The Maxell Cassette Tape Collection

[Des-Lab]

UPDATE: As of October 2011, this list is no longer being maintained. For updates with pictures or types not included in this list, please visit the Maxell collection (http://www.tapeheads.net/albums/browseimages.php?c=17) in our image gallery (http://www.tapeheads.net/albums/).


This is a the topic that will showcase many of the assorted Maxell brand cassette tapes from through the years. Althouugh it will by no means be presented as a complete collection of everything they ever did, it will encompas nearly all of the ones originally offered for sale here in North America.

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COLLECTION 1: 1978-1983

Basically the first 'complete' series lineup. This is also the first collection where the cassettes truly began to reach a level that could be considered 'high quality' Included are a few variants from within the line.

1. LN (Low Noise): The bottom of the line basic Type I. An ancestor to todays UR (which will receive its own coverage later in this thread). A red-oxide tape suitable mainly for voice, AM radio, and LP recording where the quality wasn't terribly important.

2. UD (Ultra Dynamic): For years, was Maxell's "bread and butter" tape. A hardy Type I good for voice all the way through serious LP recording.

3. Advances in chemical engineering at the time made further enhancements to tape formulas possible. Maxell's first "high performance" tape was the UD-XLI.

4. Although Maxell had briefly flirted with a true chromium dioxide tape, the manufacturing and licensing/royalties involved apparently were too much. So they, along with nearly every other major maker, decided to circumvent (and ultimately win) the CrO2 issue by introducing a "chrome equivalent" or "High Bias (Type II) tape. Maxells first such tape was the UD-XLII, the ancestor to the long (and still) running XLII, which will also be chronicled below.

5. Maxell was no slouch in the Type IV/'Metal' race and did indeed bring an early entrant to the market. Their offering was designated the MX. The very first example is shown here.

6, 7. Continued innovations and a [then] hyper-competitive tape market led to frequent updates and upgrades to existing lines. Maxell enhanced, rather than updated their line in 1981 by adding their first 'audiophile' grade tapes to supplant their UD-XL series. Both a Type I and II version were offered. Both were offered with the "UD" designator dropped as XLI-S and XLII-S.

8, 9, 10: The UD-XL and MX series tapes featuring updated packaging and revised graphics.

[Des-Lab]

COLLECTION 2: 1983-1985

By this time, Maxell cassettes had achieved a level of serious quality. All tapes in this section represented substantial upgrades over their predecessors including improved oxide, casette housing, and updated packaging.

1. LN: Still a low grade red-oxide tape suitable for cost critical, non performance based applications.

2. UD: Still a good tape, but no longer carried the importance in the product lineup as it did previously.

3. UD-XLI: An almost red-oxide tape but with better performance than the previous version.

4. UD-XLII: Started to become Maxells most popular and versatile tape. A great compromise between performance and cost.

5. XLI-S: The best Type I available up until that point. But it suffered from weak marketing and perception. "High Bias" and "Metal" were the buzzwords of the day.

6. XLII-S: The best Type II available. A truly great sounding tape.

7. MX: A then (and now) powerhouse tape. Suitable for everything up to and including live performance. Also the first MX to feature Metal 'detector' cutous.

[Des-Lab]

COLLECTION 2A: 1984-1985

A sort of transitory period between the 'old' established lineup and the soon to be unveiled all-new lineup.

1. UR: The apparent prototype succesor to the LN was this tape. Still the bottom grade Type I but no longer a mediocre quality 'red oxide' tape.

2. UR-F: Maxell has produced its share of 'oddities' and this was certainly one of them. It was supposed to be better than the UR but not as good as the UD series. Thing is, there wasn't a whole lot of room in that niche. As such, this oddity with it's unusual shell housing and unique packaging graphics was very short lived. Not a 'quality' tape by any means, but definitely has curiosity/collector value to it.

3. XLII: The transition tape between UD-XLII and the soon to be shortened designator. Tape otherwise identical in all ways to the UD-XLII mentioned previously.

4. XLI: A 'prototype' "new" XLI. Identical to the previous UD-XLI but with the shortened designator and new exterior packaging graphics.

5. XLII: A second 'prototype' "new" XLII. Same as the UD-XLII/XLII shown previously but also with the new exterior packaging.

[Des-Lab]

COLLECTION 3: 1985-1988

The heyday of cassettes in general was definitely during these years. And it was represented by Maxell with the lineup shown here:

1. UR: Bottom line basic, no frills Type I.

2. UDS-I: Ultra Dynamic Super (Type I). The sucessor to the once popular UD. An excellent performing tape best suited for voice up to LP recording and even non intensive CD recording. Somewhat refined and revised formula over the previous UD.

3. UDS-II: A Type II/High bias companion to UDS-I. Decent, but not extraordinary entry level tape.

4. XLI: The successor to the UD-XLI. A great high performance Type I. Unfortunately, with 'digital' and 'High Bias' and 'Metal' being all the rage at the time, demand for this tape simply died out. As there was a Type II equivalent for it, it was apparently seen as an albatross in the lineup. It was discontinued in 1987. One of, if not THE rarest of the Maxell mainline tapes today. As such, despite being of only average performance, this tape can rival that of most "Super Metals" in worth and cost.

5. XLII: By now, Maxells most popular and best selling high performance tape. Improved over its predecessor. Was to the 80's what the UD was in the 70's. An outstanding performing and highly versatile tape suitable for almost any application. This version of XLII is arguably the one most desired by collectors and tape lovers alike.

6. XLI-S: Top of the line Type I. Outstanding performance though little changed from its previous incarnation. Shares the same distinctive rarity and collector attributes as its XLI sibling.

7. XLII-S: Top of the line Type II. As with the XLII sibling, this version of the model is also also probably the most desired of the entire series for both collectibility and its outstanding sonic characteristics.

8. MX: Little changed from its previous version. No reason to. A monster of a tape that can probably handle more signal than just about any machine can throw at it. Flawless perfection and even when used for the first time today, despite now being twenty-plus years old, this tape is fresh and ready as it was when first made.

[Des-Lab]

COLLECTION 3A: 1986

The mid 1980's were a time of frequent change for Maxell. Barely a year after revamping their product line, some of it was revised yet again. At this time, the "SSPA" (Super Silent Phase Accuracy) heavy duty cassette shell was introduced.

1. UDX-II: Another enigma in the history of the Maxell product line. A low grade Type II/High Bias. There was never a Type I companion to it nor was there an 'official' place in the product lineup. As with the UR-F, it had a unique cassette shell housing, though the packaging graphics were somewhat more in line with these revised tapes.

2. XLII: An all new mostly transparent oval shell sight window shell, the tape inside is essentially the same as the version that preceded it.

3. XLI-S: The best sounding and quality Type I Maxell ever made. Despite carrying the "Type I" stigma, this is, by any standard, a tape worthy of high end audiophile use.

4. XLII-S: Revised packaging and SSPA shell. However sonics were only average at best. So for a top shelf tape, this one leaves a bit to be desired.

5. MX: Same tape as the previous version, but with the new housing and exterior packaging style. No known reason for the completely new color scheme, which went from black/silver to this admittedly drab gold/olive, which was very similar to the 1985 XLII-S.

[Des-Lab]

COLLECTION 4: 1988-1991:

The high-water mark of the cassette era for both the format as well as for the Maxell line. Although all of the cassette shell innovations were carried over, they were mostly included in the entire line. Also, the packaging and graphics were completely redesigned. For the most part, all tapes shown in this series all represent the best quality examples in their entire product line. It was also with this lineup, around 1990, that Maxell unveiled a very popular program called "Max Awards". It was similar in principle to stamp collecting. You collect so many points and you could then mail them off for free prizes. At first, only the UR and XLII tapes had them. But just prior to the 1991 changes, all tapes were expanded to include it. Each multi pack of tape would come with a pamphlet outlining the available prizes and the points threshold needed to get them. Then on the back side was a place to put the 'stamps'. The stamps, from what I recall, were only printed in ten point and twenty-five point increments. The lower grade tapes came with the 10's and the higher grade tapes with the 25's. For about 300 points, you could redeem a free tape or CD. And the prizes went up in value as points collected went up. Prizes included headphones, portable stereos, tee-shirts, and so forth. I believe the highest available prize was an all-expenses paid vacation for two to the Carribbean. But you needed something like five million points to get it. Have no idea if anyone ever won it. Imagine how many tapes would be needed to get that?

1. UR: No longer a shabby, low grade tape. Although still the bottom of the line, it was a decent performer, being remarkably similar to early UD tapes.

2. UDI: The successor to the UDS-I with the shortened designator. Pretty much the same tape but with the new oval window cassette shell.

3. UDII: Sucessor to the UDS-II. Otherwise basically the same tape as well.

4. XLI: This tape was not known to have been marketed inside the US; it appears to be a Japanese version. But with very few minor differences, the cassette housing and packaging clearly puts this tape in this time period. As this is the only example of this tape I've ever found, I cannot test it and comment further on its attributes or performance.

5. XLII: My personal favorite version of the entire XLII series and the one I will say is the best. For awhile, these tapes were available in practically every corner market. Perhaps because of their ubiquity, they aren't considered very valuable today. As such, can usually be found on the secondhand market for pretty cheap. But as mentioned, I believe this to be the best version of XLII ever made. So if you want the best possible quality tape at a low cost, I would have to say this is the one to go for.

6. XLI-S: Apart from revised graphics and packaging, is essentially the same tape as its 1986 predecessor. As such, I believe it to be the very best possible Type I Maxell tape ever produced.

7. XLII-S: Ditto as per the XLI-S above. Amazingly, still not considered very valuable. Perhaps because they still frequently appear on Ebay and elswhere. A true champion Type II.

8. MX: In my opinion, not quite as good as the two previous MX's, but awfully close. Although the performance is there, this tape, if left in a 'stopped' position on a deck, exhibits a tendancy to develop dropouts rather easily. Very good tape. Just handle it with care.

9. MX (version II): Another Maxell oddity, though it was a fit for the series. Introduced in fall of 1990 for reasons I still don't know. Despite it's designator, is NOT the same quality. Was the first Maxell tape introduced in the C-110 length. Unfortunately, all lengths of this MX appeared to be the same thin[ner] tape. So despite being a Type IV Metal, its performance is only average at best. Even more dropout prone than the MX above if not handled carefully.

10. MX-S: Also introduced in the fall of 1990. Originally thought to have been an 'upgrade' to the MX. It was not. It was, in fact, the same identical tape as MX #8 above. Only difference is the designator and packaging. For reasons unknown, Maxell chose to expand its Type IV line. But instead of introducing an IMPROVED model, the incumbent tape was presented with the 'new' "higher" designator and the old designator re-branded as a LOWER quality item.

Interesting marketing indeed.

[Des-Lab]

COLLECTION 4A:

1990 saw many changes to the Maxell lineup. Much of it started with the MX/MX-S revisions as noted above. But it was also the year in which three more 'oddities' outside the primary lineup were introduced.

1. UDX-II Capsule: Presumably the successor to the UDX-II mentioned above, though no well defined niche for this tape was known to exist in the first place. It is a low grade Type II tape with an odd heavily tinted shell. Believed to be marketed for 'portable' and 'car' systems.

2. Metal Capsule: Perhaps the strangest one of them all. As with the UDX-II Capsule, what role this tape was meant to fulfill was really never clear. Perhaps it was an attempt by Maxell to 'introduce the masses' to the virtues of Metal. Certainly the catchy 'Capsule' name and alabaster white cassette housing (and techno-geeky fonts) were perhaps a means to that end. Interestingly, I would rate this tape higher than the blue/silver MX #9 above (though not as good as the MX-S): the tape seemed to be a better quality and the cassette housing, despite it's white color, seemed to be a higher gauge plastic and better constructed.

3. Metal Vertex: The lavish excesses of the 1980's were already well on their way out by the time this tape came out. Indeed, Maxell marketed it with the catch phrase "If God ever speaks to you, this is the tape to record it on". A bit sacreligious if not pompous if you asked me. God always preached humbleness. But that's beside the point.

The Vertex represented the very best possible cassette tape that Maxell would ever make. Although it is impressive by any measure and precision built, it does nonetheless contain more flair and fluff than substance. Faux gold leaf title card stencils, serial numbers, and back coated tape to name a few. While catchy, these features added more to the cost of the tape than it did to the actual performance of it. The latter was a bit indicative of the overengineering involved. Although a carbon or graphite back coating on a reel to reel tape is seen as a plus, on a cassette, which moves within tightly defined flow areas at a very slow speed, I just do not see any value added benefit. But again. All of the 'extras' aside, this is one outstanding tape: The recording and playback is largely unmatched by any tape and has stunning clarity and headroom. The housing itself is heavy duty three piece construction. There is no shaking or vibration when wound at high speed.

Unfortunately, this tape was too much too late. It came at a time when cassette was already beginning its fall from prominence. It's retail price, nearly triple Maxell's other top of the line tapes, and a sinking economy, as well as many of the largely unneccessary extras included all conspired to bring a rather hasty end to this tape. By 1992, barely two years after its introduction, it was eliminated from the lineup. Had it been introduced a few years earlier, it might have been a hit (being able to stimulate more competition with TDK's MA-R tape, which had already been in production for nearly ten years.) However, it remains today as a highly valuable and sought after tape for both collecting as well as for actual use. But its typical worth and value usually puts it out of reach for all but the deepest-pocketed tape buyers, with asking/selling prices often being at $75 and up apiece.

[Des-Lab]

COLLECTION 5: 1991-1992

Pinpointing the exact date cassette reached its peak is somewhat difficult. Most folks agree that the apogee of the format was somewhere in the late 1980's or very early 1990's. By summer of 1991, when Maxell revised its lineup again, it was pretty clear that we were past the peak and on the beginning of the downside. Much of the product lineup, mostly the lower end tapes were little or unchanged from the 1988 series. The only significant changes this time around were, as in 1986, with the top three levels. The sturdy SSPA housing was scrapped in favor of the "High Resonance Damping and Heat Resisting" mechanism. The material was a very similar grade of sturdy plastic as used in the SSPA shells, but the sight window was reduced to a tiny slit barely 1/8" in width. Although it was claimed to provide a quiet[er] shell (despite the existing one being already extremely quiet), viewing the status of the tape became very difficult and in some cases impossible. Although this lineup represents the first 'post peak' lineup, most of the quality was still there. As noted, many of the same tapes actually carried over. Although it should be noted that there is no UR tape presented in this lineup. There was no change of any kind made to the 1988 version. It remained exactly as it was all the way through the next 1992 revision. And mwanwhile, the "Max Awards" program was going strong here, with all grades being included. But the point stamps were changed to be printed on part of the title cards.

1. UDI: Something was done on this tape. I believe it to be the all-time best UD series tape. Although cosmetically, it looked almost the same as the 1988 version, the tape appears to be a lot closer to the 1985 XLI in terms of performance. As such, this particular UD should be considered a very high quality Type I tape suitable for anything up to and including moderate intensity CD recording. Only cosmetic differences are the rounded edge exterior storage box. And some slight re-arranging to the text stamps on the actuall cassette itself.

2. UDII: Tape basically unchanged from 1988 version. Minor cosmetic differences matched those of the UDI.

3. XLII: This tape was actually introduced in the fall of 1990 alongside the "new" MX and the MX-S. Featured an unusual oval shaped sight window that was more elongated than it's predecessor. Although the tape is for the most part the same, it is my opnion that this new housing looked rather odd. This was the only tape offered in the US that had this housing. And no other grades of tape had it.

4. MX: Same [thin and dropout prone] tape as the earlier version. Can achieve decent sounding recordings, but the tape must be handled with care. Only difference is the rounded edges on the storage case.

5. XLI-S: The final tape to carry this designator. Although technically a Type I, this tape is more of a hybrid with Type II. Call it a Type 1.5 if you will. It had some Type II characteristics. For instance, it was doped with cobalt (said so right on the packaging). I had never before or since seen a Type I (always been ferric; i.e. iron) that had been made this way. It's a good sounding tape. But you have to work it just right with your tone and bias controls. Achieving a flat and natural sound with both deep lows and crisp highs is a challenge with this tape. Many of you have wondered what Type III (FeCr) tape was like. Well this XLI-S is probably the closest thing you will find to that. Is made and performs very much like an FeCr tape. But at the Type I setting. The previous version of XLI-S was, in my opnion, a more superior tape.

6. XLII-S: "Black Magnetite" was inagurated at this point, replacing "Expitaxial". Said to be "better", but in all the listening tests I've done, I'd call it a draw at best between this version and the previous. So it would be purely a matter of personal preference (perhaps for aesthetics) to decide which one to choose.

7. MX-S: Apart from the new shell housing and revised packaging, I could not discern any difference in performance between this version and the previous.

[Des-Lab]

COLLECTION 6: 1992-1995

By this time, cassette as a large scale mainstream format was unquestionably fading. The early 90's was also a time of economic weakness and the promise of digital recording was not far off. Both factors no doubt exacerbated the formats demise. Although there was still a fair amount of quality decks and tapes being made at this time, the numbers were getting smaller and smaller. The fall 1992 revision to Maxells lineup here in the US would prove to be the final full-line of tapes. It was also with this change that Maxell introduced the symbol system: A blue circle for Type I/Normal Bias. A red square for Type II/High Bias. And a purple triangle for Type Iv/Metal. The "Max Awards" program was also continued with this run, but discontinued by 1995.

1. UR: Tape mostly unchanged from the 1988 version. Received the revised packaging and rounded storage case.

2. XLI: This designator was briefly resurrected but was short lived. It was with this lineup that both the UDI and XLI-S were dropped from the roster. And the XLI was brought in as a sort of replacement 'compromise' tape to fill that niche: better than UD but not as good as the XLI-S (TDK made an essentially identical move around the same time when it discontinued its AD, AR, and AR-X lines and replaced all three with the DS-X). This tape however is NOT the same as it's earlier namesake. Nor did it have the same type of cassette housing as the XLII. I believe this XLI to be a chemical combination of both discontinued grades as opposed to a unique formula like its predecessor. It is an ok, but not fabulous tape. Can handle moderate intensity CD recording and down. But the very heavily tinted cassette shell (totally opaque with no dedicated sight window) makes using this tape somewhat difficult. As such, about the only thing this tape has in common with its predecessor is the model number only.

3. UDII: Although the UDI was gone, the UDII remained. Tape was still essentially a no change and served its role as an entry level Type II tape. Cassette shell appeared to be that of the UR, but heavily tinted as well.

4. XLII: Received yet another revision. The tape was good. I'd call this the last of the good quality tapes of the series, save for the minor change that will be outlined in the next post. As far as I could tell, the housing was basically a cheapened down version of the HR/HR shell. But with a slightly wider sight window and lower gauge plastic.

5. MX: At last this tape represented a substantial improvement over the last two incarnations. Shared the same new housing as the XLII from this series. But the tape was a decent quality metal that was actually a strong performer and didn't have the same tendancy to develop dropouts as the previous ones did.

6. XLII-S: Apart from revised packaging, no difference from previous version that I could tell. This also should be considered the final 'good' grade of XLII-S.

7. MX-S: Ditto here as with above #6.

[Des-Lab]

COLLECTION 6A: 1994-1996

The mid 1990's had to be a very difficult and challenging time for the tape makers, as the period represented a sort of gap in the direction that the future was going to go. By now, cassette was well along in its decline from mainstream popularity. Yet digital recording hadn't really taken off either. Although DAT, DCC, and MD had at last hit the market, all three had failed to ignite any real excitement and they too soon faded into history. Yet CD-R and Internet/MP3 recording was either in its infancy or not yet ready for the public. It seemed as though Maxell was having a hard time finding direction. And while its 1992 lineup had languished along, yet another round of 'oddities' were introduced. Sadly, by this time, most of the quality that Maxell had been known for had largely fallen by the wayside. Gone were the audiophile grade tapes. Instead, replaced with a lineup of low quality, amorphous market goal tapes.

1. UR: Green exterior packaing changed to red and grey as with the 1984 and 1985 editions. But the tape and cassette itself received no change at all. Note that the lettering on the cassette itself is still green. It would be harder to find a more obvious sign of Maxells now slipping quality control.

2. XLII: Although the tape inside is the same as the previous version, this is the first tape I'm aware of that ever received a full solid exterior wrapper. The so-called "Man In The Chair" image was a long running icon used in print ads. But this is the first time it appeared on an actual tape. Was a foreshadowing of what was to come.

3. Capsule 'Normal'. The original (and by now long since discontinued) Capsule tapes were oddities themselves. Now, Maxell had a full line of them, one for each of the three types of tapes. The tape was average quality at best, though the cassettes themselves were cheap quality solid heavily tinted shells. As I said, exactly what the point and mission of the Capsule line was, was never really clear.

4. Capsule 'High': Type II version, same as above.

5. Capsule 'Metal': Type IV version. My opinion is that the original Metal Capsule was a far superior tape. Even the 1990 version blue/silver MX profiled above was, in my opinion, a better tape. If the intent of the Capsule line was to acquaint people with the 'quality' of Maxell tapes, it was, as far as I'm concerned, a miserable failure. These tapes might get by in a portable 'boombox'. But frankly, have no place in a real high-end system.

[Des-Lab]

COLLECTION 7: 1996-2000

By the time the second half of the 90's were under way, cassette was pretty much finished. The Maxell line, which had already been pared down in both quantity and quality was shrivelled down even further. So this lineup, for all intents and purposes, was the end of the line. Although the dawn of the new century/decade brought a further revamp, those tapes are not even worthy of mention.

1. UR: The 'Man In The Chair' icon was brought back in full scale for the entire line (which was down to just four grades). The UR, which had become a semi decent tape in 1988 was, with this lineup reduced to little more than a glorifed 'bulk' quality tape.

2. XLII: The one time mainstay of the fleet too was wizened down to not much more than a shadow of what it was. The cassette mechanism was low grade and flimsy. The tape substantially poorer in quality. Nothing like what it was.

3. XLII-S: Despite carrying the torch of what was a one time powerhouse tape suitable for audiophile recording, although it still had the HR/HR shell in use since 1991, the tape inside was much thinner than in the past. And as a result, simply doesn't hold up as well as it once had.

4. MX-S: Despite still having the HR/HR housing, the tape inside is about on par with the second Capsule 'Metal' as described above: low saturation point and often subject to dropouts. Towards the end of this versions run, the quality was finished off for good: the precision center hubs were replaced with the cheap 'spoked' hubs. And the tape was nothing short of junk quality metal, the poorest of the entire product run. At the end of 2000, this tape was discontinued. Thus bringing to an end a long and once glorious run.

5. UDII-CD: The UD designator brought back one last time. This Type II tape was, to be frank, a disgrace to the Ultra Dynamic heritage. The tape was a weak performer and the cassette housing a cheap clear plastic, complete with the generic spoked center hubs. This tape, as with all others in this series, failed to sell. Popularity in the format may have been on its deathbed at this point, but the low strung quality of these tapes sure did nothing to revive any interest.


And so, with this reply, I bring this little essay to a close. It spans some two decades, covering the rise, peak, and decline of cassettes as provided by Maxell. As I stated in the opening, this list is not by any means a complete showing of everything they offered. These were (with the one exception noted above), all domestic US marks. There were a number of parallel and/or alternate versions to nearly all of these available in overseas markets. Some were similar. Others were radiclaly different. Certainly too many to mention here. If any of you would like to share some of them, please do so.

Likewise, all of the narration above was done solely by me relying entirely on memory and past experience. If any of you have spotted a gross error or inaccuracy somewhere, I thank you in advance for bringing it to my attention.

Hope you enjoyed it. And if anyone else can put something like this together for any of the other major tape makers, that would be most appreciated.

[gonzo]

I am fairly new to this site and finally took the time to read your lengthy posts. What a great job. Thanks Now all I need is one for TDK tapes! Just kidding. Norm

[clhboa]

I should have commented on this sooner. This really is an in depth endeavor. Very informative. Great Job!!!

[speakerman1]

I just bought these http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180313959991&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=008
Did I get a good price? Also bought a Kenwood dual deck for a dollar figured couldn't go wrong or could i?

[close652]

Nice price for those XL-IIs! *Hi5*

[Deon]

Well, I really did enjoy reading that. Finally some overview of a brand thru the years in one place.
Great stuff, thanks.

Regards, Davorin

[JXBJXB]

Well, that was annoying.

A few weeks ago I opened a NOS early 2000's XLII-S 100 - the version with the "man in chair" packaging, and recorded two CDs to it on my Nak 480. I've since listened to it a few times in that deck, in my MR-1, and in my D6 Walkman. To be honest, the sound was pretty great.

So last night I'm listening to the same tape in the 480 again and I can hear the sound dropping out and phasing. I look at the physical tape and what do I see? Edge crinkling on one side! Now, the 480 has all new belts and isn't doing anything like that on any other tapes.

I pulled out a '92 vintage XLII-S 100 to compare. Sure enough, as Des says - the shells are identical. The tape, however, is -visibly- thinner on the later version.

Sigh. What a shame that a once great tape fell to such low standards. It seems that the sound on the final models was just fine, but play them more than a few times and you'll end up with physical tape problems. I unfortunately judged the cassettes on the shells and figured since the new ones looked just like the old ones, they'd be the same, that is, until this problem happened and I checked Des's original posts.

I'm re-recording the CDs to the '92 vintage cassette as I type this.

[JaeTee]

Matt, what are your thoughts on this version of the Capsule tape?

How does it compare to1986 MX? (I mention the '86 MX because that's the one I've got the most experience with)

Metal Capsule on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=230323494571)

[audiofool51]

First of all, this is by far the most useful collection of information on Maxell cassettes I've ever read, and I've read a few. It had to take a lot of time to write, and more time for the pictures, plus the years of listening / testing the various generations of tapes. This will be the standard by which any serious review of a tape mfgr. products is measured. And yes, it would be nice if someone did one for TDK. It won't be me, I never owned more than a couple TDK's.

A question: many tapes are found in GW's, thrift shops, yard sales. The original packaging is gone, so we have to determine from the tape shell markings which generation it is. I'm thinking, but wonder if anyone knows for certain, how to differentiate the XLII-S of the last/worst variation, Collection 7 foreward, from the superior XLII-S of Collections 5 & 6. I don't have enough unopened samples to tell, but looking at what I do have, I'm wondering if one way to tell them apart in used condition is that the Collection 7 XLII-S did NOT have "Japan/Japon" written under the side A and B markings on the cassette shell (all in gold print) while the Collection 5 & 6 versions did have the "Japan/Japon" written under the side A and B markings? Does anyone know? If not, I'll post something when I have the chance to tear open sealed XLII-S tapes from all three (5-7) Collections.

Again, kudos to DES-Lab for sharing the wealth of information. The reason I raised questions about the XLII-S is that it's still mfgd., so without this article, it's hard, sometimes impossible to tell the "good" XLII-S tape from the "bad". Some sellers will describe current, brand new tape as "vintage". Caveat Emptor

[Des-Lab]

Matt, what are your thoughts on this version of the Capsule tape?

How does it compare to1986 MX? (I mention the '86 MX because that's the one I've got the most experience with)


It's actually a decent tape. Definitely by far the best of the "Capsule" series anyway. The only complaint I have about it is some specimens have been known to spontaneously develop dropout spots. If you leave the deck in "pause" mode for any length of time with the heads engaged but the tape not moving, they will leave a permanent inprint at that point. So be careful. Apart from that, I'd be hard pressed to think of any other negative with that tape.

It's not as good as the '86 MX, but it is a metal that will get the job done. I was watching those auctions and mulling over whether or not to pick some up. In the end, I decided to pass. Not because I don't have faith in the tape, but to let someone else pick them up.

[Tapemystic]

Des-Lab, are you familiar to these UK Maxell Tapes you see below?

Wonder where they fit in your comprehensive overview?

Couldn't resist nabbing the Maxell XLII 100's though , just hope they are good, never seen Maxell SXI 90 before, maybe these are super ferrics of some sort, but not sure

*reelspin*

[JaeTee]

If you leave the deck in "pause" mode for any length of time with the heads engaged but the tape not moving, they will leave a permanent inprint at that point. So be careful. Apart from that, I'd be hard pressed to think of any other negative with that tape.


Thanks for the info, and your restraint on the auctions! I feel like I got the three pack for a reasonable price. Although the seller just shipped them on Friday and they've not arrived yet.

Just one quick follow up question for you... When you say this about the heads engaged and in pause, do you mean with the deck in record, play, or either mode?

[Mignun67]

SXI: Judging by the illustration on the back of a similar age XLI-S, Maxell SXI is better than UR but not quite as good as UDI. It's pictured in the same "blob" as UDI but slightly behind it. I would guess that means it's placed lower middle of the range. Not a super-ferric then but probably still a damned good standard ferric. Never tried one myself but see them around a bit for sale along with SXII.

[Maxell-LN]

It's been a lazy Sunday Morning, and a chance to have a read of, what has been an excellent overview of the Maxell tape range. I would note however that Collection 3 was Maxell's peak, and that the rot started to set in from Collections 3a, and 4 onwards.

1. UR: No longer a shabby, low grade tape. Although still the bottom of the line, it was a decent performer, being remarkably similar to early UD tapes.

My experiences with the earlier red and gray UR tapes was better then the blue/greenie/silver versions, which had tended to crinkle and wear somewhat quicker, considering they were still very good tapes compared to the made in indonesia stuff that followed later on.

[Rycher]

Anyone know something about this Maxell? The one in the left...I can't seem to find anything about it and it's the first time I see this model. It's a picture sent to me by someone who has some tapes for sale. I just bought it and now I just realized that I know nothing about this tape. He's about to send it to me.

[close652]

It was the last metal of Maxell, made in UK.
I has cheap bad shell, for collection purposes only.

[close652]

5. UDII-CD: The UD designator brought back one last time. This Type II tape was, to be frank, a disgrace to the Ultra Dynamic heritage. The tape was a weak performer and the cassette housing a cheap clear plastic, complete with the generic spoked center hubs.

Last week I bought some of these tapes. This version, at least in the EU, is not the clear plastic type:
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e139/close652/ud-ii-cd90.jpg
It was made in England during 1997-1998.

This is the later clear plastic type:
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e139/close652/udc-II-last.jpg

[PrimozS]

Last week I bought some of these tapes. This version, at least in the EU, is not the clear plastic type:
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e139/close652/ud-ii-cd90.jpg
It was made in England during 1997-1998.


I have few of these - and I find them very disapointing. Very loud during rewind/forward; and also not good at playback ... a lot of flutter and hearable inconsistent quality of sound ... Tested them on few different decks - ao I hardly believe I have a hardware problem ...

[Marc Hugo]

Hi Tapemystic - regarding your question on the British Maxells from the end of the last century (roughly). I have MX-S, XLII and XLII-S from that vintage and have found them nothing short of excellent. Oddly enough, your name "tapemystic" has bearing on that particular series of English Maxells from their Telford, Shropshire plant - they were usually called the Mystic series. I cannot fault these tapes and these were the first XLII-S cassettes I had used for a long time when I did get them in 2001. My first recording on one was on a brand new Pioneer CT-S640S, with Dolby S - Diana Krall, Love Scenes. I would not be mentioning this if it was not one of the most perfect recordings I had ever made. It was (and is) as detailed, atmospheric, and extended in upper and lower frequencies as the source. The breathy intimacy of Diana Kralls voice is captured with matchless purity. The extreme high treble (usually of very low amplitude - about -6 to -10dB was intact. These cassettes are exceptional. My Nak 682ZX likes them just as much. They remain for me the “reference type II”. I should have bought more!! The MX-S and XLII cassettes are equally accomplished as one would expect. I have no experience of the UDI from this series, nor any others. I also got some of the Fire Series XLII (also British) that followed and have found them top class.

Cheers - Marc

[Dazen1]

Hi Tapemystic - regarding your question on the British Maxells from the end of the last century (roughly). I have MX-S, XLII and XLII-S from that vintage and have found them nothing short of excellent.

I agree - these are very good tapes. *reelspin**reelspin*

[SaSi_Sidi]

I have been trying to "date" some Maxell XLII and XLII-S cassettes, to no avail. I attached a scan of the cassette cover. No date printed on it but the only information is that it's Made in England.

Has anyone seen this label before? Any clues on a date? I'm guessing mid-late nineties or so.

[Alshalan]

wow
nice collection

[Alshalan]

Would you please tell us what is the best generation of XLII-S ?

Thanx

[Des-Lab]

Would you please tell us what is the best generation of XLII-S ?

Thanx

I know that some folks might disagree, but my personal favorites of the series are the ones from collections 4, 5, and 6. I did a review (http://www.tapeheads.net/showthread.php?t=5435) of the 1986 one awhile back and wasn't too thrilled with it.

[iamhifi]

The reason you found that 86 XLII S don't sound good on your Denon has to do with calibration. I will give an example, when ES Labs calibrated my machines I sent the tape that I wanted done with. One is calibrated to TDK MAXG new, another to SSMM, and another to Maxell Vertex. Ok when I ask what about other tapes they said that others will sound good because of similarities in properties of the tape. So the Dragon that is calibrated to the TDK MAXG 90 also works great with the Maxell XL II S, Sony UCX, UCX S, any TDK metal, Fuji FR metal etc. The same goes with the Dragon that is calibrated with the Maxell Vertex works great with TDK SA, SA-X and others. The CR-7A works great with the SSMM, SMM, any Sony and any TDK, doesn’t like all the Maxell, only the metal. The ZX-9 works great with the SSMM and just about any tape. The idea is that once calibrated to a specific tape others will follow, not all. Your Denon is factory calibrated to some tapes, others will folow but not all, it is not that the XL II S 1986 is a bad tape.
Angel

[1.875_ips]

Thanks Des, this is fantastic!

[Des-Lab]

Glad you like it. Though because this was one of the very earliest posts here at TH, this pictorial is a bit dated. One of these years I'll need to update it with tapes I've procured since putting this narrative together.

[canonlon]

Just an incredible reference guide to Maxell cassette tapes.

Any such guide for TDK posted somewhere in this forum?

[Gee12345]

I just spent a good few hours reading various threads here, it was a wonderful trip down memory lane. Special thanks to Des for all the chronological info and pics.

I was so close to simply discarding my beloved old tapes (which I'm in process of backing up to pc) but now that I've read all this, I pulled out and left some of the best Maxells (and That's) on the side.

I always loved Maxells - as a DJ, you certanly expect quality - and always used them for my most important mixtapes master copies. Mostly XLII and if I had money at the time, some XLII-S. Some of the tapes I backed up are from 1987 and 99% of tapes still sound as good as when first recorded on one of my Aiwa's (810+850).

I never had a Maxell tape split dispite being store in constant 25 degrees Celsius and played countless number of times over the 23 years.

But I also did notice decline in quality in mid 90s. I even wrote a complaint letter to Maxell at the time giving specifics of what I noticed(recording levels; bias; even balance), and they just said that I'm pretty much imagining things (their tests showed no change from previous models they said) and sent me 3 blank tapes as form of peacemaking. Still there was never anything else better then Maxell, (by then I couldn't find any That's tapes anymore), so I stuck to Maxell till I started recording directly to pc in 2004. I must own like 400 audio tapes, out of which probably 350 are Maxell :)

Thanks again *Hi5*

[Trill]

http://screwheadsonly.com/wp-content/themes/atahualpa/images/header/screwheadsbanner-2-1.jpg


what is the name of the tape you see here? ^
and where can I get them?

[shadowlord]

it's the last incarnation of maxell's XL-II tape.
for what i know maxell has stopped selling it in europe.
i don't know if it is maybe still available overseas.

there are some offers on ebay though.
but to be honest it wasn't very good tape IMO.

[Warped Bezel]

Maxell only sells UR in the North America these days. The "man in chair" versions aren't their best. You can find better trading here, on Oxide Nation or the Phoenix site or elsewhere on eBay.

A lot of members like NAC but I have no experience with them so I won't make and official comment.

The looks may be better than the tape, if that's what you are implying. What is so sad is that the company that is generally credited with making the best tapes went into a slow burn only a few years after reaching Nirvana, so to speak.

Why does this dude show off such grungy looking tapes anyway? No pride?

[JRSIV]

What a walk down memory lane. Me and my Dad spent hours making mix tapes from vinyl on the old mid 80's formulation of XL-II's, the best tape ever for making cut tapes from digital or analog sources IMO.

One Maxell tape variety I loved was the niche' marketed "Studio Tape" MS series. I'd get MS-20's and MS-30's for use in my Tascam 424 and 488mkII PortaStudios used for demos. The formulation was XL-II but I swear they sounded a little more 'open' and were very hardy and durable. You could slam some major level down on those badboys!

I stocked up when Tower Records sold them at $2 and under a pop; I've still got 10 or so and hold on to them like gold.

[Alshalan]

Why Maxell did not make Type III cassette tapes? I have not seen any.

[braxus]

Why Maxell did not make Type III cassette tapes? I have not seen any.

I don't think TDK did either to think of it. Only Agfa, Sony, BASF, and not sure who else. Scotch maybe too.

[perry]

I would assume the companay would have had to be licensed make true Chrome Type IIs, in order to be able to make Type IIIs. TDK and Maxell never did.

[4tified]

I don't think TDK did either to think of it. Only Agfa, Sony, BASF, and not sure who else. Scotch maybe too.

Scotch definatley made type III's, and they smell like crayons.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j80/4tified/IMG_6524.jpg

[Alshalan]

Thank you braxus, perry, and 4tified. I think maxell is capable to make a perfect Type III if it decided to do it.

[bleorg666]

Just picked up an old sealed XLII at the local Goodwill for 99 cents. Used this guide to identify it. It's the 84-85 version shown here, the 2nd one in the "New" wrapper.

[DuckTape]

Outstanding chronicling of these tapes. I have to say I am heartbroken about some recent purchases after reading the reviews and breakdowns. I had a wacky thought that more recent manufacture would lend to a more reliable tape as they had not been sitting around for god knows how long. Well, I guess I was wrong. Oh well. But now I know, and as a friend of mine, Joe, says knowing is half the battle.

What is your opinion of the Sony MMs and SMMs?

[kh5657]

What a great article. Thanks. Just bought some XLII S's on Ebay. I don't know which vintage, but I'm looking forward to recording on them. I haven't since the mid-90's.

[braxus]

Oh look- its a Maxell Type 3 tape. Not! Just for fun:

http://www.tapeheads.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=23921&d=1318182615

[Warped Bezel]

Scotch definatley made type III's, and they smell like crayons.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j80/4tified/IMG_6524.jpg

Toxic or non-toxic?

hey...how long were you sniffing it?*flame*

[Warped Bezel]

I would assume the companay would have had to be licensed make true Chrome Type IIs, in order to be able to make Type IIIs. TDK and Maxell never did.

I have a KR that I think trips up the TDK theory?

[Warped Bezel]

I know that some folks might disagree, but my personal favorites of the series are the ones from collections 4, 5, and 6. I did a review (http://www.tapeheads.net/showthread.php?t=5435) of the 1986 one awhile back and wasn't too thrilled with it.

I believe I have all of 5 except MX-S.

I have a UR-F and first Metal Capsule 50, courtesy of Mr. Lin *Hi5*

I have at least two different packages of MX.

I have 7 1985 URs, 6 90s and 1 one 60 plus 4 bonuses for Maxell-LN but I can't afford to send them like I promised just yet. that and his address is at least temporarily lost thanks to a computer failure (can't transfer an IDE drive to my laptop right now)...please get back to me?

[Des-Lab]

A dozen new tapes have been added to the Maxell gallery (http://www.tapeheads.net/albums/browseimages.php?c=17)! Check it out.

Also please note that this original topic is no longer being updated or maintained except as for comments only. All new images can be found in the photo gallery.

[83glt]

Having read through this thorough evaluation several times, I was curious if you noticed a sonic difference between these two tapes? In your description you state that the 1991-1992 (released late 1990) XLII with the odd oval shaped window was "for the most part the same" as its predecessor, which you indicate is your personal favorite and perhaps the best Type II available. Can you elaborate on the sonic differences, if any? Where does the "odd" XLII stand in that line's hierarchy? Thanks!