ADC INTEGRA XLMII

A no-nonsense, precision-tuned cartridge and headshell combo that treats setup like a science, not a ritual.

Overview

If you’ve ever spent an evening hunched over a protractor, tweaking azimuth with a jeweler’s screwdriver and muttering about overhang, the ADC INTEGRA XLMII feels like a relief. This isn’t just a cartridge with a headshell slapped on—it’s a single, integrated unit: a half-inch mount carbon fiber headshell permanently fused with what appears to be the ADC XLM II cartridge. The result? A sleek, integrated cartridge and headshell combo that locks performance into a single tuned unit—no guesswork, just plug-and-play precision. It’s the kind of design that assumes you care about alignment but don’t want to live in a spreadsheet to get it right.

Built around a carbon fiber construction, the XLMII is both rigid and lightweight—a combo that helps reject resonance without sacrificing tracking stability. It’s not flashy, but everything about it suggests engineering intent. The silver/black finish keeps it low-profile, and at 12 grams, it sits in that sweet spot where tonearm compatibility is rarely an issue. It’s designed to work with a standard 47k ohm load and a capacitance of 275pF—fairly typical for a moving magnet design—so you won’t need to hunt down exotic preamps to make it sing.

What’s interesting isn’t just what it is, but what it avoids: the endless variables of mixing and matching cartridges and headshells. By integrating both, ADC eliminated one of the most common sources of sonic inconsistency in analog setups. No more worrying about loose screws, mismatched masses, or tiny alignment errors from a slightly askew mount. It’s a system, not a collection of parts.

Specifications

Key Features

Precision Engineering in Motion

At the heart of the XLMII is ADC’s patented Induced Magnet design, which relies on just one moving element. Fewer moving parts mean less opportunity for distortion and phase error—especially during complex transients. This isn’t just theory; the suspension system, called the Omni-Pivot System, is built to exploit that simplicity. Each armature is micro-machined to within 1/4 the thickness of a human hair, then locked into ADC’s high-definition suspension block. That kind of tolerance isn’t typical in mass-market cartridges, and it shows in the stability of the tracking.

Adjustability Without Compromise

Even though it’s a fixed unit, the XLMII doesn’t lock you into a one-size-fits-all alignment. Vertical tracking angle is adjustable—a rare feature in integrated designs—so you can fine-tune contact with the groove based on your tonearm geometry. Offset angle can be set exactly right at two groove radii, and overhang dimension is also adjustable. That means you’re not sacrificing precision for convenience. In fact, you might gain it: because the entire assembly is factory-aligned and tuned, the adjustments you make are working against a known, stable baseline—not a stack of variables.

Stylus and Replacement

The stylus is a 0.03 x 0.07 mil nude elliptical—nude meaning the diamond is mounted directly to the cantilever without a metal shank, improving high-frequency response and reducing mass. When the time comes to replace it, the RXM-II is the designated successor. That it has a dedicated replacement suggests ADC intended this to be a long-term investment, not a disposable component. Whether the RXM-II is still available today is another matter—but the fact that it was specified at all speaks to a level of support that wasn’t always standard in the analog world.

Collectibility & Value

As of the last known listing, the ADC INTEGRA XLMII was priced at $109.98 on LP Gear, offered as new old stock complete with the owner’s manual and a tracking angle gauge—nice touches that matter to purists. However, the item was marked as currently unavailable, with the note: "We don't know when and if this will again be in stock." That uncertainty makes it more of a find than a buy. There’s no data on original pricing, production years, or common failures, and no reviews or owner impressions to draw from. What exists is what you see: a well-specified, integrated cartridge that solved real setup problems, now sitting quietly in the secondary market, waiting for someone who knows what to do with it.

eBay Listings

As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.

Related Models

• ADC 27
• ADC 809
• ADC MK X
• ADC Q-3
• ADC 10E Mk.IV
• 4ms Ping
• 2hp LPG V2
• ALM Busy Circuits MS-014
• ALM AXON-2
• AMS DMX 2000