Empire 909 cartridge

[mik_rik]

Gave my son my Thorens TD150 t/t with a Rogers HG88 amp as he got some vinyl for xmas.I have another '150 which has been gathering dust to replace it ,and hooked it up with a quick "set up" and it sounds quite good. My question is to those among us with a lot more knowledge /experience is that it has an Empire 909x cartridge fitted and I would like to find if it is a "keeper " or if if it is outclassed by more modern offerings.I have other carts but I hate changing /setting up etc - dark arts to me! Thanks in advance All the best - Mick

[walpurgis]

Vintage Empire MM cartridges can sound quite decent. The 909X dates back to around 1970 I believe and was a budget model with a conical stylus. If it looks sound, it would certainly be worth using. I'd use around 2.5 grams downforce to set it up and see how that goes, a bit more won't hurt. It's probably on a par with a Shure M75/6 or Goldring G800, but certainly rarer.

[mik_rik]

Thanks for a prompt response,1970 will be correct ,t/t has a sticker from supplying retailer dated as such.I know some Empire and Stanton cartridges used the same bodies and that they could be vastly improved by changing styli without changing the cartridge itself and was hoping for anyone with experience to say if it was worthwhile doing this or changing to a modern cartridge.Any views?.As a small aside ,I mainly listen to classic rock and prog from late 60's early 70's and think music from a time sounds better on gear from the same era, but that's possibly food for another thread!.

[mik_rik]

p.s quickly set for approx 1.75g,will alter this to approx 2.5 and see how it does on a test disc ,thanks for the info Mick

[walpurgis]

You might run into problems with a genuine Empire stylus from higher in the range (assuming it fits). The dearer the stylus the higher the compliance on old Empires, similar to ADC cartridges. The Thorens arm is of medium to highish mass and may not suit. Some of the top Empires had ludicrously high compliances and were quoted as tracking as low as 1/4 gram and would be totally unusable in a modern arm.

[mik_rik]

Thanks for another very fast response,sorry for not replying sooner- before committing to an upgrade of stylus ,I would check for compatibility,to make sure of suitability.I do have a few others ,but it was to save the effort of mounting and aligning them - hate that job.Thanks again for sharing with your accumulated knowledge Mick