2000E
https://www.jico-stylus.com/product_inf ... cts_id=316
Empire range
https://www.jico-stylus.com/index.php?cPath=6

[62vauxhall]

I bought a NOS stylus for an Empire off e-bay but it was a bit older - for an 880 P. On arrival, I saw the suspension had petrified. Might be differences in suspension material(s) between it and a 2000 but who knows? Vendor refunded me and did not want it back.

Next up was one from Tonar. Nothing but praise.