Maxell XLII - 1998 - US
"A classic Type II. Great tape with a great shell. Has pronounced treble compared to it's contemporary, 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
These were made in Japan and/or assembled in Mexico. There is no visible difference between them, however we all know how we feel about products made in Japan and made anywhere else.
Note 1: 60 Mins: Made in Japan. Wrappers with little or no scuffing. A few available
Note 2: 90 Mins: Made in Mexico. Wrappers with little or no scuffing. $8.48! Stock is dwindling
Note 3: 90 Mins: Made in Japan. Wrappers with little or no scuffing. Only a few available
Note 4: 100 Mins: Made in Japan. Wrappers with little or no scuffing. Only a few available
Note 5: 90 Mins: B-Grade: Made in Mexico. These have very clean wrappers, but may have one to two small rips, insignificant, and for whose objective is just to unwrap them and put them to use, they're good to go. However, they cannot be sold as perfectly new, box-fresh, with zero-blemishes... 'cause they're not. Only 3 available
Note 6: 100 Mins: B-Grade: Made in Japan. These have very clean wrappers, but may have one to two small rips, insignificant, and for whose objective is just to unwrap them and put them to use, they're good to go. However, they cannot be sold as perfectly new, box-fresh, with zero-blemishes... 'cause they're not. Only 3 available
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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.