TDK SA-X or Maxell XLII-S which do you prefer?

Used them both with excellent results. Usually bought whichever had best deal.

I have a supply of both, I think that they are about equal but I do use a slightly different bias setting when recording for each. The XLII-S is usually easier and less costly to purchase giving it a bit of an edge.

I was always a Maxell fan, the XLII-S was my standard blank for copying precious bootlegs.

If you have a Nak deck, use the Maxell XL2's. For most other brands of deck, they were biased at the factory for TDK SA, and that would be the tape used when they designed/voiced/tested the decks. Broadly speaking, it's the only tape and bias setting they were seriously made to work with.

For standard bias, the Maxell XL1 is the only way to go; TDK's normal bias tapes are merely adequate. Normal bias tapes tend to avoid the slightly rising high end that hi bias tapes tend towards and if you are a midrange/bass guy you may prefer them overall. Also, they take tape saturation much better.

You need to really be vigilant about levels with hi bias tape; they are fine to a point, a bit cleaner than normal bias tape, then the transition to saturation is quite abrupt. Normal bias gives you a smoother transition to saturation and is preferred for any live recording, at the expense of a little dirtier sound everywhere else. The distortion isn't objectionable, just noticeable by comparison with a well recorded hi bias example.

Metal tapes are essentially the same as hi bias in the way they act, but better in most areas. They are good, but formulas varied and were still evolving all the time the better cassette decks were being made; thus TDK SA being the "real" standard. If you can adjust bias and EQ then they are good choices.

I always preferred to adjust bias by ear; the auto bias always turned out too bright to my ears. Record a 10K tone at -20 Vu and match levels by ear; you could also try -10Vu but be forewarned that you will probably bias too bright if you do; cassettes can't really do good HF at that level. 5K no problem, 10K not really.

That might sound weird but it's OK as it's just transients there anyway and that's what you hear when cassette copies sound a little soft. Can't be helped; bias for the average levels and you will be happer as the song will sound more like the source when its all said and done.

Recording cassettes is a black art that few can do well, but if you get good at it you can make some surprisingly good tapes.

Dear keith: For years I use both in my Nak 700ZXL and I prefer the Maxell to the TDK, not that the TDK is not a good one it is but the sound through the TDK is a little ( only a little ) on the dark side and it is not a bias problem because my Nak makes all adjustements in precise and automatic way.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.