Are you sure it has 78 as an option? All Empires I have ever
encountered were 2 speed, probably as they were marketed primarily
during the LP era.
Not that I've seen everything....
Just a thought.
BH
mrichter@xxxxxxx 2/1/2007 2:53 PM >>>
John Ross wrote:
Does anybody have any useful advice or opinions about Empire
turntables?
In particular, whether they're a good choice for playing 78s?
I have an opportunity to buy one (sorry, don't know which model
number)
for $100. It seems to be in decent condition (probably needs a new
belt,
just on general principle). I would use it with a Shure M78
cartridge.
My biggest concern is that it does not offer variable speed, so I
won't
be able to adjust it for different types, ages and brands of discs. I
suppose I could adjust the speed in software, but that's not always
an
option for casual listening.
Any thoughts?
If your interests are limited to electrical recordings, you'll not
often
miss adjustable speed. If they extend into the acoustic era, variable
speed is essential for listening, desirable before computer processing.
When I was listening to 78s (since sacrificed to my poor health), a
Bogen B51 table provided wide and continuous speed selection; its
failings would have been serious with LPs but were acceptable for
casual
purposes on shellac discs.
Mike