ADC RLX-II Stylus
That crisp, quiet high end on your vintage pressing? This tiny diamond might be why.
Overview
The ADC RLX-II is a replacement stylus made for the ADC LX-II phono cartridge. The LX-II once flew under the radar, but it has earned loyalty among analog diehards who want precision without clinical sterility. Details on the original ADC product line are scarce. LP Gear offers the RLX-II today, which keeps these older cartridges playing. It's not a flashy part, but it's a critical one. The tip is a special elliptical diamond that rides the tight curves of the vinyl grooves and reads decades-old modulations.
Anyone reviving a neglected LX-II will find the RLX-II is the logical path, and perhaps the only one. The tip is a "special" elliptical with scanning radii of .0003 x .0007 inch. That shape digs deeper into the groove walls than a standard elliptical and pulls out detail a spherical tip would gloss over. The diamond is also highly polished, which is believed to reduce high-frequency distortion and record wear. The original ADC engineering notes are lost.
There are no manufacturer specs for the original cartridge - no output voltage, no compliance, no frequency response. The replacement's design points to a particular era of analog thinking: not overly warm, not aggressively bright, aiming for accuracy with a touch of refinement. The LX-II body reportedly shares its form factor with the QLM, VLM, and XLM models but is finished in all black. That suggests a family of cartridges built for consistency and ease of installation. The RLX-II stylus doesn't come with a manual or spec sheet. It's still being made, which implies demand.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | LP Gear (replacement product) |
| Product type | Replacement needle/stylus for a phono cartridge |
| Compatible cartridge | ADC LX-II (also referred to as ADC LX II) phono cartridge |
| Stylus tip shape | Special elliptical diamond |
| Stylus scanning radii | .0003 x .0007 inch |
| Design & Technology | Highly polished special elliptical diamond |
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