Maxell Normal Bias UR 90-Minute (15-Pack)

Rating:
Summary: Great Tapes
Review: I use these tapes for all my recording. They are great all around tapes. The sound quality is very good, and they are not too expensive!

Rating:
Summary: Maxell UR-90 cassette
Review: The Maxell UR-90 is a normal bias cassette (a popular comparable model would be the TDK D-90). Given the limited dynamic range and frequency range of these cassettes, they are not a good choice for hi-fi recording. For high-quality recordings, go with the Maxell XL-II or TDK SA series cassettes, or, if even greater performance is required, step up to the XL-IIS or SA-X. The Maxell UR-90 is well-suited to "workhorse" applications such as recordings made for use in a standard car deck, walkman, or cheap home stereo deck. Not only do these devices have limited capabilities in terms of both dynamic range and frequency range, but they are also much more prone to "eating" tapes, which is a risk that is best undertaken by a duplicate copy recorded on an affordable UR cassette. I had several treasured master recordings ruined by my car deck before I learned that using the high-bias tapes were simply not worth it for such applications. The UR-90 is perfect for everyday duties, and is also good for voice transcriptions since the speaking voice resides squarely in the midrange of the audible frequency spectrum and will not benefit substantially from the use of high-bias cassettes. I am a college student and the UR-90 is great for recording professor's lectures (especially since I cannot afford a micro-cassette recorder). The 90-minute length is also beneficial, since longer cassettes put more strain on tape motors and also break more easily due to the fact that they have thinner ribbon on the reel to yield the extra length. Thus, in conclusion, I'd give the Maxell UR-90 five stars for value, and an overall rating of 3 stars, since it is not suited to high-quality recording but performs its intended purpose well.