Maxell XLII-S - 1980 - EU/US
"Widely accepted as one of the preferred nostalgic lines of the Maxell brand. These are difficult tapes to adjust and calibrate. Apparently you need to put positive bias on these cassettes to get the best out of them, but that also means you get the bass." Tony Villa
Typical high-end quality Gold/Black label that was only expected from Maxell's highest standards and choice of materials. Those days... early 80's, all top cassette companies competed to produce the best possible quality. Their aim was to beat their competition by achieving the best quality in everything... the tape, the shell, the label design, the wrapper, even the cardboard housing box had to be pretty!
Collector's Corner: The B-Grade choice for these cassettes: These tapes are 100% sealed, but all wrappers have split tears on them or some small blemish. A common trait for tapes during this time. It was the plastic of choice and it became very brittle over the years. The picture shown is the worst sample at hand... encased in a plastic bag to avoid further damage of the wrapper.
Note 1: 90 Minutes: EU: Nearly box-fresh cassettes with possible light scuffing, if at all. Only a few available.
Note 2: 90 minutes: EU: B-Grade: Minor wrapper blemishes. Each of these will be inserted in a new small plastic bag to avoid further accidental wrapper damage. Very few available.
Note 3: 90 Minutes: US: B-Grade: The wrapper is extensively damaged. Only 1 available.
About Maxell:
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 - 1980 - EU/US - Made in Japan