MAXELL

Maxell tapes always looked, felt and sounded like high quality.

There was a distinctive smell when you opened the wrapper, and this lasted for years after.

Let's take a closer look.

UD I 90 (Type I)

The normal tape that shines!

That mirror label is something else. These are solid, reliable
and sound superb for a Type I. It boasted "Ultra Dynamic Super Cassette"
on the wrapper and it was!

XL II-S 90 (Type II)

The dark high quality beast from 1988!

With it's matt black, dense shell this is a serious tape. It feels quite heavy too and offers high quality recordings. This was a mean looking tape back in the day and still is now.

UR 120 (Type I)

The long runner!

This is your bog standard Maxell with one hour per side.
I think 120s were prone to getting tangled in a machine due to the thinner tape.
This is from the late 90s.

UD II-S 90 (Type II)

The mid range high position minstrel.

This is the 1986 version. Nice solid build quality you would expect from Maxell.

UDX II 100 (Type II)

The Capsule in 100 minute length.

This is a UDX II from the early 90s. Good quality and hard plastic shell

in a purple haze!

SX II 90 (Type II)

Early 90s budget Type II.

This tape appeared in the line up around 1991 and is
and entry level being a notch below the XL.

XL II-S 90 (Type II)

Re-made and Re-modelled!

This is a high end Type II that offered Black Magnetite particles in the tape.

The shell is matt and very tough plastic, ideal for rough handling!

XL II 90 (Type II)

High quality and style!

This version of the XL II is from 1988 and is very good tape offering great detail
and frequency response. A must have tape! 

XL II 100 (Type II)

The 90s reincarnation of a classic.

This 1994 chrome master has a tough shell and a tiny window. It looks and means business! 

UD II 90 (Type II)

The gold mirrored masterpiece!

This was a tape that would cause cassette envy back in '85 if you had one.

This was a great value chrome cassette for recording those live double albums

such as Alchemy Live by Dire Straits! 

MX 60 (Type IV)

Maxell's answer to heavy metal!

This tape offers superb quality recordings especially from CD and in a good walkman
with good headphones it would blow you away!

UL 60

Mid 80s music carrier!

This window is slightly bigger than on previous models and there are still
gold increments to judge remaining tape. Maxell is also written in gold in the window.
How cool is that?

UR 90 (Type I)

The standard Type I

This is the late 80s version of the standard UR a good multipurpose tape.
I love these hubs whether solid or spoked!

UR 90 (Type I)

A tape for the Asian market

This is late 70s and I found it in a thrift shop in Australia. There may have been prerecorded
music on it judging from the Dolby logo. 

UD II CD 90 (Type II)

This is where the screws disappear!

This is a late 90s UDII sadly without screws. Most manufacturers were doing this on the lower to mid range tapes back then to cut costs. This lacks the quality of the earlier versions in all ways. 

UL 60 (Type I)

Good quality standard.

This early 80s tape was very popular and again the build quality is pretty good.

UD XL I (Type I)

Normal Bias

This is from around 1977 and is a better quality Type I tape.

The build is very good for the time.

UR 90 (Type I)

The standard Type I

This is your bog standard Maxell for everyday use.


UD II CD 90 (Type II)

The 90s version with CD on it!

This mid 90s Type II is a good tape for CD obviously!

XL II-S 46 (Type II)

The tough shell kid!

With Black Magnetite particles in the tape you get high quality recordings.

This can be throw about without worry!

UL 90 (Type I)

Early 80s Standard cassette

This early 80s tape was very popular and again the build quality is pretty good.

The 60 had white hubs, the 90 blue and the 120 yellow I think!

UD-1 (Type I)

A tape for the bootleg market? #1

This tape possibly had prerecorded music on it judging from the logo.

In some countries you get prerecorded tapes with the album cover on a small

soft plastic box but no artist name on the tape.

  UD II 60 (Type II)

The Golden Hour!

A beautiful tape by any standards.

UD 60 (Type I)

A tape for the bootleg market? #2

This tape possibly had pre-recorded music on it judging from the logo.

UR 90 (Type I)

The good old Maxell standard Type I again!

Late 90s version with 'Original' only written on one side!

XL II 90 (Type II)

The one with the cool logo!

This XL II is from the mid 90s and the logo of the 'man in the chair' is supercool!

XL II-S 60 (Type II)

The beast from 87!

This was, and still is, a pretty mean looking tape. With heavy, dense matt

plastic shell and high quality sound it was a heavyweight back in the day!

UR 46 (Type I)

Mid 80s in LP copying length!

I always liked 46 minute tapes as it is the perfect LP length!

UR 46 (Type I)

Late 80s 46.

This version has the oval shape impressed into the shell.
There is no label outline on this cookie! A sexy looking tape!

XL II 46 (Type II)

The 90s version in short length!

Funny how in 1994, the 46 was still being made when

CD duration was increasing, maybe it was still being aimed at LPs.

UR 60 (Type I)

The oval becomes a rectangle!

The hubs are smooth and the lines on the lower part

are gone on this 1991 version.

UR 46 (Type I)

Early 90s version.

This version has the rectangular shape impressed into the shell also

but the hubs are spoked but not 'see through' which is a small detail.

UDI 46 (Type I)
The 46 minute version of a legend!

Make no mistake this is a superb Type I that sounds great when recorded

properly on a good deck. The sound is detailed, separation great and treble

exciting, making it a joy to listen to.

UDI 90 (Type I)

Gamava 

Gamava? Don't get too excited it's only a UDI, but Gamava

is, as far as I can gather, an Indonesian company that duplicated

pre-recorded cassettes for their own markets and tape manufacturers

supplied them with custom blanks. I may have picked this up

in Australia in the 90s when I lived there.

XL II-S 90 (Type II)

The mean machine from 86-97!

In any length, this tape is a must have for collectors

and audio fans alike!

UR 90 (Type I)
Late 80s UR with funny hubs!

This version is made in Germany and hubs are not your normal

Maxell wheels in fact they look identical to BASF hubs! I smell a rat!

XL II 90 (Type II)

Early 90s trusty XLII

This is very similar to the 1988 version but sadly has not got the
classic Maxell spoked hubs that I love!

SQ 90 (Type II)

Super Quality!

A high position from the mid Naughties and possible one

of the last Type II Maxell tapes.

 XL II 60 (Type II)

A stylish affair!

1988 was a good year for tapes and this is no exception!

 XL II 60 (Type II)

Mid 80s U.S. Market Maxell.

This one has a dark grey shell.

MX-S 100 (Type IV)

Maxell's Heavy Metal Monster!

This is Metal stretched to 100 minutes so it could capture a CD
per side in the early 90s. With looks and sound, you won't get much better!

 UR 60 (Type I)

Early 90s version.

This version has the oval window, nice spoked hubs

and the tape length in the centre.

 UR 60 (Type I)

Early 90s version.

This version has the oval window, plain hubs

and the tape length in the centre.

UR 90 (Type I)

Early 90s version.

This version has the oval window, nice spoked hubs

and the tape length in the centre.

 UR 60 (Type I)

Late 90s version.

This version has text across the center, nice spoked hubs.

 UR 60 (Type I)

Late 90s version.

This version has text across the center and plain hubs.

XL II 60 (Type II)

Early 90s Version

The standard 60 minute good old XL. 

  UR-F 60 (Type I)

Ultimate 80s!

This is an unusual cassette in the Maxell range.

It boasts Pure Crystal gamma ferric oxide for clear sound

and 'exciting colourful shell'. The different time lengths were

coloured accordingly back in the mid 80s! In an audition
this sucker spat fire! Charming!

UD 90 (Type I)

The classy normal from 1988

There was fierce competition in the late 80s between Type I's

and the sound was getting clearer and closer to Type II's with

the added warmth of deeper bass. This offers great clarity,
punch and stunning treble.

XL II 90 (Type II)

Mid 90s XL.

The shell here is a harder more brittle plastic compared to the
other matt and heavy plastic versions.

UR 60 (Type I)

The last UR before the clear shell version!

In 1986 if a friend called to tape some of your LPs, chances are this was

the tape they would bring!


UDII 46 (Type II)

Japanese Market 1988

Not only has this my favourite hubs, it has them oversized.

A stunner by anyones standards.

MX 46 (Type IV)

Maxell's Metal Monster in 46!

This classic MX is from 1987.

MX 90 (Type IV)

Maxell MX Metal!

This is from 1987.

XLI 100 (Type I)

High quality Type I

Early 90s Super Ferric from high performance.

 UDI-S 90 (Type I)

The mid 80s superferric from Maxell

This offered super treble, warm bass and a detailed mid range.
A very good Type I indeed.

 XL II-S 60 (Type II)

Early 80s Type II excellence.

The XLII-S was a superb tape with great sonic capability.

UDXL II 60 (Type II)

A late 70s high performer. 

The build quality, sound quality and style of these cassettes was superb.

UL 120 (Type I)

Early 80s long cassette

This was probably best used for dictation with it's 2 hour length!

UR 120 (Type I)

The long, long runner!

This is a Japan market cassette.

UDII 50 (Type II)

A good quality and snazzy cassette!

This one dates back to 1988 Japan market.

UDI 50 (Type I)

A very stylish Type I from 1988

The grey shell and green text is pre 80s!

XLI 90 (Type I)

Upmarket Type I from late 80s.

These are high quality and highly regarded.

UR 90 (Type I)

The bog standard speech and music workhorse.

Japan market cassette.

UR 10 (Type I)

A novel little cassette with short length.

Japan market cassette.

UR 30 (Type I)

A short one for Japan market.

If you have a short album this will do nicely.

 XL II 60 (Type II)

The 1988 beauty under wraps!

The gold wrapper is attractive, minimal and dead cool!

 XL II-S 60 (Type II)

The mean contender!

This wrapper is stylish, and black and gold exudes quality!  

UR 90 (Type I)

A trio of late 90s Japanese UR tapes!

I like the design and the Japanese text, very cool.


UD 46 (Type I)

High Quality Normal from 1988

Nice 46 length from this super Type I.

S 90 (Type I)

Cheap Super Power from 2002

There is nothing Super about this tape. It's the bottom of the line

for those on a budget. 

UR 90 (Type I)

Japanese UR tape!

I like it I do!


UR 90 (Type I)

The UR in modern guise!

This is the latest version of the famous UR and the only

tape being manufactured by Maxell at present I'm pretty sure!