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Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: ADC (Audio Dynamics Corp) XLM Mrk II Phono Cartridge by jazzthusiast Welcome Licorice Pizza (LP) lovers! Setup guides and Vinyl FAQ. |
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Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: ADC (Audio Dynamics Corp) XLM Mrk II Phono Cartridge by jazzthusiast Welcome Licorice Pizza (LP) lovers! Setup guides and Vinyl FAQ. |
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99.16.66.194
Model: XLM Mrk II Category: Phono Cartridge Suggested Retail Price: $175.00 Description: High Compliance Vintage Stereo Cartridge Manufacturer URL: Not Available
Review by jazzthusiast on February 26, 2012 at 12:04:48
IP Address: 99.16.66.194Add Your Review
for the XLM Mrk II
Good folks, I’m not a professional reviewer, just a vinyl enthusiast who’s been at this as a serious hobby for a little over 10 yrs, but I thought I’d try this review format to share my impressions of recently NOS ADC ST XLM II & hope it is helpful & adds a few more data pts to the mix.
I got on to the ADC XLM II thru a VA member who posted high praise for it in response to an OP of mine regarding the excellent value offered by the vintage Empire 2000E/III ($25-40). The ADC, though definitely pricier, $75-100+, is in a different league for not a whole lot more and definitely worth it. (Something to keep in mind, though. It is best suited for low mass tonearms.) I came upon an ebay seller with a qty of NOS ADC ST XLM II (NIB) for $75 (currently listed, no affil). I pounced. The “ST” refers to the series of ADC XLMs of carbon fiber construction that are integrated with or premounted to headshells for use on straight tonearms. The premounted version, which this is, is std ½” mount, so it can be removed and mounted on other std ½” headshells.
I've been listening to the ADC ST XLM II all week. I am very pleased, indeed. I'll just say at the outset this is the best cart I've heard in my experience so far (below), and I’ve tried restraining the usual enthusiasm & excitement that goes with getting something new and to remain objective. Here's what I've listened to so far from several go-to records, random notes jotted down, concerns (listed under weaknesses), & conclusion.
Listening list:
* America, Greatest Hits
* Steve Winwood, Arc of a Diver (esp Spanish Dancer)
* Radiohead, King of Limbs
* Albinoni, Oboe Concerto, Op 9, No. 2 - I Solisti Veneti; Scimone, cond., Pierre Pierlot, oboe - RCA Victrola, pink label, licensed from Erato
* Ernestine Anderson, Never Make Your Move Too Soon
* Charlie Haden & Quartet West
* Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
* Lyle Lovett & His Large Band
* Miles Davis, Kind of Blue (Classic Records, Quiex SV, 200g)
* Rodrigo, Concierto de Aranjuez, ASMF, Marriner, Pepe Romero, Philips
* Dire Straits, Making Movies
* James Taylor, That’s Why I’m Here
* Phoebe Snow, S/T
* SRV, Couldn’t Stand the Weather
Notes:
* Deep, resonant bass, but controlled, articulate, well defined.
* Sound stage: deep, wide, great space & air. Excellent channel separation.
* Detailed top-bottom
* Dynamics in spades- Wow! SRV, Couldn't Stand the Weather: Title trk, Tin Pan Alley
* Vocals very real, life-like
* Classical music: instuments individually discerned, pinpoint clarity, wonderful detail. Bass & cello dig deep, very muscular & dynamic, yet articulate & well defined, strings "buzz" just right with those low freqs, rich warm mids & upper range smooth. The harpsichord is not lost in the background, but clear and present; arppegiated line in adagio distinct & tonal quality & character clear. Tonal quality across the board is excellent; seems life-like.
* Full sound, full body, yet w/o congestion.
* Excellent attack & recede, better than I've heard before, microdynamics excellent. Decay nice, just right, i.e., longish but never confused with other instruments or lost while fading, e.g., Radiohead, KOL, Bloom; DS, Making Movies, Skateaway (tambourine).
* Very smooth, quiet. Very MC-like.
* Approaches equivalence to presentation of same recording of Albinoni's oboe concerto heard on my son's (texanater) system w/ soundsmith OLC retip DL103 w/alum body.
* Like the way it can be subtle & gutsy (Winwood's Spanish Dancer; SRV)
* Excellent tracking & nearly impervious to sibliant distortion
Conclusions:
The ADC XLM II is an outstanding cart, IMHO, as I said, the best cart I've heard in my experience, certainly a keeper. So much so, I ordered an additional cart just to have a NOS stylus replacement and one for my son, texanater (lucky boy :-) It is excellent reproducer for everything I've thrown at it so far: small ensemble jazz, classical, soft-rock, rock, etc. If budget is tight the Empire 2000E/III does offer great bang for the buck, IMO, but if $75-100 isn’t a budget buster, it's a no-brainer; the ADC delivers the whole 9 yds.
Comparison carts in recent experience: AT440MLa, 120E, 12Sa, & 150MLx; Grado Ref Sonata & Prestige Red & Gold; Ortofon 2M Red; Denon DL103; Alum body Denon DL103 w/SS OLC retip; Andante P76; Empire 2000E/III; Shelter 901; Stanton 600EE, 680EE; B&O MMC2.
Product Weakness: None, really. Optimally, you need a low mass tonearm. Mine is a med mass tonearm, and mathematically, the ADC XLM II is not a perfect match with my tonearm. ADC XLM II compliance = 33. Technics SL1210mkII tonearm & headshell combo with ADC XLM II, using vinylengine's tonearm resonance calculator, has ~6Hz tonearm resonance, outside optimal range of 8-11 Hz, BUT I'm not hearing any significant problems. Bass seems tight, no flab at all. Hard rock can seem a little edgy top-end, but dunno if that's attributable to >detail. Of course, I worry there could be above avg wear on the suspension system, but I don't see see getting a rig with a 6-8g tonearm any time in the future. I'll have to live with it for now. Product Strengths: See above.
Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Yamaha M4 Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Yamaha C60 Sources (CDP/Turntable): Technics SL1210mkII Speakers: KLH Model 6 Cables/Interconnects: Tara Klara (speaker,) Petra (preamp/amp), stock TT Music Used (Genre/Selections): Jazz, classical, rock Time Period/Length of Audition: 1 week Type of Audition/Review: Home Audition
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Topic - REVIEW: ADC (Audio Dynamics Corp) XLM Mrk II Phono Cartridge - jazzthusiast 12:04:48 02/26/12 ( 46)
- Thanks for all the posts and the helpful information - jazzthusiast 09:46:35 03/1/12 ( 0)
Technics EPA500 tonearm system should work great.. - rich121 09:24:55 02/27/12 ( 0)
RE: REVIEW: ADC (Audio Dynamics Corp) XLM Mrk II Phono Cartridge - Vinyl Lord 03:42:51 02/27/12 ( 3)
- Uh, no. Why would you think that? Not a bad price for a quality MM. /nt\ - Opus 104 04:50:51 02/27/12 ( 2)
- Let him think it... - EdAInWestOC 05:12:27 02/27/12 ( 1)
- True. I only have 3. /nt\ - Opus 104 05:38:50 02/27/12 ( 0)
I've never seen an XLM II looking anything like that. - Dave Pogue 14:53:54 02/26/12 ( 4)
- RE: I've never seen an XLM II looking anything like that. - mosin 16:00:55 02/26/12 ( 3)
- RE: I've never seen an XLM II looking anything like that. - Dave Pogue 16:24:21 02/26/12 ( 2)
- RE: I've never seen an XLM II looking anything like that. - mosin 17:03:44 02/26/12 ( 1)
- RE: I've never seen an XLM II looking anything like that. - Ryan T 17:34:05 02/26/12 ( 0)
i strongly suggest... - hifitommy 12:26:17 02/26/12 ( 34)
- Wrong Tommy Your Thinking Of The Earlier XLM's - Rubbersoul-1 04:54:43 02/27/12 ( 14)
- To a degree, true, but even the MKIIs like a lower mass arm - Opus 104 05:46:55 02/27/12 ( 13)
- Vestigials worked great, too - E-Stat 14:57:44 02/27/12 ( 1)
- i had always thought - hifitommy 09:26:37 05/13/12 ( 0)
- Gee Henry Why don't Ya Tell Me Something I Already Know - Rubbersoul-1 09:42:43 02/27/12 ( 3)
- Well, evidently you didn't based on your admonition to Tommy. /nt\ - Opus 104 10:44:09 02/27/12 ( 2)
- Whatever Your The Expert Around Here I Guess Were Not All As Gifted As You And Your Vast Knowldge - Rubbersoul-1 13:33:52 02/27/12 ( 1)
- You were quick to claim Tommy was wrong when he wasn't. - Opus 104 13:41:24 02/27/12 ( 0)
- thanks for the defense opie. - hifitommy 06:16:10 02/27/12 ( 6)
- Technics lists the XLM/III in it's list of extra high compliant cartridges.. - rich121 11:14:11 02/27/12 ( 1)
- Sounds about right. /nt\ - Opus 104 11:57:20 02/27/12 ( 0)
- de nada. /nt\ - Opus 104 08:20:41 02/27/12 ( 3)
- Extremely high compliance of 65 - Ryan T 08:51:35 02/27/12 ( 2)
- Definitely not a good match with the Elac arm. IIRC, the cart - Opus 104 09:00:10 02/27/12 ( 1)
- RE: Definitely not a good match with the Elac arm. IIRC, the cart - Ryan T 09:23:25 02/27/12 ( 0)
Putting a Grace 707 or the BW on the Technics wouldn't be much of a challenge... - olddude55 14:25:51 02/26/12 ( 8)
- Especially the Grace because it uses the same mounting - Opus 104 14:15:06 02/27/12 ( 0)
The Technics SL-150 MKII shipped without an arm. - Opus 104 04:58:31 02/27/12 ( 3)
- Looks somewhat like an SL-1200. - JimK 07:08:29 02/27/12 ( 2)
- Close. But the armboard on a 1200 is a 3 bolt mount vs 4 on the 150. /nt\ - Opus 104 08:22:59 02/27/12 ( 1)
- Gotcha, thanks. (nt) - JimK 08:54:55 02/27/12 ( 0)
RE: Putting a Grace 707 or the BW on the Technics wouldn't be much of a challenge... - jazzthusiast 14:36:02 02/26/12 ( 2)
- If you can turn a screw driver, cut and drill some wood, you can do it. - olddude55 15:11:51 02/26/12 ( 0)
Can't speak to the Grace, but the Widow uses a DIN cable - Opus 104 14:56:39 02/26/12 ( 0)
Seconded!!! - Opus 104 13:15:52 02/26/12 ( 8)
- RE: Seconded!!! - Crazy Dave 14:18:59 02/26/12 ( 5)
- Yep. The ADC LMF-1 would work well, too. - Opus 104 15:05:47 02/26/12 ( 4)
- RE: Yep. The ADC LMF-1 would work well, too. - Crazy Dave 15:46:58 02/28/12 ( 0)
- RE: Yep. The ADC LMF-1 would work well, too. - mosin 17:07:21 02/26/12 ( 2)
- Agree totally on the LMF-1. The LMF-2 is another matter. /nt\ - Opus 104 10:48:17 02/27/12 ( 0)
- Yep. My Widow is CF. /nt\ - Opus 104 17:08:44 02/26/12 ( 0)
RE: Seconded!!! - jazzthusiast 13:24:03 02/26/12 ( 1)
- Yes, I saw that . . . The bastards! I've moved to SodaStream - Opus 104 13:27:36 02/26/12 ( 0)
RE: i strongly suggest... - jazzthusiast 12:38:16 02/26/12 ( 0)
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