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Should i buy a cassette based on lab test's?

I am a avid analog taper (cassettes)and i came across some cassette tape comparison articles from 1975 1977 1978 1980 1982 1985 1988 1990 and the last from 1993 and all of these test comparisons put TDK as the best chrome tape starting in 1977-1993 (TDK SA-X 1982 on).Is the TDK SA-X cassette the best high bias tape ever made or should these test's be taken with a grain of salt?I always thought the Maxell XLII-S tape was a good tape but all these tests put the TDK SA-X way ahead of the Maxell XLII-S tape and all others in the type II high bias catagory.What's your take on these test's,i would be curious to know what other's that still tape to cassette think?Thanks for any input,Keith H.
keithant

Showing 2 responses by keithant

keithant OP
5 posts
 
And the only difference i can hear is that the TDK is alot more trebly (Brighter in the high end)which i don't really know if that's a better thing,maybe that's why the TDK SA-X always seem to better the others in tests,because it's a little hotter in the high frequency's making it spec out a little better...Keith H.
keithant OP
5 posts
 
The TDK SA-X does seem to have a bit better dynamic range than the Maxell XLII-S and better high end response,My deck has both Bias and sensitivity level controls and i noticed that when both tapes are calibrated correctly,playing back both tapes at the same recording level and the same amp volume level with the same song the TDK lights up the low level frequency LED on my DBX sub-harmonic synthesizer and the Maxell does not which also shows the TDK's low freq prowess over the Maxell...Thanks for all the answers..Keith.
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