Cassette Test: Maxell UR Normal Bias Type 1 Cassette

It goes without saying that it is much harder to find blank cassettes these days. But, from my experience, when you do find them for sale at your local retailer (or even online), in most cases they tend to be Maxell UR normal bias tapes. It still seems to be the most common blank tape on the market today. I have used these blank tapes many times over the years. They give very decent results.
I have mentioned before that I have always tended to be a chrome cassette enthusiast. If you want a clean, clear copy of your favorite music, chrome tapes are definitely the way to go. Plus, for years I recorded my own compositions on a cassette four track, and my absolute favorite blank cassette for this purpose was the Maxell XL II. To this day I think it is still my all-time favorite blank cassette.
So, what about Maxell UR cassettes? Well, as I said, they are normal bias. But don't let that discourage you. If you are looking for a tape to record your own voice or dictation, this one will do just fine. It is also more than fine to record stuff off the radio, and even to make mix tapes for friends. Again, this is probably the brand that is easiest to find, and you can buy 5 packs for a pretty decent price, even in 2024.
Back in the day, when I had cassette decks in my car, I would make tons of mix tapes to listen to while I drove. This was always a very acceptable tape for such a purpose. For a normal bias tape, it sounded just fine. I would even use it to copy vinyl and CDs, and it gave perfectly decent results.
Many thanks to my friend Steve for sending me a bunch of these recently!
So, in this video I put this blank cassette through its paces, and see just how good it does at reproducing a song. As I have done in previous tape test videos, you will first hear the song in a digital format (coming from CD), and then you will hear that same piece of music as it is recorded on a Maxell UR 90 blank cassette.
What do you think? Can you hear the difference between the CD and the tape? Which do you think sounds better? Do you use Maxell UR tapes? What do you think of them? Do you still buy and use blank tapes? What is your favorite blank cassette?
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