ADC XLM-II ()
A rare cartridge, light and compliant, built to track well - if you can still find parts.
Overview
The XLM-II sits in the middle of the XLM series, a moving magnet line that collectors still talk about for low-mass, high-compliance tracking. Paired with the right tonearm, it tracks the groove and stays out of the way. There's no flashy marketing and no glossy brochures, but there is a cult following that swears by its transparency and precision.
The full story of the XLM-II is murky. There are no production dates, no original pricing and no manufacturer backstory. What is clear is that this is a moving magnet cartridge from ADC, a brand known for balancing compliance and rigidity so the cartridge reads vinyl well without beating it up. The XLM series was built for accuracy. The mkII refined what the mkI started, and the mkIII came later to push further. The records we have don't say exactly where the XLM-II fits in that evolution, but it was more than a stopgap.
What we do know centers on the replacement stylus, the LP Gear RXM-II, which shows what the original was meant to do. It's priced at $73.00 as of the latest data. It has a "special elliptical diamond" tip on a "thin-wall alloy tube" cantilever. The claim is "Natural excellent tracing of record grooves" with "very high accuracy and superb rendition of voice and music." These designs are neutral. They add no warmth to cover flaws and no brightness to fake detail.
Owning one today means accepting the usual vintage trade-offs: parts are finite, knowledge is scattered, and specs are lost. No verified source gives frequency response curves, output voltage or recommended tracking force. There's no word on weight, dimensions or compliance figures, which you need when matching to a tonearm. The stylus has scanning radii of .0003 x .0007 inch, which suggests a fine-tipped, high-resolution profile, but nothing says how that works out in real-world wear or channel separation.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | ADC |
| Product type | moving magnet cartridge |
| Stylus tip shape | special elliptical diamond |
| Stylus scanning radii | .0003 x .0007 inch |
| Cantilever | thin-wall alloy tube |
Collectibility & Value
The ADC XLM-II is well regarded among people who know it, but mostly invisible to the broader vintage audio market. Replacement styli are the closest thing to a market pulse, and an LP Gear RXM-II stylus for the XLM-II currently carries a price of $73.00. That's not cheap for a stylus, but it's not outrageous either. For context, a new original ADC XLM stylus (covering mkI, mkII, and mkIII) was listed at €85 on April 23, 2025, which suggests genuine NOS parts command a premium.
Aftermarket support exists. Tonar offers a replacement stylus for the XLM line, and LP Gear has one for the XLM MK III with a "highly polished special elliptical diamond tip." The XLM-II specifically relies on that $73.00 RXM-II part. There's no data on common failures, repair difficulty or long-term maintenance, and no service manuals are being written anymore, so owners are often working blind.
A complete XLM-II cartridge is hard to find. Listings are sparse, and when they do appear they're often bundled with turntables or sold as "tested" without documentation. Without original specs it's hard to verify performance, and without the recommended tracking force or compliance, buyers fall back on trial, error and forum lore.
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