ADC Sound Shaper SS-110 MKII (Unknown Years)
The sliders glow. This is tone shaping from an era when EQ meant knobs, sliders, and no presets.
Overview
The ADC Sound Shaper SS-110 MKII is a stereo graphic equalizer. It is fully analog. There is no digital recall and no menu diving, just a row of sliders that light up as you move them. It belongs to the broader ADC Sound Shaper line, a series of equalizers that sat in home and semi-pro setups during an under-documented stretch of audio history. ADC wasn't a name that graced the covers of high-end audiophile magazines, but the gear found its way into real systems. It was hooked between preamps and power amps, used to tame bright speakers or liven up dull tapes.
Owners have noted its presence in secondary systems, what some call the "B" rig, where it's been asked to carry the weight of sonic improvement. One user even wondered aloud if their setup was sounding better specifically because of the Sound Shaper. Whether it earned that trust through measurable performance or through the feel of the controls isn't confirmed. The lit sliders are there either way.
This is not a speaker. Online forums mix it up with the unrelated ADC SoundImage Speakers, and discussions of those bleed into threads about this equalizer. The SS-110 MKII is strictly a line-level processor. The mix-up is understandable, since both products carry the "ADC Sound" branding and came from a company trying to stake a claim in consumer audio. The SoundImage line aimed at speaker buyers. The Sound Shaper series targeted people who wanted control over a room's acoustics or a recording's balance.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | ADC |
| Product type | Stereo Graphic Equalizer |
| Has sliders that light up | Yes |
| Front panel controls | Tape Monitor 1, Tape Monitor 2, Line record, EQ bypass |
| Rear panel features | Unswitched outlet |
Collectibility & Value
The ADC Sound Shaper SS-110 MKII sells across a wide and puzzling price range, from $44.99 for a used auction lot to $1,499.00 on a "Best Offer" listing. That spread says more about the market than the machine. Some buyers see a functional used equalizer, others a rare vintage piece worth a premium. Most listings describe the units as "Used" or "Pre-Owned," with little detail on working condition. At least one specifies "Used/works."
Replacement parts are occasionally available. Slider tip knobs, the small caps that give your fingers purchase on the faders, are sold individually - $3.99 for one, $9.99 for two. That suggests at least some owners are keeping their units operational, or at least presentable. Whether these are OEM or third-party reproductions isn't specified.
Original pricing remains unconfirmed. One forum user recalls a retail price of around $800, but without documentation that figure is memory, not fact. There are no technical specs on the page either - no frequency bands, no signal-to-noise ratio, no gain structure - so it's hard to judge its original value. The rear panel has an unswitched outlet, which hints that this was meant to be a hub, a device that shaped sound and also powered other gear, keeping your tape deck or tuner in the circuit.
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