AXIA Type 1 Cassettes - Showdown

In today's show we are taking a look at 4 different AXIA Type 1 cassettes to see if the ranking of the tapes actually does mean something.
NOTE: I made a cock-up when testing the Axia UP cassette. I labelled it as the PS-1. Sorry.
Review of the AXIA PS-1S - • Cassettes sounded awfu...
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[@cubdukat]

I'm gonna have to check out some of the Type 1 Axia's. I never really got into Type 1's that much outside of TDK's AD-X, especially not Axia.

[@CassetteComeback]

You have much to learn grasshopper 😁 One, keep a BIC handy, yeah I can't talk as it took me a while to remember. Two, not all ferrics are "super" and can take high levels. I know you redid the JZ1, but you were recording it at +6. Any regular ferric is going to suffer at that level. You need them to peak at +3 max, like you did in the second video. Otherwise, gorgeous cassettes 😍

[@retrocoreav7025]

Lol, yes, I do have a lot to learn. I've learnt that it's not always best to follow official instructions. You know what's funny, BIC pens aren't a thing in Japan. Probably because there's so many home brands such as Uni (made by Mitsubishi) or that one begining with P. There must be something in line with a BIC though 😁 Thanks for the info on the record levels for a standard Ferric. What would you say is the base line for Type 2 and Type 4 cassettes?

[@yanks1fan09]

Great video! I like the look of the AXIA never used them they are hard to find at a reasonable price here in the United States.

[@retrocoreav7025]

Try the Fuji tapes. Some of those are the same as Axia but just branded as Fuji. Fuji are the people who make Axia after all.

[@vintagecassettetapescollec5258]

Last time I'm just bought all different axia tapes from my friend here in Philippines

[@retrocoreav7025]

Hope you got tapes higher than the Jz series. They're okay but the really nice ones seem to come in at the P series.

[@vintagecassettetapescollec5258]

I have jz same 54 minutes big hobs

[@vintagecassettetapescollec5258]

Pls subscribe me and watch my video

[@retrocoreav7025]

The big hubs are really cool, don't you think?

[@janchristianursuaaguilar7434]

mayroon akong axia j'z tape malaki ang hubs noon.

[@NicB-Creations]

I don't think you should really adjust the EQ for calibration, it's more something I'd use to compensate audible difference in treble/bass while monitoring. Thanks for the video though :) PS1 sounded the best to me.

[@retrocoreav7025]

I think your right. I'm going from what the manual for the deck states but yeah, I think doing that while monitoring will give better results.

[@NicB-Creations]

@@retrocoreav7025 I look forward to the next video. I have a Sony TC-K611S on the way that I scooped up for 120€. Can't wait :)

[@retrocoreav7025]

That's a good price for that deck. It's a pretty good one. I think you'll enjoy using that.

[@82ivaylo]

Nice video. Thanks!

[@paljstyler]

Cool

[@shotgunl]

Nice video, Mark. Do you how these compare to Fuji's Metal Z and FR Metal that were sold in the US? My dad used use those two when recording the music he and his buddies got together to play. He also swore by Fuji's P6 Hi8 video cassettes.

[@retrocoreav7025]

The Fuji metals are way better than these. I have a few Axia metals that I'll be covering in the future. I have a load of chromes too which are really nice.

[@tarstarkusz]

IMHO, it is really not useful for them to rate as good, better, best, because they almost always change types between the categories and they always assume type II is better than the type I. This is absolutely not the case. There are plenty of type I tapes that sound better than plenty of type II tapes. And a good quality well matched type I will perform better than a poor quality type II or IV.

[@retrocoreav7025]

Yes, this is true but I guess for someone looking for a type 1 or 2 or 4, it's handy to know which in the current series is best. Of course a high ranking type one will be better than a low ranking type 2. Sadly not everyone realises this.

[@josephfrye7342]

hmm, i am thinking urban plain on axia has a saehan korean brand tapes i looked at the hubs and shells it is interesting.

[@retrocoreav7025]

Could be but it may just be because it's older than the other tapes. I should try to find an AXIA from around the same time.

[@josephfrye7342]

@@retrocoreav7025 indeed :)

[@cubdukat]

Saehan actually did make some Type 1 cassettes for them, like the CDFan, and I think they made some of the US-market Fuji DR-1 cassettes. I think they also may have made some of the Type II DR-II but some have SKC-like hubs.

[@josephfrye7342]

@@cubdukat yep saehan did make type 1 2 and 4 style cassette tapes but those are south korean made tapes including skc and lucky goldstar including samsung.

[@tarstarkusz]

Either you are using super-bright lights or 3 of those tapes are really thin, especially the blue one. You can see right through the tape. I don't think I've ever seen that before. It's a shame because the blue one is a pretty cool looking tape.

[@retrocoreav7025]

Ah, my led light is extremely bright. Under normal lighting you can't see through the tape.

[@tarstarkusz]

@@retrocoreav7025 That makes sense. I even looked at how long the tapes were and they were fairly short except the one 90 tape. Great video.

[@wrestletube1]

The so called second topest of the range I'd call the top of the range in my mind. It sounded better. The last one sounded good though so may havee been just the music and might have actually been level par.

[@retrocoreav7025]

I guess KZbin compression could also be considered in to the mix.

[@cubdukat]

What Axia would correspond to Fuji’s DR-I? That’s the only Type I I’ve been able to find for sale in the US. I’m trying to find something that would be top-line version, like TDK’s AD-X or Maxell’s XLI-S.

[@retrocoreav7025]

I'm afraid I have no idea about the Fuji naming.

[@cubdukat]

@@retrocoreav7025 Found the answer. It'd be the A1. After they got rid of the FR-I-S, they never replaced it with another superferric, which meant that DR-I ended up being the only Type I they had over here. By then Fuji were starting to outsource their manufacturing to China and Korea and looking to get out of the US cassette market, just like everyone else was.

[@cubdukat]

@@retrocoreav7025There was some crossover between the Axia and Fuji lines. A couple of their Type IIs got stuffed into Fuji boxes and sold over here. If I remember right, the Axia K2 was sold in the US as the Fuji ZII line. We probably got all kinds of Axia tapes out of Fuji in the US, but they just didn’t say too much about it…

[@janchristianursuaaguilar7434]

lol i saw the axia j'z tvcm always awesome except it wasn't.

[@retrocoreav7025]

Yep, it was far from awesome. Although I'm going to try something with that tape to see if it improves.

[@janchristianursuaaguilar7434]

@@retrocoreav7025 when i see the axia ps1 i always tought playstation because that was sound like that

[@skald9]

They were all losing noticeable mids and bass, normal at some degree with ferrics, but would they improve alot if recorded less "hot"?

[@retrocoreav7025]

I'm not sure. I wouldn't have thought that would make a difference besides distortion.

[@klaushergesheimer8602]

Why do these Japanese cassettes have such strange running times? We here in Europe had only 60ies, 90ies and very rarely 120ies? Who bought 46ies when you could not fit most albums on there?

[@retrocoreav7025]

Actually, most albums are under 46 minutes. This is why such tape lengths were popular in Japan. The one I don't get is the 10 minute tape. The only thing they are fit for is cassette singles.

[@janchristianursuaaguilar7434]

@@retrocoreav7025 i do have a ske48 album which i record on a 60 min tape but over 1 hour :(

[@retrocoreav7025]

Yes, there are many exceptions but in general an album is around 45 minutes or so.

[@cubdukat]

@@retrocoreav7025 Those are for CD singles. Japan had (or might still have) a very robust market for rental CDs. I remember taking advantage of it when I was stationed over there. You could rent a CD and even buy a cassette to dub it to. The tax you'd pay on the rental went to paying royalties to the record companies to compensate for home taping. I managed to build up a fair-sized Jpop collection that way.

[@raulgonzalez139]

@@retrocoreav7025 Karaoke