Description
What it is: Belt-driven turntable
Producer: Empire Usa
Features: Vintage
Price when new:
Specifications
| Traction | belt |
|---|---|
| country of origin | USA |
About the brand
Empire Scientific was an American manufacturer from Garden City, New York, specializing in turntables, cartridges, and loudspeakers. It was founded in the late 1950s as Audio Empire, the hi-fi division of Dyna-Empire, a precision mechanics shop; since 1959 the leadership was Herb Horowitz, who came from Electro-Sonic Laboratories and the audio sector of CBS-Columbia, and the name Empire Scientific appears in 1962.
The turntables Empire, known under the name Troubador, have been produced since the early 1960s in a series of models: 208, 298, 398, 498, 598 and 698. The best known is the 598: belt drive, hysteresis synchronous motor, 12-inch two-piece cast aluminium platter, air suspension and boom Empire 990. On the Troubadors, speed was changed by manually moving the belt from one pulley to the other; the 598 III and 698 did away with 78 rpm records. Standard finishes were satin chrome or silver anodized aluminum, with gold being an option, indicated by a G in the model number.
Empire It also produced magnetic cartridges: the 880P was reviewed by Stereophile, and the top-of-the-line 1000ZE/X and the 999VE are sought-after by collectors. With the decline of the record industry, the family sold the business, keeping the name, which was then transferred to other products such as batteries; the turntable and cartridge company no longer exists.
When buying used equipment, it's a good idea to check the finish, as the gold finish wears out more easily over time. Replacement belts for Troubadors are still available, while for cartridges, Empire There are original, never-used replacement points in circulation, which must be checked on a case-by-case basis.
Da Audiocostruzioni turntables pass by Empire Used and vintage: those available are on this page. You can see and hear them in our Carpi showroom or order online with shipping. If you have any questions, please email us.
FAQ
This product is in the Archive section and is no longer available for sale. Visit our catalog to discover current models or contact us for personalized advice on a similar product.
When a model goes out of production, is sold permanently, or is no longer available from our suppliers, we move it to the Archive section. We maintain the page online for informational purposes: users and collectors can continue to consult specifications, descriptions, and reference images.
Probably. Visit our product catalog to discover equivalent models currently on sale: you can filter by category, brand, and price range to find the best alternative for your system.
We do not carry used or vintage products. To discover currently available alternatives, click the "Go to catalog" button at the top right of the page, or go directly to our product catalog to browse the models for sale.
We do not directly handle technical assistance or spare parts. On our support page , you'll find tables with direct contact information for service centers and specialized repairers: you can contact them directly to discuss repairs or spare parts availability.
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