I have used both brands for years with virtually no problem's but i was on Google Groups today and i saw alot of post's saying things like,I have a 50/50 mix of Maxell XLII-S and TDK SA-X and most of my TDK's are unplayable while all my Maxell's are fine or TDK's are fine when there new but they wear out fast or develop dropout's early in there life as compared to Maxell. Is there any truth to this and do Maxell's really hold up better over the years?Thanks for any opinnions,Keith.