Maxell XLII-S - 1998 - EU
"This British made XLII-S is a very special cassette and the last the XLII-S model ever. With it's a heavy and handsome black shell (...), this is one of our favourite Type II tape. It just looks and sounds ace. Has pronounced treble compared to its contemporary SA. Best used with decks with bias adjustment. This however gives it great bass too. This is the best sounding XLII-S, in our opinion. Over the years the XLII-S formulation has changed a lot, almost like it was "experimental". They finally got it bang on with this version... then stopped making it. When you get the bias right, this is a remarkably good cassette with superb dynamic range and low noise." Tony Villa
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Note 1: 60 Minutes: 5-Pack: Buy 4, get one free! This 5-Pack was priced as if it only has 4 cassettes, as one of them has an extensive cracked case on the front and it must be replaced. It's an incentive... and it's the only one. Don't miss out. Also, these do not come individually wrapped. Only 1 set available
Note 2: 100 Minutes: 2-Pack: Out of Stock
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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 XLII-S - 1998 - EU - Made in England