The Maxell Cassette Tape Collection

[Des-Lab]

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: Same description as above.

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.UDI: 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.

[Naknut]

Outstanding essay on Maxell cassette tapes. This is what I have been looking for, for a long time. As a cassette recording enthusiast and cassette tape collector I commend you on a wonderfully informative site.

Naknut

[Jay Pemberton]

Wow. So sad to see a company that had built a justly deserved reputation for producing quality standard-setting merchandise go down the dead end road of style over substance and 'lifestyle' marketing culminating in the flashy junk of today. I did find their habit of frequently re-jigging and changing the looks and even the names of their various products annoying and unnerving too. (At least they largely avoided doing so with their reel tapes! Cosmetics now and then, but always the same good tapes.)

I wish they would have not wasted all that money on all those silly 'capsule' packages and other nonsense and simply stuck with making the best tapes possible--just a premium ferric, the best XLII-S, and the best MX metal (or just the first two at least, to keep them in the Wal-Mart trade too), and leave it at that. Then they could have produced fewer different types, concentrated on the best of them, and I'd think, due to economies of scale, thus also maximised value for money to the consumers.

Thanks, Matt!

PS--The Collection II tapes were already around by the late summer/early fall of 1982.

[MacGyver]

this is SUCH a great collection of fascinating cassettes! thank you, boss!!!!o-o:-)

[KatCassidy]

Dear Des,

I could not help but notice that you do not have any images of the current UR 90 cassettes that were available in Australia until very recently. How recently? In my local area, I bought the second last pack two weeks ago and found the last pack had been sold when I went to buy it yesterday. Here are some scans to add to your collection. I hope you enjoy them. Double-click on them to see full resolution of the wrapper scan.

from
Kat

[GGG88]

Dear Sir,

Rarely, recently, I have found such pleasure in reading, as I have when with you on the maxell cassettes subject. I wish we could one day see a well illustrated book (size and quality matters) on this issue. Thank you very much, indeed!

Best Wishes

Thomas

[Crucie]

I just happened to be looking thru this and had this particular tape playing and thought i dont see it listed here either, its a really OLD UD XL doesnt even mention tape type, tho it is a type I, unfortunately it has a few dropouts but sounds good after about a minute of rubbish at the beginning, quite amazing how these tapes in days gone by could soak up the heat and give great results

[MASTERTAPE]

I just happened to be looking thru this and had this particular tape playing and thought i dont see it listed here either, its a really OLD UD XL doesnt even mention tape type, tho it is a type I, unfortunately it has a few dropouts but sounds good after about a minute of rubbish at the beginning, quite amazing how these tapes in days gone by could soak up the heat and give great results
Hi ,it may be a Japan version or a fake Maxell
Regards Mastertape

[Crucie]

aaah could be japanese, it does say made in japan :P

[Des-Lab]

The UD-XL was a legitimate cassette. The chances of that one being fake are actually pretty slim. It was a prototype UD-XLI. It existed only briefly, circa 1975 when Maxell had an actual CrO2 tape in the lineup (the CR). It was discontinued and then the UD-XL was bisected into "I" and "II" lines when the High Bias replacement for CR came out.

[braxus]

Is this a repeat thread of what's in the cassette blank tape section?

[TAGOMAGO]

The UD-XL was a legitimate cassette. The chances of that one being fake are actually pretty slim. It was a prototype UD-XLI. It existed only briefly, circa 1975 when Maxell had an actual CrO2 tape in the lineup (the CR). It was discontinued and then the UD-XL was bisected into "I" and "II" lines when the High Bias replacement for CR came out.

Those are pretty rare. I have two of them I got at a thrift with a bunch of other tapes (mostly UD, UDXLI, UDXLII and XLII) that were in pretty near pristine condition, despite being recorded only one time (although the condition of them, I would be surprised if a lot of these have even been played more than once or twice). I'll let you know what they end up sounding like when I use them.

[TAGOMAGO]

Dear Sir,

Rarely, recently, I have found such pleasure in reading, as I have when with you on the maxell cassettes subject. I wish we could one day see a well illustrated book (size and quality matters) on this issue. Thank you very much, indeed!

Best Wishes

Thomas

I can see a collaborative effort creating a really informative book. Probably the collective whole on this page as well as the guy who started the Project C-90 page and the classic tapes 1970-1995 which features a very detailed selection of TDK tapes (although it says nothing about quality differences over the years). I would think that such a book would have a very limited audience, although I am often surprised about these things. After all, I thought I was the only one who got enthusiastic about cassettes.

[mrfoxboy]

I have to admit that the UR tapes from 84-86 are extremely good, for a low-cost ferric tape. MUCH better than the garbage that they dare call a "Maxell UR tape"

[agtbar]

This is a great photo gallery reference of the years of tapes and its interesting reading for sure, I'll have to save them to my files for reference.

[TAGOMAGO]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs989.snc4/76261_167689909927412_100000592115449_463602_70562 34_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs457.ash2/73078_167690629927340_100000592115449_463615_37078 18_n.jpg

This is an unusual specimen. Anyone know anything about an XL-I that's blue and silver.