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[Test Note] Check Empire 2000E/III on my setup

Empire 2000E/III

The Empire 2000E/III works as an upper mid-range MM cartridge that plugs straight into any standard MM phono input. Its elliptical stylus carries the designation S2000E/III and can be swapped by the owner. Rated tracking force runs from 0.75 to 1.5 grams with a nominal setting of 1.0 gram. Phono Culture lists three compatible replacement styli for this model.

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Stylus: S2000E/III
Type: ММ
Stylus Shape: Elliptical[ radii (mil / µm) 0.2×0.7 (≈5.1×17.8 µm) ]
Class: Upper Mid-Range

Mounting: standard 1/2"
Tracking Force: 0.75–1.5 g (nominal 1.0 g)
Cantilever: aluminum

Additional Info

The Empire 2000E/III leans toward a warm, forgiving character with genuinely natural vocals and confident dynamics. Its bass feels dense and full-bodied rather than lean, while the sense of space stays wide and stable, so busier passages remain easy on the ears. The elliptical stylus on an aluminum cantilever favors jazz, vocal records and relaxed listening on modest to mid-tier systems. The stylus is user-replaceable, so no retipping is needed when it wears.

Replacement styluses for Empire 2000E/III

JICO	S-2000E/III	Elliptical
Empire	S2000E/III (237-DET)	Elliptical
LP Gear	EMPS2000EIII	Elliptical

Sound × Setup

Detail

72%

IGD Control

68%

Noise Suppression

70%

Dynamics—Attack

76%

Soundstage/Imaging

75%

Bass Density

74%

Vocals/Midrange

77%

Forgiving Character

78%

Tonearm mass medium 44%

light 44%·heavy 11%

Capacitance 100-200 pF 60%

up to 100 pF 20%·from 200 pF 20%

Phono gain 35–38 dB 50%

39–42 dB 50%·43–46 dB 0%

Empire 2000E/III (MM) compatible. Medium-mass arm ideal match. Gain 39–42 dB sufficient for output (~5mV). Capacitance optimal—no loading issues. Compliance ~12 cu suits tonearm resonance. Recommend: standard preamp, 47kΩ load. Excellent tracking, minimal distortion. ✓

Collectors

add 11/12/2025 · upd. 08/02/2026