BASF Chrome Extra II - 1989 - US/Canada
PURE CHROME TAPES WARNING:
These are true chromium dioxide (CrO₂) Type II tapes. If your deck is biased for cobalt‑doped Type II (TDK SA, Sony UX, Denon HD, Fuji FR‑II), performance will be off and very disappointing, unless you properly calibrate it. Most “Chrome POSITION” tapes aren’t real chrome; DuPont’s CrO₂ patent kept many brands on ferric‑cobalt instead. Pure chrome behaves differently and can seem unpredictable on decks without proper bias or level adjustment. Please purchase only if you’re comfortable working with genuine chrome formulations, as returns aren’t accepted.
"So what does this mean sonically? Well, they don't take a lot of signal, record these at no more than 0db (...) the benefit of a pure chrome tape is low hiss and brilliant reproduction, even at lower recording levels. Many decks that you can't manually adjust the recording level and the bias, do not like these tapes, as they've been set up to use the likes of the TDK SA. However, if you can, and you take the time to calibrate the deck to use these tapes, you'll find they're one of the best ever made. We love them." Tony Villa
Side Notes: 2 Variants:
Magnetic tape pancake on the LEFT is found in Canada, and on the RIGHT in the USA.
Note 1: 90 Mins: CA: LEFT: B-Grade: Not at all a B-Grade cassette, but the wrapper is lightly to moderately scuffed. It also has traces of dry glue from price stickers. If you can't remove price stickers so that no damage or adhesive glue residue is left on the wrapper, it's best to leave it alone. Good Deal!
Note 2: 90 Mins: CA: LEFT: These may have a rare "Bargain Harold's*" price sticker on them and have lightly to moderately scuffed wrappers. These have an unusual long 13 number UPC code, 7 896301 070957, and these were definitely sold in Canada, hence the "Bargain Harold's" price sticker.(*). These do not specify where they were made. It's been left out blank! Deemed to have been manufactured in Germany as it shows the Ludwigshafen address in Germany.
Note 3: 90 Mins: US: RIGHT: These have thicker and brighter gold ruler lines on the window. The tape pancake has a slightly rougher cut as opposed to the ones on the LEFT. Made in France.
(*) Bargain Harold's was a discount retail store founded in the late 1980's. It was primarily located in the Canadian Western provinces, and it also had a strong presence in the Toronto area. In 1993, about 100 Woolworth Stores stores were re-branded as "The Bargain! Shop". Today, after many name changes, it operates as the "Red Apple" throughout Canada with over 140 Stores.
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About BASF:
BASF SE is a German chemical company and the largest chemical producer in the world.
Founded in 1865, BASF became one of the true architects of cassette technology. Their deep expertise in magnetic chemistry shaped everything from early ferric formulations to the reference‑grade chromium dioxide tapes that defined real Type II performance. BASF shells were engineered with precision, their oxide coatings were remarkably consistent, and their true‑chrome behaviour remains instantly recognizable to anyone who’s ever dialed in a deck properly.
Even after the BASF name left consumer media, their formulations lived on through EMTEC and later Recording The Masters, keeping the BASF lineage active in modern tape production. For collectors and recording enthusiasts, BASF’s influence is still very much alive, a technical legacy that continues to matter every time one of their tapes hits the heads.
BASF Chrome Extra II - 1989 - US/Canada - Made in Germany or France