Sony CD-IT Type 1 & 2 - End Of Line Trash Or Underappreciated Gems?

Cassettes with "CD" in their name are usually dismissed as cheap, late cassettes, and therefore are usually some of the cheapest around. In this video I look at some of the Sony CD-IT lineup and see if they're worth the low prices they go for.
CASSETTE DECK USED: Nakamichi DR-10
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[@BICIeCOMPUTERconGabriele]

I had (and still have) about 20 cdit type 2 cassettes bought end of '90 and recorded on my compact hifi sony mhc2800 of 1993, that had a decent dual cassette deck. Sadly I trown away that hifi because eventually (on 2011) the amplifier was broken and upgraded to a proper separate component hifi with cd and amplifier and nothing more... Some of the cdit2 I have, I bought on early '00 because the car stereo I had was only cassette player, so I did many mixtapes. I recently did a "cassette comback" and bought a second hand full serviced Denon deck, and hooked up to my hifi. These tapes still sound very good.

[@masonb9788]

Yep! Mine still play just fine.

[@rhythmnation2004]

I use the Type II CD-IT cassettes that come in the black “Metal SR” shell but come with a slide case. I like the slide cases and the tapes sound great.

[@MikeBracewell]

The're both outstanding tapes, the type II, in particular is a real bargain & virtually indistinguishable from the source. Cheers for the head's up on this.

[@CassetteComeback]

There are 3 versions of the Goldstar CRX. On the version in the video the hubs, leader and the fact they say made in Korea on the wrapper say these are SKC.

[@Ale.K7]

Being born in 1985, I was young enough in the mid/late '90s and early '00s to really like those lenticular cases and blue shells (and also liked the gimmicky looking Sony XTune cassettes, even if I couldn't see how much tape remained!). I remember the black shell, lenticular case CD-IT being pricier than other tapes where I live, so my dad (and later I) only bought them )and other type IIs) for special recordings :-). I have mixed feelings with the Slide Case. On one hand, they're pretty practical and are more resistant to my fabulous superpower of dropping and breaking normal cases. On the other hand, dust protection was not the best...

[@CassetteComeback]

They're different and variety is the spice of life.

[@Ale.K7]

@@CassetteComeback Indeed!

[@verastaki]

I bought my first Sony CD-IT Type II blue & Sony CD-IT Type I red cassette back in 2002 and they sounded pretty well. But I noticed that the edges in the blue Type II cassette tape were getting stretched and wavey. It didn't seem to have any impact on sound quality but still, in the future it might have. So I stopped recording on them. Later the blue Type II cassette eventually got replaced by the clear black Type II CD-IT cassette, while the red one got replaced by the purple Type I CD-IT cassette. The newer clear black Type II cassette was actually way better than the blue one. Play after play after play.... The tape inside the black cassette was still smooth, edges were still straight, no lines in the center of the tape, and it still sounds amazing, even after 1,000 times of playing it. So I bought a whole box of 500 of those tapes and transferred most of my tapes unto those black (but still clear) CD-IT tapes. But, the purple Type I CD-IT tapes I had issues with. First of all, the tape was this bright brown color, which is usually used in Type 0 or dictation cassettes. Next some of them won't calibrate properly or left channel would be completely mute. Red Type I tapes were actually better than purple ones, where as clear black Type II tapes were way better than blue ones. Another thing I was disappointed with was that they are molded and welded shut, no screws, in case you need to repair or replace the tape inside. None of Sony's later tapes had any screws. They do look cool being colorful, but they should've engineered them properly. Also the cases they come in, the slide case. When I had my friends borrow them, most of my buddies would return them with cases split in half because they were not familiar with slide cases. Even though it clearly says "slide case" on the cassette itself. My friends were used to traditional cases cassettes usually come in. So I would have to sit there and glue them together.

[@LapisandHamtarolover]

Sony's CDix in Japan, their early ones were good, they have screws on shells but later they weld too, like CDit.

[@masonb9788]

I never saw one of those slide cases. I stopped buying blanks around 2001, so maybe I missed them. I used DOZENS of those Sony CD-IT type 2’s and along with the Fuji Xii’s they were my favorites, despite the case.

[@elektrobix]

I picked up a sealed pack of 5 of those blue CDit in the slide sleeves and they all had some kind of mould(?) on the actual tape. Did a bit of a search on google and found a few other people had come across the same thing. One guy thought it was responsible for damage done to his tape head. A shame as I really do like the look of the tape and the slide case for pocketing if I’m out walking and have a Walkman on me. I now use those frosted ice tapes from tapeline in these cases, they look really well together.

[@CassetteComeback]

Oh yeah. Storage is a big player. I'm in the UK and have thrown away many NOS cassettes that have obviously stood in a cold environment for years. It's the risk you take...but personally if I get that aroma when I unseal one, they don't go close to my decks or other cassettes.

[@SuperScottCrawford]

Although all the decks I have (about 10-12 from Kenwood, JVC, Philips, Onkyo, Sony, Denon, Technics) feature Dolby B C HX Pro, honestly I rarely use those settings. I just adjust my EQ. B just sounds like treble set low, and C has that in and out sound, if you know what I mean. Normal bias tapes are the workhorses for me. Sure, there's more hiss, but 95% of people listening won't care or won't notice. My high bias tapes obviously have less hiss and thus sharper highs. I've never had a tape brand loyalty. It was either normal or high bias. I never use metal. Of course they are the best. But I'm just making music compilations. I'm not Dr. Dre.

[@verastaki]

I bought 2,000 Sony CD-IT type II tapes at Fred Meyer and Walmart over 5 years, 1,500 purple Type I tapes. Purple ones used to be Red, as the Black Type II ones were Blue in 1998-2002. Blue Type II Chrome Tapes became Black, Red Type I Ferro Became Purple. Then after that Sony only was selling Type I tapes, in 2015, Sony tapes were made by Maxell, with white letters, Same as TDK, a Maxell UR Tape, labeled as TDK, then Gone. Now all I see today in stores when I'm trying to buy a brand new blank Tape, is Maxell UR 60, 90, 120 minute tapes, and Walmart Onn 90 minute Type 0 tape, but I still managed to find a 240 minute tape as well. I Record all of my favorite music unto an Audio Compact Cassette Tapes, and I Make them Sound LOUDER and cleaner than CD's and especially MP3's!!!! Audio Compact Cassette Tapes sound much better than CD's and especially MP3's!!! I blew a few speakers from playing my loud Audio Magnetic Compact Cassette Tapes. Since Cassette Tapes have a better sound quality than CD's and especially MP3's, I had to get more professional, studio quality tapes and transfer all of my CD's, MP3's, DVD Audio's unto an Audio Magnetic Compact Cassette Tapes for much faithful and true life-like sound on an Audio Magnetic Compact Cassette Tape. Tapes also last way longer than CD's and especially MP3's, they come in different types and designs. Transfer all of your CD's, MP3's, Records, DVD Audio unto an Audio Magnetic Compact Cassette Tape, before it's to late, before your discs start skipping, MP3's stop working, Vinyl stops playing! Please, transfer all of your favorite and precious music unto a magnetic Type IV Metal Super HI-FI PROFESSIONAL STUDIO TYPE or Type II CHROME MASTER SURROUND SOUND TYPE Audio Compact Cassette Tape! I Smashed windows and ripped things in half, playing these TAPES!

[@PrankZabba]

i try to stay away from the screwless shells. much like an official release tape. once the tape has issues, then there is no way to repair it. unless you managed to become an ace at popping them open without cracking off a chunk. i've only got one of those 74 minute ones. it just seems like a strange length. but i used it for a bunch of cd singles by a band. which just happened to work out the best. but it's not my favorite sony blanks. guess i've always been more a Maxell fan all my life. that might be because they were the most easiest ones to find back then.

[@ukkev7056]

Original CDs stored 74 mins of music. Hence why these CD tapes were 74 mins.

[@RealEpikCartfrenYT]

prerecorded tapes generally tend to have a lower quality shell, so I don't care if I crack it, cuz I anyways have spare tapes lying around, whose screwed shells I can reuse.

[@ricardoflot2787]

Agreed, I don't like them Without screws either.

[@Konstantin_Terletskiy]

Well, I never had any prejudgement for the "CD" cassettes. You told you don't like TDK CD II, I don't have any of these, but I got one TDK CDing I, and I got pertty nice recording quality on it, nothing to complain about.

[@CassetteComeback]

CD-Ing 1 is a very different cassette to the CD-Ing 2. They're a very good "super" ferric.

[@johnrose879]

I still have some of the same CD-IT tapes with the lenticular case. I loved your reaction to those tapes because it mimics how I have felt about them since the 90's. Basically "God I wish they didn't use this stupid case, but man do I love the look, the feel, and the sound of these cassettes." I found a Sony dual cassette deck at a yard sale last year for $1, labeled "Turns on, but does not play". I immediately thought of all my old tapes and how much I wanted to play them again. It's a TC-WE805S, so I bought it. Then I bought a set of belts for it for about $13, and it runs like new. It's not super high end of course, but it does get the job done, and sounds a lot better than a little boom box (BPC? lol) and to this day, those CD-IT cassettes still sound great. I found one with Bone Thugs on it, and it was just so rich sounding, I couldn't stop listening to it. Great series, and content. I'm completely nerding out on your channel right now.

[@madmoritz1817]

I like this channel a lot! Sometimes the beginning sounds to me like: "Hi, it´s Tony from cassette combat dot com!" Makes sence anyway, I am from Germany...

[@JamesE707]

At 6:55 you said that this is an attractive shell, completely agree Tony when you were busily opening the cassette I stopped listening to you and was focusing on the CD-It Type II case. Somewhere I have CD-It Type I with the unusual case. So wished I had bought more and varied my purchases back in the 1990s. Cheers.

[@wildbilltexas]

Great Demonstration, but I didn't know about the extended bass response. Sony was going after boombox and car audio fans with these tapes. But I never liked the sealed CD-IT and the last batches of HF for their cheap packaging and sealed shells. But in the late 2000's I could sometimes find them discounted cheap at CVS and Walgreens and sometimes I could find those purple shell Type 1 CD-IT's for a buck at Dollar Tree. BTW stay away from the 120 minute HF, the very thin tape can jam up eaisly in these cheap shells.

[@CassetteComeback]

Yeah, I've 100 mins is the longest I go on tape. That's what the video is saying, the tackiness of the packaging and cheap perception is what keeps these cheap, negating the fact that the actual tape is good, but your mileage may vary, that's the fun of this hobby.

[@wildbilltexas]

​@@CassetteComeback I agree. The best 120 tape was Maxell's UR. I worked at a radio station in the mid 80's where we used them over and over for recording hour long shows off satellite to be played later. And I think I still have some TDK 110 MA or SA tapes from the late 80's-early 90's that I used for recording 55 minute CD's. I played them plenty of times in the car I never had any problems with them. I liked Sony tapes for their excellent build quality (though I thought their high bias tapes like the UX sounded thin with low bass response) and its a shame they let the quality slip way down.

[@extrahourinthepit]

5:25 I revisited my father’s collection, and he had a lot of unused labels. There were like two or three, out of a pack now stored in a camera case, that’s how thick it is, that kinda struggled to stick. And then there were those CD-IT labels, which had all, 100% consistently, lost all semblance of adhesive power, you know when you grab something that’s supposed to be adhesive and just feel that kinda sand thing and boom gone’s your sticking, that.

[@markthomas2436]

Sony made fantastic tapes. I never had an issue with a single one that I ever bought. Great company. As far as I am concerned, every Sony made piece of gear that I ever worked with on a pro level was also fantastic. Loved professional digi beta video tapes.

[@comicmania2008]

Hi Tony, did you review those CDIT II cassettes at any point and stick some music on them? Either the ones in the slide cases or not? I've been using quite a few of these and getting some really good results. I love the slide case ones, they don't snap and crack and slip like the solid cases do. Love the videas mate, keep em coming.

[@CassetteComeback]

I didn't do a video, but I've used several. Very good. UX tape in them, so what's not to like?

[@kevinpatrickmacnutt]

At the time I did not think of these as "end of the line" as they were produced back when the majority of cars still had cassette decks over CD players. I was buying these primarily in 1995 and 1996 as the grocery store I worked for in college carried these along with the TDK SA tapes. I taped quite a few records and CDs on these and played the crap out of them in the car and they continued to deliver. Memory serves, they were quite reasonably priced for a High Bias cassette. I personally thought they sounded amazing. Of course being in the US, all mine were in the Metal SR shells.

[@dustoff499]

I cringe each time I see you open a sealed cassette. With the difficulty we have finding some of these, I'm happy you're actually recording on them instead of tossing them in a box.

[@jeremytravis360]

Tape snags are mostly caused by the chrome pinch wheel and pinch roller being dirty so the tape adheres to the pinch wheel . The other cause is a poor take up tension on the take up reel. There can be other causes but in my experience of 40 years working in the trade they are comparatively rare. A poor quality tape also has an affect on the transport mechanism. Some customers I knew used to wind their cassettes to the end and then rewind them before making a recording. I think the concept was tape stick in the case would be illuminated. Personally I don't think I ever bothered. I was asked to transcribe a recoding made on a C180 cassette and I found out the person who omened it had used masking tape to try and fix it because C180s were notorious for braking and stretching.

[@andreassouth1523]

In my car I was using cassettes type ii (chrome) from 1993-2013.Then I put cd-player until today (big mistake).After I install the cd player (Alpine 250euro) (focal speakers 350euro) and played cds (not mp3), i realized that cd has a tin-sound, lack of warmth and VERY ear fatigue.

[@TreyM_channel]

LOL what...

[@robertosswald5896]

I got a shitton of cdit II (over 160 pcs) in slim cases. Got them cheaply in 2-3 places, and now I'm not regretting that purchase :D

[@CassetteComeback]

Good bargains are where you find them 😉

[@robertosswald5896]

@@CassetteComeback Yeah I keep checking on local auction sites and occasionally a batch of (later period) type 2s or type 1s appear for cheap price. There are 2 collectors I've dealt with who get their hands on a bigger stock so they sell them out fast, they tend to keep the most expensive collectible ones and get rid of the cheaper "garbage", but their trash is my treasure :).

[@Musicradio77Network]

I have a few Sony CD-It cassettes that I got at a yard sale today, a few US editions are 90 minutes and one is 94 minutes and the European version of CD-It II which was never released here in the US. These were sounded good as it seems, but I have to try it out. The CD-It was formerly UX.

[@tapehead3832]

I got a stack of used type 2 cassettes for around 4 USD and I recorded the same song on each of them to see what one sounded better in my Walkman wm-f18, and I don't know if I had just gotten a bad tape, but the Sony CD-it tape just sounded horrible. It was muddy and most of the sound came out of the right ear. The best one was actually a TDK SA-X100. I've never been let down by a TDK yet.

[@CassetteComeback]

With used, you don't know if they've been battered or looked after.

[@tapehead3832]

@@CassetteComeback That's the fun of it! They are cheap and you don't know what's on them. Could it be a old album or a radio broadcast? Nobody knows.

[@CassetteComeback]

Oh yeah, I've bought used. Best I found was a 1982 the cure gig recording on a Sony HF 120 😀

[@tapehead3832]

@@CassetteComeback Dang. Best I found was a radio broadcast of a Pink Floyd concert. Most of the time the person recording didn't use the tape to it's full potential.

[@eduardzs]

Agree, they sound really good. Slim case is not so bad, compared to Fuji where it holds the cassette upside down. Fuji slim cases are are really annoying.

[@midnightoil1814]

I like this video and explanations. I think the end of 90 ties is the start of era of cheap mass consumer products.

[@danielhorrachsanchez4710]

Yes, because in the 90s it seemed that manufacturers in general used to care about quality, and since the 2000s quality standards have been dropping due to outsourcing, as the channel's author said. No wonder you can still see, for example, a good number of motor vehicles of that decade on the road, anyone else agrees? I'm telling this as a 90s kid

[@j.w2000]

hi tony , i've recently aqured a sanyo cassette deck as part of a hifi system , what cassettes do you recomend i get from your website, it takes crome, ferric, and metal, it has good bass and i get decent results on the hot type 0 yellow cassette you did a video on as i had a spare on of that at my other house where the hifi is, but the song i used was safri duo- played a live (bongo song) but i want a better sounding cassette what can peak and not distort and/or drop out, i'm looking at type 1 as my kind of music generally has deep bass, its a 4 speaker hifi system.

[@vinkoivomilicdiaz6932]

Very interesting. Recommended.

[@sc0or]

There in Canada there is an online store that sells new transparent and colored cases for a penny. And so cassette storage albums. Everybody is welcomed to put CDIT into a normal case

[@LaskyLabs]

I think the slide case is neat. I think I will buy some of these... When I get money.

[@pancudowny]

Had to remake a "favs" tape from a compilation of remastered CD re-releases on a 120-min Sony CD-IT Type-I. Wondered what the quality is when you can see through the tape ribbon... but using a good decks--for both recording and playback, respectively--with all the functions on made for satisfactory results.

[@filip8297]

Does anybody know how maxell METAL Vertex sound? I noticed that they are expensive on eBay.

[@rommix0]

I had one of these with the lenticular design. The case was weird as you had to slide in your tape a certain way.

[@connorm955]

I like the TDK and Fuji slim cases better than the Sony CD it cases and don't like the slide case at all. I only bought a Sony CD it i saw on ebay a couple years ago because it was only a dollar. It was the one in the yellow wrapper.

[@thespeez]

I'm assuming the CD-it Is are out of production at this point. For L-1 (one pound) [which I assume is about US$2.00] that seems like a bargain!

[@CassetteComeback]

They haven't been made for nearly 20 years...

[@justpassingby298]

I think the slide case definently looks cool, but that's maybe the part of me that likes to fidget with things talking, and wanting to pop the casette out repeatedly

[@cubdukat]

I like the CD-It tapes. They're a nice break from TDKs for me. But that lenticular case has got to go, and I'm not much of a fan of the slim case either. Nothing worse than running out of room on the J-card spine when you;re labeling your tape. Then again, who told me to try to put Supertramp's longest-titled albums on a CDit 100?

[@mersa316]

I've had a capstan so dirty that when I cleaned it, the tapes played slower/at the wrong speed because the dirt around it was enough to make the tape play faster than it would with a clean capstan, making the recordings useless.

[@CassetteComeback]

That's what a lot of people forget. It's a machine with moving parts. Gotta look after them. If you didn't service your car, it would break down...

[@q0w1e2r3t4y5]

We've been using cassettes til like 2006 but I never seen a slide case in my life. Maybe they didn't reach Hungary in time.

[@q0w1e2r3t4y5]

Neither the slim case, apparently.

[@cassette_decks_and_turntables]

The 3rd Cdit you unsealed,they were plenty in Greece back then...i belive they are fantastic type 1 cassettes for heavy metal and rock music...and you know something? I even like their looks...why not? Oh...i forgot to tell you that i can find them sealed for 1€....maybe i will buy some boxes of 10 and post on your fb page...😋😂😎.... Actually i just did it....one pack of 10 cdit and one pack of 10 denon gr1 are coming through the mail...😋

[@CassetteComeback]

Get them while you can. I've just bought 3000 cassettes from a guy in Greece that you missed 😉

[@cassette_decks_and_turntables]

@@CassetteComeback Wow...you just bought bulk!!!Any interesting cassettes or ordinary?

[@dannydepara]

i use a jvc td611r2 deck and what i record on my maxell xl2 tapes sounds very good but when i use the same cassette in a friend's deck it sounds awfully dull while both decks are in very good condition i'm just an amateur on this level, but it is a pity that the recordings do not sound good on each others decks

[@CassetteComeback]

The azimuth must be different between the decks

[@Blustride]

I feel a bit paranoid right now, since I bought 7 of these to go with my newly-repaired tape deck and just saw that guy on tapeheads who damaged his heads with these tapes. I _really_ don't want to damage my tape deck, but I _really_ don't want to feel like I wasted $20 on tapes I can't use. I might just have to stick with the single Metal-SR I picked up and get some other Type IIs for normal recording.

[@Blustride]

I may be fine. Looks like the Laser-Amorphous head on the Sony deck wasn't affected, and both the Playback and Record heads on my deck are LA.

[@CassetteComeback]

That was to soft heads in cheap decks etc. It could be local to the batch he had. Who can say, but if you're paranoid just sell them on again. I'm personally not going to stop using these because of what one guy said when I've not experienced it personally, but you've got to do what's right for you.

[@syecheong]

Hi... what's the title of this track?

[@CassetteComeback]

It's from the KZbin royalty free library. It's called Honey.

[@alexeivas1979]

@@CassetteComeback Really nice music. Can you give a link please? I can't find it.

[@CassetteComeback]

kzbin.info_download?vid=6df1a83188a34e43

[@alexeivas1979]

@@CassetteComeback Thank you!

[@janchristianursuaaguilar7434]

Wait a minute is sony imitating the philips DCC cases? quite ironic. That tape us CD-IT You holding is similar to the fuji/AXIA Branded tapes albeit reversed.

[@thespeez]

one British Pound would be equal to about US$2?

[@3800TType]

I love the slide case

[@josephfrye7342]

well it might be vintage vibes to me but sadly this is the end of the line vibe. and it is really a shame that these company discontinued making that product but they did well though.

[@josephfrye7342]

these did serve well to Canadians americans and Europeans and the rest of the world too. on to the recording part of that.

[@Lucrativecris]

Are Maxell Capsule tapes rare?

[@CassetteComeback]

Fairly rare, yeah.

[@Lucrativecris]

Is Maxell Capsule UDXII rare?

[@olaniyi570]

I hate the slim and slide cases.

[@adware2009]

A dinâmica cai muito do cd pra fita k7.. mesmo sendo um nakamichi... limitações da technologia...

[@mikegerrish3459]

The Japanese packaging was great for these later tapes, with Manga cartoon imagery, and funny names! Please review EMI Soundhog cassettes from the 1970s, in the flip-open cases!!

[@extrahourinthepit]

mikegerrish do you have any pictures of it?

[@AVadim]

Beautiful design of cassettes! And good sound. Thanks! What do you thinks about SONY CDix IV cassettes? pics.meshok.net/pics/cache/77168430.208x208.jpg

[@MagnusPaul1976]

Lol How many blank cassettes do you own, then ? 👍

[@CassetteComeback]

Considering I'm the biggest blank cassette retailer in Europe, a few 😀

[@MagnusPaul1976]

Oh okay then 😁 I remember my very first blank cassette... An EMI 90 minute cassette lol. Now this cassette must have been the worst quality of ferric tape you could own in South Africa in the early 80's, but hey, times were tough and pocket money didn't stretch that far ! I then moved onto Sony's famous HF 90 cassette... Not bad, but not good either. TDK SA 90 cassettes kinda stuck with me and these were the real deal at the time... Very expensive I might add. I also have quite a couple of cheap aftermarket knockoffs that I won't even give to my worst enemy, yet they still work after all these years lol. I have just assembled a nice little set of mixed HiFi components to savour the quality of mixed cassettes and it's good enough for me ! 🙊

[@MagnusPaul1976]

I went through my cassettes today and discovered that I still have a sealed TDK B60 cassette, with the correct spelling on the back... "Recommended" as apposed to the "Reoomended" on the knockoff cassette you reviewed earlier. I also noted, that I have a BASF Reference Maxima 60 minute cassette, which I haven't seen you review on your channel, as of yet. Possibly from the late 90s early 00s. This cassette has an extremely good build quality about it and I never expected a build quality like this for a Chromium Dioxide Type II cassette. This was still when BASF was BASF, which was excellent and still good, before EMTEC rebranded the BASF trademark name, which in my opinion, was a huge disappointment. Things all went downhill from there...👎

[@dean6816]

Can't be any worse then TDK CDing 2??

[@georgekyr3689]

yes great tapes like super EF they record like metal-hot +5-6-7. Very annoying track full of dropouts really a torture to listen to.