Empire 1000-ZE (1971–1972)
The 1000-ZE was Empire's top-of-the-line phono cartridge in the early 1970s. Period advertising usually wrote it "1000 ZE/X". The documented record is thin, and nearly all of it comes from Empire's own ads rather than independent reviews.
An Empire advertisement in Audio (April 1971, p.38) paired the 1000 ZE/X with the model 598 Troubador turntable. It called them "two of the world's greatest stereo components" and claimed the cartridge could track at forces so low that stylus and record wear were never a concern. By late 1971, Empire was running a new ad campaign declaring the cartridge "Approved for 4-channel," with higher frequency response and compliance than before. The same ad, carried in High Fidelity (November 1971, p.43), listed the 1000 ZE/X at $99.95. It described the cartridge as a "Measurement Standard" that tracked as low as 0.1 gram in laboratory playback arms.
Here is what the ads let you verify. The 1000-ZE/X sat at the top of Empire's cartridge line, retailed for $99.95, and was marketed for both stereo and 4-channel playback around 1971-72. The next model down, the 999VE/X, was listed at $79.95 with a recommended tracking force of ¼ to 1¼ grams. No independent lab reports or detailed technical specs for the 1000-ZE/X have surfaced in the archive. Everything else rests on Empire's own claims.
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