Maxell XLI-S - 1982~85 - US/EU/JP
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: 46 Mins: 1982-JP: Only 1 available.
NOTE 2: 90 Mins: 1982-JP: Only 1 available.
NOTE 3: 90 Mins: 1982-US: Only 1 available.
NOTE 4: 90 Mins: 1983-US: Only 1 available. (*)
NOTE 5: 90 Mins: 1984-US/EU: Just a few available.
Sidenotes:
(*) The tape formulation for the 1983 version, and subsequent versions, got an improvement upgrade. Whereas before (1982 and earlier), it was compared to its UD-XLI cousin for having higher mid-range and high frequency range values, in 1983 it compares itself to its brother XLI for having improved over 1dB over the entire frequency range. A super high performance Type I tape!
(1) All of these available tapes are either box-fresh tapes or may have some scuffing on them.
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