Nakahead

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $8.00

Summary:
The Maxell MX-S has an incredible dynamic range and no hiss whatsoever! It has given me fantastic results year after year. However you'll need a well looked after machine to get the best of it (most modern Naks are factory set up for Maxell anyway). I must say that the MX-S even beats my Sony super metal master tapes in some mysterious ways, especially with the Dragon! Good bye DAT...Long live analog!

Strengths:
Top dynamic range, durability, great sound,

Weaknesses:
Expensive

KJ Bleus

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $3.00 from That would be tellin

Summary:
Re: Maxell MX-S cassette Still the best analogue cassette performer in regards to quality, consistency and durability. Just wanted to add that this is a great idea to do some reviews and comparisons of the highend metal type IV cassette tape medium that is now becoming collectors territory. I'll support the effort, and add some new cassette reviews to the original one on Maxell MX-S. By the way, MX-S is my preferred cassette, although I dabble using others like Sony Super Metal Master, TDK MA-EX, and MA-XG. These four cassette editions are the very best of breed ever produced. Read more about cassettes and Nakamichi cassette decks on my Nak CyberSpot web portal at: http://www.angelfire.com/wi/blueswapper/bluesnak99.html Also, visit the very excellent cassette tribute webpages of Dysoplex Man at: http://www.dysoplex.com/btg/maxell.html Regards, K.J. Bleus Madison, Wisc USA kjbleus@lycos.com

Strengths:
High grade magnetic tape, superior cassette shell components & construction, durable, and affordable, if you can find a source to purchase.

Weaknesses:
Discontinued manufacture, hence increasing scarcity. Available in east Asian countries, if you know where to procure.

Similar Products Used:
Smm, SSMM, MA-EX, MA-XG

Price Paid:  $0.00 from J & R Music World (n

Summary:
Ok here's an up to date review on an outdated media format..(analog cassetes) But I presently use these tapes for my most discriminating musical sources such as HDCD, DVD-A, CD-Analog, and Yes LP's still!! I spent alot of deniro revamping my home audio system due to divorce, countless moves, equipment wear, and finally, my desire to buy the best tapes using audiophile quality components like Nakamichi tape decks, Stanton Cartridges (890SA)for my 1/2 speed master records, and some really sweet sounding DVD's and HDCD's (No SACD's yet) Too much $$$ IMO Anyway here's what I found using Maxell's last and quite probably BEST cassette ever produced..These tapes while very costly, give you the best sonic accuracy and dynamics from an analog medium that's still available to the true audiophile. I use them for playback both at home on my Nak BX 300 and my Clarion Pro Audio car head unit (no longer made) I've made tapes of every type of music conceivable from hard rock (Pink Floyd, LZ, and Def Leppard old leppard pre 90's) to softer more acoustical sources like (Dire Straits, Steely Dan, Kenny "G", and even some classical music like James Horner, John Williams and John Dunbar Dances with Wolves) type of music. I have a wide range of musical appreciation as I approach my 40's. Something time has afforded me without significant hearing loss. You can after properly bias adjusting these tapes, drive them all the way to +07 to +10 db and they WON'T distort in any way. They preserve the delicate nuances of the source from cymbals, to acoustic guitars to the gut wrenching BOOM of heavily bass laden heavy metal types of music faithfully. Their build quality is superior, and they only come in 60 and 90 minute lengths to preserve the 1 mil thickness which is vital to preventing stretching, punch thru, damage inherent with magnetic tape. With very low hiss and incredible range Maxell's MXS tapes are simply the best money can buy short of purchasing the MAX Ceramic shell $20 a piece cassettes which came and went as the medium moved from analog to digital. To say these tapes are a very reliable and long lasting without loss of the dynamics of music tape would be a very accurate statement. I've used every other brand of tape from TDK MAX, to BASF, Memorex, Sony Metal ES, Ampex, Denon, Nakamichi ZX, and various other hi dollar cassettes. They simply don't measure up to Maxell's build quality, and faithful playback year after year reliability. Nothing comes close. You truly have to go to CD'R's which are fallible due to sratches, cracks, and other obvious daily life consequences from plastic discs, which were never meant to be handled the way in-which cassette tapes were designed to withstand. You never actually touch the magnetic tape which preserves the flawless, and I might add delicate vinyl 1 mil thick tape in a superior built like a battleship housing that Maxell continued with their MXS tapes right up to their discontinuation! Tapes that I mastered 5 even 10 years ago sound as true, and accurate, as the day they were made. If you love the wonderful sound of anlog tape, something digital attempts to capture, you simply can't find a better storage device than the Maxell MXS metal cassette period. It cannot be topped. Those who have these tapes, know of their quality, and should take care to properly store these tapes in a cool, dry storage location. (Not on your car's dashboard in the heat of summer) Even CD's won't last under those conditions. So my advice to those considering which tape to choose, need look no further, than to seek Maxell's MXS Metal tape cassettes. You won't regret it. I promise you!!

Strengths:
SOnically superior to every other tape on the market. Stout and rugged build quality. Faithful, transparent reproduction of whatever musical source you choose to preserve....

Weaknesses:
The most obvious one being that they've been discontinued. People don't know what they're missing. Which is a shame.

Similar Products Used:
TDK MAX, Sony Metal ES, Denon, Nakamichi ZX, BASF, Ampex, and a host of others too numerous to name.

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Tower Records, Honol

Summary:
I purchased three Maxell MX-S 90-minute audio tapes in 1993. Between July 1993 and April 1994, I recorded my favorite Oldies records from vinyl record sources, audio tapes, and compact disc sources, using two JVC Model TD-W207 dual stereo cassette tape decks, a Realistic 32-1200C stereo mixing console, a Technics Model SL-D5 Direct Drive Automatic Turntable, and a Realistic V15-RS stereo magnetic cartridge. I used Maxell MX-S 90-minute tapes for recording at normal speeds and for recording half-speed master tapes of old 78-RPM records. Dolby B Noise Reduction was used on all recordings. All normal recordings and the preliminary half-speed master recordings of 78-RPM records were recorded at the standard cassette tape speed of 1 7/8 inches per second. To produce the final recording of 78-RPM records, the half-speed master tape was played on JVC TD-W207 tape deck #1 at high-speed dubbing (3 3/4 inches per second) while feeding the signal to JVC TD-W207 tape deck #2 recording at the normal speed of 1 7/8 inches per second. All recording levels were set to a maximum peak level of +4 decibels, according to recording guidelines in the JVC TD-W207 owner''s manual. After eight to nine years of playing and shipping the tapes with me from Hawaii to Korea and then to Colorado, the three tapes still retain the same clarity when they were recorded in 1993, with a decibel loss of 2 decibels on two tapes and no noticeable decibel loss on the third tape. My tape collection includes Maxell UD-90 audio cassette tapes from 1984 and various other Maxell brand tapes. These tapes continue to play after 18 years. A friend in the 1970s recommended Maxell tapes to me as a good brand of tapes; and I agree with his opinion, after my personal experience with Maxell Tapes over the past 18 years. Stephen A. Smith, Denver, Colorado, March 25, 2002

Strengths:
Maximum peak recording level of +4 decibels with no noticeable harmonic distortion is possible. Heat-resistant cassette housing is also designed to reduce mechanical noise during operation. When protected from extreme temperature and extreme humidity environments, MS-S tapes can last for at least half of the usual life expectancy of 30 years for audio tapes.

Weaknesses:
Maxell MX-S tapes are increasingly difficult to find in common record stores and department stores, due to the high cost and low demand. When department stores such as Wal-Mart do carry metal audio tapes, they usually have only TDK brand or Sony brand tapes, but no Maxell metal tapes. Cassette tapes longer than 90 total minutes, such as MX-100 or MX-120, may use 1/2 mil thickness tapes instead of 1-mil thickness tapes, resulting in a higher risk of print-through than with 1-mil thickness tape used in MX-S tapes.

Similar Products Used:
TDK Super Avilyn (SA) 90-minute audio cassette tapes; Sony Metal 90-minute audio tapes.

Price Paid:  $12.00 from Akihabara, Japan

Summary:
I'm not familiar with Maxell MX-S, but I'm more familiar with Maxell Metal Vertex. Purchased some in Japan way back in 1992, each piece is individually serial numbered. While in Japan I also had a chance to other high-end metal tapes (cassette) like Sony Metal Master & TDK MA-XG, no joke these are quite expensive but they sounded equally excellent and perfectly matches the power of Nakamichi Dragon player, push it to the limit! Sound can only be better judged by your own discriminating ears and not by any other testing apparatus! enjoy the music!

Strengths:
Excellent sound, Solid Built, it last!

Weaknesses:
expensive

Similar Products Used:
Sony Metal Master, TDK MA-XG