Maxell XLII-S - 1991 - US
"A classic Type II. Great tape with a great shell. Has pronounced treble compared to its 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
Collector's Corner: This 1991 version is very rare. Want the same tape, but a lot cheaper? Look at the 2000 UK version, now at $8.99 for a C100! Other versions like the 1992 and 1998 are also less common, and more expensive to buy, but cheaper than this 1991 version. Made in Japan.
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Note 1: 60 Minutes: These are practically box-fresh cassettes. Very few available. SOLD
Note 2: 90 Minutes: These are practically box-fresh cassettes. Very few available
Note 3: 90 Minutes: B-Grade: #101: One long 4cm (1.5") hairline crack, and one shorter one on the front side of the case. A second tape also has a 3cm+ hairline crack also on the front. Price sticker from iconic Canadian A&A Records store on both of these tapes. Only 2 available
Note 4: 90 Minutes: B-Grade: #102: Two long hairline cracks on the front side of the case. A&A Records store price sticker is a mess, sorry. 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 remain central to its identity.