TDK SA-XS & SA-XG Type 2 High Bias Cassettes - The Best Of The Best?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 16 тра 2020
- Here I look at the elusive and rare TDK SA-XS & SA-XG Type 2 High Bias Cassettes and see if their legendary status is justified.
Music taken from the album: "Powers Activate" By Candy Apple Blue
DECK USED : Nakamichi ZX-9
If you like chatting and posting about cassettes, why not join my Facebook group dedicated to it: Blank Cassette Tapes
/ 546989409130819
Or my dedicated deck group: Compact Cassette Decks / 670250433479150
If you'd like to purchase cassettes, visit my online store at:
www.cassettecomeback.com & canada.cassettecomeback.com
Follow me on Facebook for special offers and new stock alerts:
/ cassettecomeback - Наука та технологія
There are some surprises revealed in this video. Yes, we are proud to be working closely with Cassette Comeback to bring our listeners something very unique and retro special!
We love the analog richness that tape saturation can bring to music. We LOVE the way that our tune Detonator sounded on the TDK SA-XS (90 Minute) tape. It brought out some beautiful analog creaminess that is truly musical and is music to our ears! Thanks, Tony, for the shout-out and for including our tunes on your awesome channel!
You have to think, it's re-encoded when I render the video, then UA-cam re-encoded it again. Straight from the ferric, it sounds even better 😉 But a cassette is only as good as the music on it, so thanks for letting me use some PROPER tunes on this video.
@@CassetteComeback Anytime. Feel free to use our tunes whenever you like Tony. Congratulations on the success of your channel! We had no idea that cassette tapes are still so well appreciated. As musicians, it brings us hope that maybe we can get back to an analog world.
I use TDK cassettes. I love TDK.
@SHARP GF8585X, me too; and I used to work nearby a TDK plant in Syosset, Long Island, NY.
Drove by it many times.
$4.39 for a 90-minute Type II tape in 1986-1987 was actually not bad. Radio Shack's prices for their own 90-minute Supertapes at the time: Type IV $6.99, Type II Metal $5.69, Type II cobalt $4.29, "premium" Type I $3.79, "low noise" Type I $2.79.
I'd have cleared Whole Earth out of them...
Radio Shack's prices were always higher than record stores or discount houses. I remember in the late 80's buying Maxell UD-II's for as little as $1.50 at Sound Warehouse or Musicland for taping albums for my car stereo.
The XS really sounded fantastic.
Indeed it did... it was pretty awesome over headphones - no difference; maybe just alight bit more 'tamed' on highs and midrange...possibly a fraction lower on the record levels? But an amazing tape overall!!
I always loved TDK back in the 80s, and would to just get some NOS TDK SA-90 tapes at a 'decent' price!! They were always my go-to tapes back then :-)
The SAXS sounded like it was blunting the high frequencies more than the SAXG. I always remember normal SAX sounding considerably brighter (and better for it) than SA but maybe my decks back in the Eighties were under biasing SAX…
I got my first job in 1986 at 16yo and minimum wage was $3.35/hr. But even more relevant is that albums on cassette at that time, as long as they weren't new releases ran about $6 or so. That tape was a lot of money to teenaged me. That's why I always had to use the cheapest cassettes made.
Wow! That SA-XS was just suberb. The SA-XS tape inside the MA-R/MA-XG/SA-XG shell, that probably would be the ultimate type-2 tape.
Also, hey! You remembered to bring a BIC pen! For a video like this, I suppose it's fitting.
Such a great video. This throws me back. I actually found a brand new unopened SA-X mixed in with some old MDs I had in storage. Curiosity about the cassette and the world around them now, led me to your channel. I have missed using cassettes and MDs. Growing up through the 80s, cassettes were how I listen to all my music, like a lot of us here I'm sure. I used both in the late 90s then MD only until I got my first iPod. 17 years later, I am coming back to to both forms. Thank you for the channel! I found this on wikipedia about where the SA-XG came from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_Earth_Access It was a store in Berkley California.
Welcome back!
SA-XGS! Love it! I knew you were going to do that just before you revealed it!! ;)
😁 It was sort of telegraphed all the way through...
Fantastic tapes. They sound amazing, the XG looks stunning. Congratulations on 10K!
Great review as usual ! Glad to see the TDK SA-XS in action...😉
even before you hear them they draw you in with how great they look!
The first bite is with the eye...
Great Video! Thank you!
When the girl of my dreams asked me for a mix tape back in the days - there was no question on which tape I was going to use: TDK SA-XS. I guess it was all spoiled by the mediocre deck I had at the time - oh well...
It’s awesome to hear it on your gear.
Never even knew about a SA-XS! Another fine video Tony, love to see the Nakamichi ZX 9 show it who's boss!
Thank you Tony for another excellent video featuring two brilliant tapes and one fantastic cassette deck ( I had to do this again as my first one did not save to the comments - I was the first person to view /comment on the video).
I see the auction is already getting interesting! Good for you for raising the money for charity, and also thanks for the cool videos and the webstore, and everything you do for all us tapeheads.
You're welcome!
Great video 😍😍👍🏻!! Both TDK tapes sounded really great too👍🏻👍🏻
Superb video once again and nice twist at the end. Your increased level of new uploads to the channel is one of the very few good things to come out of lockdown!!! Keep up the great content!
Excellent as always Tony.✊✊✊
Awesome review Tony! I am really glad the SA-XG finally showed up😉
Thanks for sending it sir!
That is a phenomenal tape. Perfect sound in every way
The SA-XS i loved the design and the stickers / inlay and the what look like gold screws - stunning! then SA-XG an nice looking shell but printed only 1 side - dull boring labels and j card id pick the SA-XS anytime - but fair play to tony this is gonna be another a good buy and for charity fair play - keep up the good work tony, lets get to 20,000 subs what would tony do then? Answers on a post card!
SA-XS and ZX-9 ! Hohoou, AMAZİNG ! You are so lucky 😀
Thank you for the video! I realised I had picked up a couple of 100min SA-XS with a handful of MA cassettes second-hand. I thought they looked cool, but now I know why! I shall tape a few records on them! Thanks!
Beautiful cassettes. I must admit I was thinking 'What the hell has he done?!' when you swapped them around, but it's a great idea. I'm sure they'll sell for far more than I can afford, but it's a great gesture. Hopefully you'll make a lot for charity. All the best with it.
Also, as ever, top notch video Tony. Those tapes look unbelievably stylish.
Love that tape in that shell. Looks fabulous! Hope you get a great amount Tony! Good luck with the auction. You could always sell me your Revox if you are tired of it!🤣🤣🤣
9:36 :D ... and we're back in the room!
TDK SA-XG:
- Awesome sound
- Awesome tape material
- Resuming: It's a piece of art!
I bought one here in Brazil, for a really expensive price, but despite of that, was a unique experience!
That shell on the SA-XG reminds me of a TDK metal tape I have ..... I must go and seek it out!
The MA-R or MA-XG I expect 😁
@@CassetteComeback It's probs the MA-XG, still not looked for it yet! :D
The SA-XG shows the classic double-coating frequency response with a slight lack in the "presence" range from ~ 1-3 kHz. This was probably due to a design compromise in particle formulation and the reason why we got the triple-coated SA-XS in the first place.
I also like that you showed us why semi-manual calibration is always preferable to autocal systems. You get to see the results.
When you think about the widely fluctuating exchange rates back in the 1970/80s they worked out at about a couple of pounds +
The combination of Black and Red reminds me of sports cars of the period like the Ford XR2.
A sports version of cassette.
Many thanks Tony
Superb tapes Tony, thanks for sharing. Perhaps try them in the Revox set to metal - it's likely running out of bias range for these exotic formulations. On metal it might just work if it thinks they are low bias metal.
You are right - it could just be a bias frequency amplitude a little too high. The Revox B215 is dated around 1985 .. 1989/90 I think. I have the service manual for the B215 - I'll take a look to see if there is scope for a broader bias?
IIRC, the baseline calibration for Revox was BASF true chromium dioxide Type IIs. Maybe the autocal just ran out of range. Or the circuitry is slowly wandering off which is not uncommon for autocal systems in general.
@9:40 - a minute silence please for this beautiful tape and shell. ;o)
You're video has just nudged me to go and have a look what I have 'in stock'. Ten, boxed, unopened SA-X 100 no less. I had forgotten I had these! :D
But no SA-XS unless I'm mistaken.
TDK SA (and higher models) sounds like a tube amplifier. Love this sound.
Hi Tony!!Thanks for your video!!!I must say that I liked most the TDK SA-XS better than the SA-XG.I heard the SA-XS with fuller sound AND more clarity.I think the triple cobalt coating makes the difference.Finally the quality and composición of a tape ,in my opinión, makes all the job, independently from construction and aesthetics of shell, hubs etc, which Is also important ...but I think the tape , sonically speaking, Is the heart of a cassette.Thanks again Tony!Best regards!Rafael
Good to see this video up again.
24:00 Oh well, good old tape transplants. Sometimes I find these in my father's tape heap - like a TDK D case loaded with Maxell type II tape... what's the point? Oh well, he would never admit it, "I'd never do such a nonsense" and maybe he didn't.
12:00 Speaking of Revoxes, my B215 always has a hard time with late model BASF CSII. B215 completes the cycle ok, but with over-the-top upper mids. Somehow, the tape fools the Revox into thinking it needs more of 4 kHz EQ. On a plain deck, same tapes record just normal.
I'm really glad you didn't go "oh, whatever" and destroyed those wrappers anyway 😁. That SA-XS must be one of the most beautiful wrappers I've ever seen (mind you, most of the wrappers I've seen I actually saw on this channel LOL). An then the tape itself with the nice and curved window and the red hubs that look like beautiful eyes peeping out your deck when recording/played. All that looks, and then a great sound too. What an absolute wonderful gem of a cassette. If there would ever be a reason for me to start collecting cassettes, this tape would be it. Thank you for sharing this work of art with us, with some proper music too. It all came together in this video. Enjoyed it immensely. And while I normally would miss that nerdy graph thing, this tape just needs to be looked at and listened to without picking it apart scientifically, so we can just go "Oh wow. Just wow." It's THAT good. Magical almost.
Your ears and eyes are the best way to appreciate a cassette 😎
Thank you for sharing this great Video with us! I have 4 (unused) of these TDK SA-XS 90! But without the Red Wheels inside...Is it an older Model?!? Greetz for Germany!
Great review
You know what? Personally, I'd love to watch a video of your collection. Have a good one.
Never had the good fortune to own these cassettes. More of the standard SA-X is all I can wish for!
Both tapes sounded great the SA-SX had the edge, it is indeed the mystical Elenor out of all the chrome cassettes
I like the 60 Seconds reference...but only from the H B Halicki original 😁
I think the SA-XS looked the best too and it fit perfectly to the zx9 😍
I've got 3 sa-xs in my collection. I think that tape is one The best iecII tape. Red colours of cassette are beautifull.
How come I can hear drop in hights more so on the right channel - is it the time to calibrate the deck?
Listening to this in 4 channel stereo on a new Denon amplifier there is a whisper of difference in the source and the SA-XS, superb via the Nakamichi it is a testament to how great the format was... Nice Seiko Tuna by the way. Do you anyone who services tape decks, I have a 90's Sony twin deck I am thinking of pressing into service because of your video. Ta
It's the Arnie reissue 😎 The only people I know who service decks are B&W, hence why I stick to Naks.
Beautiful Cassettes 👌🏻👌🏻
There was another TDK with that color of hubs, the DJ2. Somewhat ironic that they initially used the red hubs on the best Type II they had, then used them on one of the lowest quality Type II they had...
Oh yes I had four of those, wow sounded awesome on my Pioneer, really notiably better than normal tdk's
I would love to experience an SA-XS.
But alas, none to be found. 😕
I just bought a 10 pack sealed SA-XS 60 min. Very happy
Not pure crome,, but the best sounding.. congratulation on 10k subscriber..
I don't remember ever seeing these in the U.K must be rare as hens teeth!
I do remember and owned a few TDK SA -X (X?) limited edition that came in a smooth shiney sexy rounded protective case. 😝
Not sure if you've featured them, will have to check your archive, if not then maybe a future feature?
My cousin had one handed to him at Paul McCartney's gig in Liverpool back in the day, an 'official bootleg' he thought they were created just for the gig but he never believed me telling him I had blank versions of the same tape.
I was younger than him and I think he brushed of my comments as not knowing what I was talking about. 😁
first of congrats on the ten thousand sub.
the both cassettes are beauts.iv'e never seen them before or new they existed tbh
for once i did notice the drop on the both of them between the tape and source i was surprised the hear the revox would not bias the sa-xg and i thought you was gonna say it had something wrong with it (if that was the case i would not like the bill for that repair). i've seen how much they are for at on e-bay and unfortunatly they are way out my league but i hope they make double that as it is for a fantastic cause. and fair play to you for doing such a great gesture.
i have a question for you what would you say the denon drs-810 cassette deck is like as i have my eyes on one.
No idea, never used one, but it's all about how well they've been looked after and if they've been serviced recently. Those are the important things.
@@CassetteComeback its being sold by these guys "nak-central-audiolabs" and in the add it say this "restored and superbly serviced by The Boffin @ Nak Central AudioLabs"
And does anyone know who this "boffin" is and his credentials...for the premium they seem to charge?
@@CassetteComeback i only came across them via e-bay and it seemed the best one on offer for sale and the only one serviced and i know they are asking a lot for it and there is no way i would pay what they are asking for it as yet i have not offered them anything for it. i presumed that the sellers mane may have meant they service nak's so they should know their stuff. as i can only take from their e-bay seller site and what they sell. i would love a nak but thay seem to be out my price range so i will keep to the same brand as what i already have witch is denon.
thanks for taking the time out to reply
Amazing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just bought 3 SA-XG 60s for $2.50 each and I was about to open one until I saw this vid. I don’t even know what to do with them now lmao
My friend had me to record music on some TDK HX-S's instead of the usual SA/SA-X/SA-XS, they were like a nice looking dark blue color, sound quality was similar to the SA-XS.
Yeah, I've done a video on those. They're special.
Ok, the video is back, I can breathe now..
Dumb comment but I found a way to open the wrapper without destroying it since these cassettes are old I run a small flat object along the edges to lift up the flaps at the side and lift carefully
I'd have re-spooled the tape onto the XG hubs... those red reels are out of place in a TDK Reference mechanism.
I do it all the time in cassettes I swap the tape... it just takes a couple of minutes more but it looks original and you can pretty much make any cassette sound however you want.
The shell illustrated for the XS despite being a very nice design is outmatched in case quality and prints by the former version of the SA-XA, the "all black".
Ideally you'd want TDK tape, Maxell shell, definitely BASF case, Maxell tape leaders... and perhaps SONY hubs?
SA XS wins by just a little. They all sound great!!!. I'm sure if this was available on CD and you recorded it to tape like that, I think it would have probably sounded even better than the source cassette. That's a very nice cassette deck too. You can't beat a Nakamichi.
Crazy good tape.
Do you have an opinion regarding the ZX-7 in comparison to the ZX-9? Worth upgrading? (I have the ZX-7)
Never used a ZX-7 but I shouldn't imagine the ZX-9 is much better, as they're essentially the same except for a couple of tweaks.
@@CassetteComeback Thank you!
I scored enough once recorded pristine MA,MA X, SA & SA X to last a lifetime.
No white powder.
Listening on my headphones, the tape sounds “clearer” than the source. Like it stripped some of the bass off. Kinda prefer it that way. (Sa-xs)
I thought so too. Analog tape can do wonders for digital recordings by smoothing out the harshness.
True. The source sounded way cheaper.
Why got the Video reuploaded? Ah wait, because the outro was in the middle in the video, or not? Well, my old comment was: Some very nice TDK's!
Hi,
How come when I click on the Web site to look at your cassette tapes for sale its in $ and not £ , i want to be sure before I purchase anything, I'm curious considering your from England?
Cassette Comeback UK ceased trading earlier this year and transferred over to the Canadian store.
@@CassetteComeback That's a real shame, I'll purchase from them then, great work you do👍
A little trick is to blow air into the wrapper.
Whoo- hoo- great casettes those. Pretty sure i do not have these but are now checking just in case. By the way, have you ever come across any of the Chasing The Dragon audiophile cassettes at all? As always, please keep up the excellent content.
The problem I have with "audiophile" cassettes is that they always seem to have music I'm not interested in. Like Alan Parsons said : “Audiophiles don’t use their equipment to listen to music. Audiophiles use your music to listen to their equipment” I'd rather hear a bad recording of a brilliant song, than a brilliant recording of a bad song.
@@CassetteComeback Thanks for your thoughts on this point Tony- at the end of the day i guess enjoying the music we listen to is the main thing regardless of wheter the equipment is reat o normal'.
I'd definitely agree SA-XS best sounding type 2
Recorded many on your DR-10. It loves them!
Could you do a review of the Justine C60 cassettes you have on your website? Even though they are type 0, they look really cool and I'd like to see how they perform.
Buy some then 😁
@@CassetteComeback pack of 5:)
All these freebies you get sent! Premium ones too! Bless these people and their generosity.
Or do you get sent Kaytapes and Walthams on a regular basis too?
Not everyone is a skinflint, and I don't take every cassette that's offered, only ones that I can use in a video. But that's why I like to pay it forward, sometimes with an auction like this, other times I gift the cassettes to friends or give them to customers in my webstore. Karma works.
Pulling the rapper of the tape like that at the beginning can " snap " the hinge clean off .
Good job you did not pull like I did
TDK,the best looking cassette tapes ever....I a have a lot of Tdk tapes,but this one not....Maybe in the future doing a video about best looking cassette from different makers?
Those SA-XG for $5!!!! Where the hell was I? Having a coffee or something. I woulda scooped up a box or two. Just the other day I decided to record some Adele 21, and broke out a maxell XLII-S and the top end type II really did make a difference. It sounded damn good. Usually I'm rather scroogy and use a type I and don't wanna waste my Type II, but I just remember you can't take'em with you.
I love Type 1s as you really have to earn a good recording on them. My mum could do a great recording on a double coat Type 2 😁
Actually quite a bit of high frequency roll-off on type II's, but it's usually done smoothly. Yeah, AB tests reveal it, but single generation copies won't really bother. But really not a great master-source tape unless you want that roll off.
The SA-X was less sensitive in the upper midrange and definitely could be identified from the source. The SA-XS, not so much. It was an obvious upgrade. I'd like to hear to hear those tapes against an XLII-S.
I did a huge metal comparison. Concluding; Metal tapes are not that special, except for the Maxell Metal Vertex. That one really stands out, holy shit.
Oh yeah. There's a reason you can buy a decent deck for less than one of those.
Damn,where could I find one?
e-bay....www.ebay.com/itm/TDK-SA-XGS-and-SA-XS-with-SA-XG-Tape-in-it/202994029779?hash=item2f436314d3:g:NwEAAOSweBdewT0H
Do you know why TSK made the MA-R as well as the SA-XG had metal sorround?
Because they were trying to make the ultimate cassettes I guess. They pretty much succeeded.
SA-X never impressed me back in the '80. Got an Akai GX-52 back then (and still have it), and like in this video, the highs are not brilliant and kind of muted too. Actually liked the cheaper TDK SA better! SA-XS sound very nice though.
My fav. type II tape, is very clearly the Denon HD-8's - very good highs, and just a lovely sounding tape. Got a huge bunch of HD-8-100's :-)
Being honest,I thought the 1st tape was positively muffled and devoid of sparkle compared to the original.
I wonder if there has been some coating degradation over time affecting the HF response,which would account for the Revox not being able to calibrate it because the HF response was not within range (too low?)
If the same result occurs on the Dragon,then this might point to the tape.
In terms of experimentation,the bias could be lowered to give + 2db at 15 khz,but also,I would like to see a type 2 recorded at 120 micro seconds which I understand the Naks can do.
Now that would be interesting.
Absolutely agree about the XG. If that is dual coated super avilyn tape identical to sa-x from the same era, there is something strange going on there.
Next time try a little slit at the other end to let some air in. Sometimes works.
Love TDK tapes, back in the mid 80's I only bought TDK SA tapes for 4 track recording, I could not afford SA-X tapes as a 1st year apprentice....I still have those tapes....Question, before the event of digital studio recording, all recording was done on 1 inch multitrack tape, then transferred to CD...when CD's came out, so are the early CD's as good as what the studio tape was?, Then we in this demonstration copy the CD to the SA-X tape....should sound as good as the CD? The hiss if there is one should be from the original recording? Anyway as we get older....our hearing is not as good as it was when the original was recorded.
those SA-XGs are insanely expensive now, they cost over $120, more then most metal tapes even, absolutely insane prices due mainly to it's rarity. Not worth it for most people. And no, they don't come up second hand very often(one for sale now from Canada for $45), not a single used SA-XG has been sold on ebay in the last 4 months, and only two 2 new SA-XG has sold even new in the last 4 months; both for over $120; absolutely insane price for a single cassette no matter what the quality.
the name of tape sounds like SUCCESS :)
Ya has probado el SONY metalmaster?
The last big cassette brand die. Maxell write on the Homepage from the UR: „Please note this product will be discontinued in the foreseeable future“ 😰
Not in Japan...
www.maxell.jp/consumer/ur.html?fbclid=IwAR0sSARAnlJAelUXDzob5DtOChZW6TyaxTrHdRTc57kc7My-K9cIdOoQpeA
But to be fair, Maxell hasn't actually manufactured a cassette in 20 plus years, they're made by 3rd parties.
That is interesting.
@Cassette Comeback
It's interesting to see a lot of legacy technology products live on for much longer in Japan than in most other markets. Sony still offers made in Japan portable radios including a 25 year old design to this day which is still in active production!
At 4:30 I believe that all you needed to do was make a small slit in the other side of the packaging from where you cut it, in order to let the air in as it was going to suck in, vacuume style, as you pulled the cassette case out of the other end. Please note: I **believe** that is the way to do it, I do not know for certain and, if I am wrong, I shall change my belief.
That makes sense. Just when you're filming, your mind isn't always on logic 😊
You're absolutely right our Tony, the XG is the finest, sexiest looking cassette I've seen. I remember, at school I always got tongue-tied in the presence of the sexiest girl that I fancied. Perhaps the Revox got tongue-tied calibrating the XG? The XS is no slouch in the looks department either. The combination of red and black is gorgeous too.
How does a Maxell XL-IIS perform compared to the SA-XS?
Depends on the generation. The early XLII-S can be tricky, but from the mid 90s onwards, they're really good, but not as good as the triple coat SA-XS, of listened to side by side. Listened to by themselves though, they're superb. That's why live comparisons aren't always a good thing.
Please review National Audio Company Cassetes, thank you
I did over a year ago. Spoiler: they're not good.
I wish somebody would talk about me the way you talk about that TDK SA-XS.
To be fair that is one sexy cassette tape.
Beutiful
Online "inflation calculator" says that $5.49USD in 1986 equals $12.84USD now. Judging by the quality, it was a bargain then and would be absolute steal at the adjusted price now!
Are the SAX’s available in America?
Yeah
Cassette Comeback nice, I will look for some.
@23:20 you havn't got sie tanberg 😅😅😅
Hi Tony, Strange the Revox couldn't align that tape. Normaly it isn't a problem. I think 1 or 2 caps are out off range. The model you own is made between 1985 and 1990 and caps normaly loose their value. Mabey an Idea to give the machine a fully recap, I'm sure after that it will align that tape. Just think about it. It's well worth.
I would expect it just seemed to be this cassette, and it was supposedly overhauled before I got it and got new caps. If it starts flaking, then it will be retried as I've no idea who could service it, as I certainly couldn't.
@@CassetteComeback Well Tony, it could be a mixtape chrominium and metal. Try to align that on the type 4 position. See if it works.
Or if your in doubt ( I know I am now) because most off the time only the Caps for the mains are replaced, contact Brian Reeves.
He's the guy for that. home.freeuk.com/brian-revox/index.html
Hope it's usefull. Greetings Rob
Actually, i was able to slide two XGs out, you should've tried :)
Can you make a video about it please?
tdk es la mejor marca de cassettes
"SA-EXCESS"