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Rare historic sample of the beginning of the vinyl revolution. In excellent condition and fully bench tested, lubed and released for purchase. We are excellent shippers. You are fully insured through Reverb's Safe Shipping program. They use real insurance companies not the couriers with a full repair or 100% money back refund guarantee. I've seen it firsthand on several purchases we have made. Check our reviews for peace of mind.
At US$900, this sits above the recent used market: it’s well over the US$450 median and even above the US$855 75th percentile, so I’d call it ambitious rather than a bargain. It’s not absurd for a desirable Empire piece, but it’s priced at the top end and should be judged on condition and completeness.
The appeal here is the brand’s big, handsome vintage-idler-era presence and the collector draw of a scarce Empire table in apparently excellent shape. If the cosmetics are genuinely clean and the mechanism, motor, arm, and cartridge situation are sorted, that can justify paying up; just make sure the listing is truly complete, because at this level missing parts or deferred service would eat the value fast.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Empire is best known as a vintage American hi-fi brand that dates back to 1959, when it appeared as Audio Empire in the United States. It began under Dyna-Empire, a precision machine-shop manufacturer, before evolving into Empire Scientific; later history suggests the audio side changed hands and eventually faded as a consumer audio name. Because the brand’s classic era is several decades behind us, some details are unevenly documented, but its roots in mid-century U.S. hi-fi are clear.
In its heyday, Empire focused on analog playback gear, especially phono cartridges, styli, and tonearms. The company was particularly associated with turntable accessories and record-playback components rather than complete systems. That makes Empire a name most often encountered by vinyl enthusiasts, vintage-audio collectors, and restoration-minded buyers rather than shoppers looking for modern amplifiers, speakers, DACs, or headphones.
Today, Empire’s reputation is primarily that of a respected vintage brand with a strong collectible following. Its products are remembered for careful engineering and a place in the golden age of American hi-fi, but it is not a current mainstream audio manufacturer in the modern consumer market. For buyers, Empire is more a heritage name than an active high-end badge, valued for classic analog performance and historical significance.
See all Empire listings on RADAR.
