Do Maxell tapes last longer than TDK?

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.

Not really sure how long each lasts, but I do have both and listen to mix tapes on my vintage system ocasionally and haven't noticed any dropouts or loss of fidelity. The problem I noticed back when I used to make and listen to a lot of tapes is that the Maxells seemed to twist or get hung up easier. After noticing this "mechanical" problem several times, I tried to use TDK exclusively.

I do remember that some pre-recorded cassettes would "wear out" quickly resulting in dropouts and muffled sound.

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Originally Posted by keithant

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.

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I've made CD's out of all my old TDK tapes, some being 15-20 years old. A lot of the Maxell's developed mechanical failure (tightness in the casing causing the tape to stick) or dropouts. Thankfully, I only had about 25 Maxell XLI's and about 300 TDK SA-90's. Wow and flutter in the TDK's is also much superior.

Now, I haven't used any cassette tape since about 1994 so I can't speak to any changes in the brands. But from 1985-1994, TDK has WAY outperformed Maxell IME.

People still use cassettes? :lol:

Back in the day, I used to bounce back and forth between the XLII-S and SA-X or MA-X...and then I discovered Denon HD8's. Now, I don't know if it had anything to do with the fact that I did all of my recording using a Denon M30HX recorder, but the end result was a far better sound than either the SA-X or XLII's. 'Course, I have no idea if Denon even makes cassettes these days.

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Originally Posted by keithant

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.

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Keith,

I have both and some are over 20 years old and have not experienced any problems with either one. Like you, mine is a 50/50 mix. Used to play them quite a bit back in the 80s but now they are only used in my car from time to time when I want to go back in time.

Slbenz

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Originally Posted by keithant

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.

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There is absolutely no definite answer to this question. It is highly dependent on the chemicals used to make the plastic base for the tape in the first place. Some tapes will last for more than 50 years (actually I have some reel to reel tapes that were made in 1957 and they are just fine) I have much newer tapes that have turned sticky and are decomposing. The same holds true for motion picture film. It was thought that safety base film would last indefinitely. Now it has been found that this is definitely not true. When plastic begins to decompose you get a vinegar odor. If you notice any of your tapes smelling like this or becoming tacky copy them immediately and dispose of them. Yes, it is contageous and will spread to other reels of tape or film that are in close proximity.

Much is also dependent on the humidity and temperature you store your materials at. Basically, the colder the better with freezing being ideal. (If you freeze them they must be placed in moisture proof bags or cans)

The problem I mentioned above has nothing to do with the brand of tape/film you are using. Merely the lot of plastic they were using at the time of manufacture.

Archival storage of data has always been a big headache. Data being audio or visual material.

Way way back in time, when I still recorded LP's onto cassets, TDK's lasted longer for me but Maxell had a little more high end IMO.