Maxell XLI-S - 1986 - US
If you are considering this cassette, it is very likely because you know their real value in terms of their capability and performance for exceptional sound reproduction. Some well-known Super Ferric tapes, such as this one, are now highly sought after. These will perform so well that if you close the "curtain" on someone and ask them what Type of tape they are listening to, many will have trouble deciphering whether they are listening to a Type I Super Ferric, High-end Type II, or a Type IV Metal tape.
These are Type I though, and their advantage is that they can be played on any basic cassette player, Walkman, boombox, and all the way to the most sophisticated cassette decks, without the need for the 70microseconds chrome/metal setting.
NOTE 1: 60 Minutes: SOLD.
NOTE 2: 90 Minutes: Light to no scuffing. One 1 available.
Personal side NOTE:
This Maxell line-up (1986~1991) has a very unusual and annoying hazy see-through window. According to Julian of Ontario, Canada, it was due to Maxell’s choice of polystyrene used that is the cause of this problem. A slow chemical reaction with the air makes these windows go “foggy” after a while. I truly dislike this characteristic about this Maxell run of cassettes, and so I decided to see for myself, if this haze could be removed by wiping the window down from the inside of the cassette. I unsealed a brand-new Maxell MX with a bad wrapper, that had this annoying hazy window. I removed the screws and then opened the shells apart carefully. I removed the first slip sheet off to the side (that was easy) and proceeded to wipe down the window of that "easy" first shell. Lo and behold, wiping off the inside of the window worked beautifully! I applied a gentle amount of watered-down Windex onto a micro-fiber cloth, and this dull and hazy window immediately turned into a super sharp and clean looking window. Cleaning the window from the other shell was way more "difficult". You will need the patience of a saint to put it all back as it should be. Conclusion? If you are going to unwrap one of these up for use, go that extra mile and wipe these "hazy" windows and enjoy these brilliant tapes from Maxell looking clear and sharp! See the last picture of this collection.
About Maxell:
Maxell Holdings, Ltd. (日立マクセル株式会社 Hitachi Makuseru Kabushiki-gaisha), commonly known as Maxell, is a Japanese company that manufactures consumer electronics.
Maxell was formed in 1960, when a dry cell manufacturing plant was created at the company's headquarters in Ibaraki, Osaka. In 1961, Maxell Electric Industrial Company, Limited was created out of the dry battery and magnetic tape divisions of Nitto Electric Industrial Company, Limited (now Nitto Denko Corporation).
On March 18, 2014 the company was listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.[7]
The company's notable products are batteries—the company's name is a contraction of "maximum capacity dry cell"—wireless charging solutions, storage devices, computer tapes, professional broadcast tapes and functional materials.[4][5] In the past, the company manufactured recording media, including audio cassettes and blank VHS tapes, and recordable optical discs including CD-R/RW and DVD±RW.
On March 4, 2008, Maxell announced that they would outsource the manufacturing of their optical media.[6]
During the height of the Compact Audio Cassette's popularity, Maxell's audio cassettes were held in high regard, producing some of the finest examples of the standard available. The performance of the XLII-S (CrO2) and MX (pure metal particles) cassettes was regarded by many audiophiles to be the ultimate achievement in the pre digital domestic recording medium.
In the 1980s, Maxell became an icon of pop culture when it produced advertisements popularly known as "Blown Away Guy" for its line of audio cassettes. The original campaign conceived by Art Director Lars Anderson began as a two-page spread in Rolling Stone Magazine ad in 1980, and was made into television spots in 1981 which ran throughout the 1980s.[10]
Maxell audio cassettes are available in 46, 60, 90, 100, 120 and 150 minute lengths.
Maxell XLI-S - 1986 - US