Maxell XLII-S - 1988 - EU/US/CA
"A classic Type II. Great tape with a great shell. Has pronounced treble compared to it's 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
Note 1: 60 Mins: Made in England: EU/US: These tapes are flawless, box-fresh, making them RARE in this condition. LAST (2) available.
Note 2: 60 Mins: US: OUT OF STOCK.
Note 3: 90 Mins: EU: This cassette with 3 Languages was made for the EU market. Only (1) available.
Note 4: 90 Mins: US: Low inventory. Light scuffed wrappers with a small rip (repaired). Insignificant.
Note 5: 100 Mins: US: Low inventory. Nearly box-fresh tapes.
Note 6: 90 Mins: CA: This cassette is made in Japan for the Canadian market. Notice the "Maxell Super Sweepstakes" Black seal on the front side. Low inventory. You may get a lightly scuffed wrapper. No rips, no cuts.
Note 7: 100 Mins: US: B-Grade: B101: Looks like someone started to open it, by peeling off the opening strip, but then left it at that. It's obvious no one ever used this tape. See Picture. Only 1 available.
Note 8: 100 Mins: US: B-Grade: B102: Box-fresh cassette with one 2.4cm (1") hairline crack on the front side. See Picture. Only 1 available.
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 was formed in 1960, when a dry cell manufacturing plant was created at the company's headquarters in Ibaraki, Osaka. In 1961, Maxell Electric Industrial Company, Limited was created out of the dry battery and magnetic tape divisions of Nitto Electric Industrial Company, Limited (now Nitto Denko Corporation).
On March 18, 2014 the company was listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.[7]
The company's notable products are batteries—the company's name is a contraction of "maximum capacity dry cell"—wireless charging solutions, storage devices, computer tapes, professional broadcast tapes and functional materials.[4][5] In the past, the company manufactured recording media, including audio cassettes and blank VHS tapes, and recordable optical discs including CD-R/RW and DVD±RW.
On March 4, 2008, Maxell announced that they would outsource the manufacturing of their optical media.[6]
During the height of the Compact Audio Cassette's popularity, Maxell's audio cassettes were held in high regard, producing some of the finest examples of the standard available. The performance of the XLII-S (CrO2) and MX (pure metal particles) cassettes was regarded by many audiophiles to be the ultimate achievement in the pre-digital domestic recording medium.
In the 1980s, Maxell became an icon of pop culture when it produced advertisements popularly known as "Blown Away Guy" for its line of audio cassettes. The original campaign conceived by Art Director Lars Anderson began as a two-page spread in Rolling Stone Magazine ad in 1980, and was made into television spots in 1981 which ran throughout the 1980s.[10]
Maxell audio cassettes are available in 46, 60, 90, 100, 120 and 150 minute lengths.
Maxell XLII-S - 1988 - EU/US/CA - Made in Japan & England.
Collector’s Corner: Hazy Windows…
Maxell’s 1986–1991 line is known for its hazy see‑through windows, often making collectors wonder whether the cloudiness is residue or something worse. I finally tested it by opening a sealed MX with a bad wrapper but a foggy window. After disassembling the shell, a lightly damp microfiber cloth with diluted Windex cleared the haze completely.
Reassembling it back onto the second shell was fiddly, but the result confirmed it: the haze isn’t permanent. If you’re opening one of these for use, take a moment to clean the windows... the tapes look far better with a clear, sharp view.