Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

Hi Chris,

The pressure gauge indicates the Wolfe-modified WISA pump operates satisfactorily; the system experiences a drastic pressure drop at the surge tank...there appears to be occlusion, there.

I'd like to keep the arm; however, at some point, I'll look for a non-suspended table :-)

It's in the forties, now...brrr.

-Sam

Chris, I love the Empire. I think it is a terrific cartridge, and have used it long enough to form an opinion. From a technical point of view, I had no performance issues with it in the ET. Tracking was very good, even if not quite as solid as cartridges like my Monster AG2000 (ZYX), and VDH Grasshopper. IN MY SETUP the double spring I beam is a must in order to firm up what can be a bit of excessive fullness. These are some comments I posted a while back in Raul's MM/MC thread. I hope you find them useful:

*****I just received, and installed a NOS Empire 4000D III Gold. I am
VERY impressed. I have been somewhat lukewarm about the whole issue of the claimed superiority of MM's relative to MC's; and still, overall, in the MC camp. I own ATML170, Azden PVL 50, Andante, and while I recognize what they do well (very well, particularly in the case of the AT and Azden), I have still been unconvinced. The Empire could change all that.

I am interested in hearing from you guys about your findings re break-in, VTA, VTF, viscous damping, etc., in order to optimize it's performance.
Thanks.****

****Thanks guys. I have the Empire in a Eminent Technology 2 air bearing tonearm with the high-pressure manifold and pump; on a VPI TNT6 with "the works". So far, initial impressions are: Terrific clarity, with good inner detail. Tonally, a good middle ground between the white/bleached sound of the Andante, and the more romantic/golden flavor flavor of the Azden.
Open soundstage with good placement. Sound is definitely weighted towards the midrange, and so far seems a little bloated. That is why I ask
about break-in, and damping; a hunch tells me that things will even-out (tighten) a bit after a few more hours. But, in general, so far I like it better than the vaunted ATML170, which in my set-up seems a little slow/slightly boring in comparison. I am going to try fluid damping over the next couple of days and report back.****

****Dear Raul, thank you for your thoughts. I find the Empire to be anything but boring. It is, in fact, very alive sounding. That quality (or it's absence) is the most important performance consideration for me. If the component does not allow the music to move as it should, it doesn't
matter how great it's frequency extension, soundstaging, or tonal refinement is. That is what I meant by "boring" in reference to the ATML170. It is clearly an excellent cartridge in most respects, but in comparison to the Empire (and my MC's), it sounds just a little bit slow; rhythmically laid back. The Empire, in the exact same system sounds very alive, and lets the music move as it should. The AT has superior detailing of the soundstage, with more stable placement, but also sounds a little
closed-in in the highs; not enough natural color. I know "color" is considered a great sin by many audiophiles, but music has a tremendous amount of color, and some components seem to "bleach" the color out of
instruments' timbre. Everything then sounds very much the same, with a gray(ish) color; mistakenly referred to as "neutral". I am sure you are correct, and that 100K loading would improve that.****

****That is still my main issue with MM's in general. Until I heard the Empire 4000D III, every MM that I had tried, including the ATML170OCC, has sounded too relaxed to me. Not bad by any means, but compared to a good MC, without that essential quality of excitement in the rhythm of the music; like a coiled spring ready to unwind at any moment. I am still getting to know the Empire, and I am still not ready to say that in the dynamics (micro/macro) department it is the equal of my VDH MC's.****

C1 if you are really interested in visitors let me know, I would love to hear your Dalis.

Frogman the change in sound with changing pressure was fairly subtle prior to the suspension change and since the change is essentially nonexistent.

I don't think the manifold is clogged as the pressure is in the correct range with the original pump. I have had the manifold out and cleaned it but it was some time ago.

If I get bored perhaps I should do it again just to be sure.

Hi Frogman – With all the cartridges you must have heard over the years on the ET2, thanx for confirming what am hearing with this Empire 4000 DIII cartridge . Thanks also for retrieving all those comments from that MM thread. Fantastic info.

For the the $350 -400 that I paid for each of these Empires they deliver alot of performance. I bought one on whim from following the MM thread. Having then heard it I figured what the hell this could work for what I had planned so I bought another. So two ET tonearms and 2 Empires helping me with my playing around with these TT's.

3 leaf springs and IBeam are still in mail and have not arrived yet. Will be keeping the Empire on and trying with a double spring as you suggest as soon as they come in. Looking forward to that. Then will be switching back to my favourite MC - in this case it happens to be a Benz Micro MC 3 which is SS Ruby Retip.
I have an old XV1 being rebuilt by Axel in Germany per the MM thread. Am anxious to get it back but very patient as he is hopefully bringing it back from the dead.

Currently listening with lead weights positioned as far back as possible on the I- Beam.

Cheers Chris

Ct, please keep us posted re the use of the double spring. BTW, I have been tempted, but resisted so far, to super glue the stylus assembly/carrier to the cartridge body. I did it to my ATML170OCC for a nice improvement in refinement. Those removable stylus carriers even though they appear to fit tightly in the body of the cart will benefit from the extra rigidity.

Apbii, my comment about clogged capillaries was a general comment. It doesn't sound like yours are clogged. But I realized that I misspoke (miswrote?) in my comment about the over tightening of the bolts. I was
referring to the two bolts (four total) on either side of the VTA block. I never asked Bruce about this in the handful of conversations I have had with him over the years, but I suspect that in the case of my arm it was a machining error that caused those holes to be tapped so long to pierce the manifold housing. Perhaps not, and all arms are that way so careful with over tightening.

David, re suitable tables: I first mounted my ET on a VPI HW19 Mk 2, upgraded to a MK 3, then a Mk 4, and currently my TNT Mk 6 (actually,
it's a bit of a hybrid. Mk 6 with a Mk 5 platter). That series of tables make terrific platforms for the ET. There is ample space for the arm, and the spring suspension can be replaced with less compliant sorbothane or cones which is ideal for the ET. When the ET first came on the market it was the general consensus that a non-sprung table was best; although I always found it interesting that the ET website and manual shows it mounted on a SOTA which is sprung. Another popular combination was the ET on the Oracle; and man, that combination LOOKS cool. Personally, I would look for a HW19 MK2,3, or 4(best) if you want a
moderately priced table. Not sure what you consider moderately priced, but an older TNT is even better. I am currently lusting after a Technics SP10 MK2, which I suspect would be a fantastic combo with the ET on the right plinth.