We got a shipment of these at the store last week, and I have to say, I'm still trying to figure out what Marineland improved.

They added a mid-level intake strainer like the newer Penguins have, which I haven't been impressed with. Plus, they changed the look of the hinged cover. They put a cheesy-looking logo on it, and took out the little window! Now you have to open the cover to see the Biowheel turning. The worst part is, the wholesale price went up enough to bump up the store price another 10 bucks!
All in all, I was pretty disappointed when I took it out of the box to look at it. I guess the moral of the story is, if you're considering an Emperor, hurry up and buy one while you can still get the older model.