Maxell UR - 1996/97 - EU/JP
"Strange... for some reason in 96 Maxell reverted the UR back to this classic oval shell design in the EU... they had the current design for 95-96, then reverted back to this for one year. Perhaps they found a glut of shells in warehouse? Regardless, it's an utterly classic Type I. Great Maxell oval shell. Give them some Dolby and negative bias and they make great recordings. Nothing more to say. Made in England!" Tony Villa
Note 1: 90 Minutes: 1996: UK: Out of Stock
Note 2: 90 Minutes: 1997: JP: Moderately scuffed with other tiny blemishes. See pics. Maxell SOUND SD-90D. Made in Japan and specifically for the Japanese market. Only 1 available.
Note 3: 46 Minutes: 1997: UK: PARTS! Please read below (*). Only 2 available
(*) PARTS Tapes: From Note #3. Up for grabs are 2 1997 EU Maxell UR C46 tapes at $1 each. This is just so that I don't throw them in the garbage, and you may be happy to get them. Included are: Two broken cassettes and broken cases, with intact tape pancakes. Buy these to replace with anything you may have that needs some replacement parts. Included are the tape reels and a new pancake, 5 screws, 2 tape guides,1 magnetic shield plate,1 pressure pad, 1-2 Maxell UR plastic slip sheets, new J-card, new adhesive labels. These are 100% new, but arrived cracked. Again: It's all broken. You cannot salvage the cases or the shells, but everything else is perfect.
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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 UR - 1996-97 - EU/JP