Maxell XLII-S - 1988 - EU/US/CA
"A classic Type II. Great tape with a great shell. Has pronounced treble compared to it's contemporary, the SA-X. 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
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Note 1: 60 Mins: Made in England: EU/US: These tapes are flawless, box-fresh, making them RARE in this condition. SOLD
Note 2: 60 Mins: US: Out of stock
Note 3: 90 Mins: EU: This cassette with 3 Languages was made for the EU market. SOLD
Note 4: 90 Mins: US: Light scuffed wrappers with a small rip (repaired). Still available
Note 5: 100 Mins: US: Nearly box-fresh tapes. Few available
Note 6: 90 Mins: CA: Made for the Canadian market. Notice the "Maxell Super Sweepstakes" Black seal on the front side. You may get a lightly scuffed wrapper. No rips, no cuts. Low inventory
Note 7: 100 Mins: US: B-Grade: B101: Looks like someone started to open it, by peeling off the opening strip, but then left it at that. It's obvious no one ever used this tape. See Picture. Only 1 available
Note 8: 100 Mins: US: B-Grade: B102: Box-fresh cassette with one 2.4cm (1") hairline crack on the front side. See Picture. Only 1 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.
Maxell XLII-S - 1988 - EU/US/CA - Made in Japan & England
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Collector’s Corner: Hazy Windows…
Maxell’s 1986–1991 line is known for its hazy see‑through windows, often making collectors wonder whether the cloudiness is residue or something worse. I finally tested it by opening a sealed MX with a bad wrapper but a foggy window. After disassembling the shell, a lightly damp microfiber cloth with diluted Windex cleared the haze completely.
Reassembling it back onto the second shell was fiddly, but the result confirmed it: the haze isn’t permanent. If you’re opening one of these for use, take a moment to clean the windows... the tapes look far better with a clear, sharp view.