Maxell UDII CD - 1998 - EU
"This British made UDII is a brilliant Type II cassette. You will not be disappointed with this 1998 run, right in line with all previous UDII runs, that also never disappointed. Unlike it's contemporary XLII, the treble is slightly less aggressive with these UDII tapes. Indeed these performs more like a TDK SA to our ears, so they should give great results in decks that don't have manual bias controls." Tony Villa.
These UDII feature a brilliant clear shell, with a high quality clear slip sheet. The design is simplistic yet very attractive, and there is still a lot of quality shinning trough these UDII tapes made in England.
Note 1: 90 Minutes: Lightly to moderately scuffed. Made in England and about the last of the UDII tape manufactured by Maxell. Not exactly the tapes you see in the pictures. These have moderate scuffing on the wrappers on the reverse side. The obverse (front) side appears near perfect. Only 11 at this price of $8.98 each!
Note 2: 90 Minutes: B-Grade. All have cracked cases, costing you $1.50 less. Sorry, only 1 picture available. Six (6) available at $7.48!
Note 3: 90 Minutes: B-Grade: Variant: Just when I thought there couldn't be yet another variant... one shows up! (?!) This one has smooth hubs (no design), and the "UDII-CD 90" letters printed on the shells are thinner and darker. This one has a cracked shell on the front top right side corner. It appears you can still use this case as you normally would. See pics. One 1 available.
Click below to watch a video by Tony Villa on Maxell UDII cassettes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5ShWXjGR74&list=PPSV
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 UDII CD - 1998 - EU