ADC LX-II (Late 1970s–Early 1980s?)
A plain, all-black cartridge from ADC's golden era. It has a precise elliptical stylus and solid tracking. The specs are murky and the history is sparse.
Overview
Nobody finds an ADC LX-II at a garage sale and gasps. It has no chrome trim like the XLM and none of the mystique of the Swiss nude stylus models. It's black - body, nose, cantilever housing - and about as plain as a utility knife. Underneath that is a purpose-built tracker that a lot of folks quietly swear by, especially for worn vinyl or records with nasty grooves. It's a phono cartridge from ADC (Audio Dynamics Corp), a company better known for high-end moving magnet designs like the XLM series and, later, the Sound Shaper equalizers. The LX-II sits lower in the lineup. It's likely a cost-conscious sibling built on the same chassis, probably a step down in the stylus department.
The stylus is where the LX-II shines. It uses a highly polished special elliptical diamond tip, shaped to sit deeper in the groove walls than a standard conical needle and pull out more detail without getting jumpy. The scanning radii are .0003 x .0007 inch, which is tight, and it's designed to trace high-frequency modulations with real precision. Owners report "superb tracking and tracing of record grooves." That sounds like marketing fluff, but it lines up with what users say in forums: it just sticks. No skating, no mistracking on inner grooves, no sibilance tantrums. Retailers who still stock replacement styli say it delivers "finer detail and harmonically complete sound quality."
Here's the catch: almost everything known about the LX-II comes from what it shares with other ADC cartridges, not from what it does uniquely. There's no official spec sheet, no original manual floating around, and no big magazine review from 1979 to quote. This page is pieced together from forum posts, replacement part listings, and cross-model comparisons. Even the production years are a guess. Someone on Vinyl Engine said it was probably from the "late 70s or early 80s," and until a brochure turns up, that's as close as it gets.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | ADC (Audio Dynamics Corp) |
| Product type | phono cartridge |
| Stylus tip shape | highly polished special elliptical diamond |
| Stylus tip scanning radii | .0003 x .0007 inch |
| Tracking force (recommended) | 1.3g vs 1.5g to 3.0g |
| Compliance | 25Cu (for the original stylus) |
| Body shape | The LX-II has the same body shape as the ADC QLM, VLM and XLM carts, but is all black |
Key Features
The Elliptical Diamond Stylus
The stylus does most of the work here. That "highly polished special elliptical diamond" is a real upgrade over basic conical tips. The asymmetrical contact patch (.0003 x .0007 inch) puts more surface area against the groove, which reduces record wear and improves high-frequency retrieval. It's not a line contact or micro-ridge, so modern-level resolution is off the table, but for its time this was serious geometry. The polish matters too. A smoother tip generates less noise and friction, which means less distortion and longer life. On a modest turntable setup, it can squeeze out a bit more clarity without swapping the whole cartridge.
Shared Chassis Design
The LX-II borrows its body. The shape is identical to the ADC QLM, VLM, and XLM cartridges, which were higher-tier models in the ADC lineup. That means it fits standard 1/2-inch headshell mounts, aligns the same way, and probably shares internal mounting points and damping. The big visual difference is that the LX-II is all black. No silver trim, no model badge flash. It looks like ADC took the same housing, painted it matte, and dropped it into a more budget-friendly tier. One forum user speculated it might be "the same body as the XLM with a downgrade in stylus," or "the equivalent to the QLM-34." That makes sense. With an ADC tonearm or headshell, the LX-II should slide right in without alignment surprises.
Collectibility & Value
The ADC LX-II doesn't show up often on the market, and when it does, there's no clear pricing pattern. No original MSRP has surfaced, and current resale values for the complete cartridge aren't documented in the sources. The replacement stylus, still available from specialty retailers, is priced at $69.35 USD (LP Tunes, as of 2000-2025). That's not cheap for a stylus, but it's not outrageous given the precision tip and the fact that ADC parts are no longer in mass production. That suggests some niche demand, likely from owners maintaining older ADC-based setups or DIYers hunting for compatible styli. No common failures or maintenance issues are recorded. Without service manuals or widespread user reports, any repair would be a gamble.
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Service Manuals, Schematics & Catalogs
- Catalog — archive.org
- Catalog (1989) — archive.org
- Catalog — archive.org