Maxell XLII - 1989 - US
"A classic Type II. Great tape with a great shell. Has pronounced treble compared to it's competitor, the SA. Best used with decks with bias adjustment. This however gives it great bass too. When you get the bias right, this is a remarkably good cassette with superb dynamic range and low noise." Tony Villa.
This is a modified release of the 1988 issue. The slight changes made it a most desirable and favourite of these lines of Maxell XLII cassettes. It has the same bar-code number. The difference is the shell has been redesigned into a more oval shape and it has the name "maxell" in red on top of the oval window. Made for the North American market. These are rarer a find than the earlier 1988 release, and even more so, rarely offered.
Note 1: 60 Mins: Round case: US: Out of Stock
Note 2: 90 Mins: Round case: US: Light to moderate scuffing. Two 2 available
Note 3: 100 Mins: Round case: US: Light scuffing, most are box-fresh. Available
Note 4: 90 Mins: Round Case: US: B-Grade: Hairline crack on the front side of the case. One available
Note 5: 90 Mins: Square case: US: Very clean, about box-fresh. Very few available
Note 6: 100 Mins: Square case: US: Generic pictures used. Light to moderately scuffed wrappers. Two 2 available
Note 7: 90 Mins: Square case: CA: Lightly to moderately scuffed wrappers. Low inventory
Note 8: 100 Mins: Square case: CA: Lightly scuffed wrappers. Available
Note 9: 64 Mins: Square case: JP: Moderately scuffed wrapper. No cuts, no tears. Only 1 available
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Watch below a video by Tony Villa about a Maxell XLII tape, and others:
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, originally part of Hitachi’s corporate family, emerged in 1960 when a dry‑cell plant was established in Ibaraki, Osaka. In 1961, Hitachi consolidated its dry‑battery and magnetic‑tape operations into the new Maxell Electric Industrial Company, positioning the brand as Hitachi’s key vehicle for consumer recording media.
Throughout the cassette era, Maxell became one of the most respected tape manufacturers. Their formulations, especially the XLI-S (Normal), XLII‑S (CrO₂), and MX (pure metal particle), were widely regarded as peak‑performance examples of the Compact Cassette format, earning strong loyalty from audiophiles and home recording enthusiasts. Maxell also produced a full range of consumer and professional magnetic media, including computer and broadcast tapes, before later shifting away from in‑house optical and recording‑media production.
The company’s cultural visibility peaked in the 1980s with the “Blown Away Guy” advertising campaign, which cemented Maxell’s reputation for high‑performance audio cassettes. Even as Maxell diversified into batteries, storage, and functional materials, its cassette legacy, and its long-standing connection to Hitachi remains central to its identity.
Maxell XLII - 1989 - US (Made in Japan)