Maxell XLII - 1983/85 - US/EU/CA
""The first bite is with the eye". One of the finest all round cassettes, when you take into account, shell quality, looks and performance. One of our favourites... a true classic tape and they're hardy! We've used many over the years, and they still sound great." Tony Villa
Note 1: 1983: US: +1dB: Old 1982 XLII cassette in "New" wrapper. Scarcer transition version. No UPC Bar-code. Maxell/Hitachi. These are scarcer than most of the varieties that follow.
Note 2: 1984: US/EU: +1dB: UPC Bar-code 13641. The back layout of this cassette is more common to the EU, but it uses the US and US/CA UPC code "0.25215.13641".
Note 3: 1984: CA: +1dB: UPC Bar-code 13641. As shown in the pictures provided.
Note 4: 1984: US: +1dB: UPC Bar-code 13641. As shown in the pictures provided. Only 2 available. I do not expect to see this variant very often around here. Lightly scuffed wrappers.
Note 5a: 1984: EU: +1dB: UPC Bar-code 400828. European version. This tape only shows the "Maxell" name on it. No mention of Hitachi.
Note 5b: 1984: EU: +1dB: B-Grade. UPC Bar-code 400828. European version. This tape only shows the "Maxell" name on it. No mention of Hitachi. Someone cut the wrapper (see picture), and the case has one visible cut/slash on it, not deep, but it's there. Only (1) available.
Note 6: 1985: US: +2dB: UPC Bar-code 13641.
Note 7a: 1985: CA: +2dB: UPC Bar-code 13641. "Super Sweepstakes"
Note 7b: 1985: CA: +2dB: UPC Bar-code 13641. "Bonus Bucks"
Note 7c: 1985: CA: +1dB: UPC Bar-code 13641. "Gold Seal sticker". 1 Bonus Seal. Meant to move out older Maxell inventory. CAREFUL!: This choice has changed to a 2-Cassette pack deal. You are getting 2 cassettes here!
Side Notes: There are a few more versions of this cassette. They will be added as I get them in. If you have any input about the information posted here that may contradict with your findings, please let me know, and we will adjust it. Thank you.
Please Note: Minimum purchase is 2 tapes. Mix and match any cassettes from the entire site selection to complete your order.
Watch below a video by Tony Villa on this iconic Maxell 1982~1986 line up of cassettes:
About Maxell:
Maxell Holdings, Ltd. (日立マクセル株式会社, Hitachi Makuseru Kabushiki‑gaisha) is a Japanese company known for consumer electronics and recording media. Founded in 1960 from Nitto Electric’s battery and magnetic tape divisions, Maxell’s name derives from “maximum capacity dry cell.”
Beyond batteries and storage devices, Maxell became renowned for audio cassettes, VHS blanks, and optical discs. At the height of cassette popularity, its XLII‑S (CrO₂) and MX (metal particle) tapes were considered among the finest, often cited by audiophiles as the pinnacle of pre‑digital home recording.
Maxell also achieved pop‑culture fame in the 1980s with its “Blown Away Guy” campaign, first appearing in Rolling Stone in 1980 and later in TV spots that ran throughout the decade. Though the company outsourced optical media production in 2008 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2014, its cassette legacy remains central to its identity.
Maxell XLII - 1983/86 - US/EU/CA