Are the Empire Turntables any good?

They were and can be. Depends on model, condition and modifications. The arms are another story............

My 598 worked well for many years. The arm was also fine (for a pivoting design) with Shure V15 pickup. The antiskating and VTF adjustments were easy and effective.

I had 2 different 598's-beautiful to look at, but don't dare walk when being used.

Robbyg...That's funny. Mine was quite immune to vibration. I credited the balanced arm (downforce by a spring) mounted on a softly suspended subchassis with the platter so that they moved together. Mine was located in a solidly constructed alcove, with a heavy wood lid that closed over the audio equipment. (No wimpy plastic dust cover!)

I am told that the phono pickup can make a difference also.

I have had a 598 for 20+ years. After installing inserts for 1/4 x 20 threads in the bottom of the base and mounting Black Diamond Racing cones, the table rests on a solid maple platform. The performance went to another level after this. A Goldring 1042 has been a great match for the arm. On well recorded lps, it gives my Cambridge Audio player/transport - Asemblage 2.7 platinum dac playback system a solid run. It's a very quiet table. However, the interconnect cable is a potentially weak point. The connector to the tonearm is a weird impossible to find plug. Make sure to get a cable in good shape. Drive belts are also hard to find.