What are members views on the better of these two tapes? I've read great reviews of both with conflicting views on which is the "best type ii ever produced".

Hi LesT73,

I'm not an expert in this area, but as far as I know, the UX-Pro is widely known as the best 'type-II' tape ever made. But the XL-II and XL-IIs are some of the best too (some point the first version to be better than the second), as well as the TDK SA, SA-X and the rare SA-XS, the THAT's SUONO and a few others.

SONY released a special version of the UX Pro in japan: the UX Master, sharing the same ceramic casing of the Metal Master, so this probably would be the world's best chrome cassette.

I have read excellent reports also from the Fuji ZII, for being even better than the UX-Pro.

you can find many info about all those tapes in this excellent article here:

http://www.analogaudio.narod.ru/mag/tape93_01-17.djvu

but be in mind that it's encoded with DejaVu plugin, so you will have to install it to see it in your browser. I can convert it to PDF and share if you like.

Having used both of these tapes over the years i would recommend either of them. Both are pretty special.

The Sony UX-PRO is a very special tape which with it having ceramic tape guides makes it very quiet and even when spooling. The sound errs on the slightly bright side but,remains very confident with all music it plays.

The Maxell XL2/2S is a different beast to my ears. The shells on the later versions are particularly well made. They don't spool as quietly or as evenly as the sony but, you'd hardly notice it. The sound is smoother but never dull and remains an excellent all rounder

Personally,i prefer the Maxell as it requires less taming to give of its best.

The Fuji Z2 and TDK SA/SA-X/SA-XG are all excellent in their own way and are certainly no poor relations. They are allied more closely to the IEC type 2 standard  and so are less specialised than the others mentioned.

Hope this helps!

Loving that picture of the SONY UX Master tape. Never seen one before!

That's SUONO 90 Type IV

Front and back

only One I have Left unused - thought I would keep it wrapped for a while

and what you guys think about basf chrome super ll ?

The BASF Chrome Super 2 is an excellent but all too often overlooked tape. I found it works excellent across all types of music and also,i believe that it is one of only a few 'true' chrome tapes made.

The BASF Chrome Maxima 2 is another beast entirely! Its results can be staggeringly good at times if used in a correctly set up deck. It remains one of my favourite chrome tapes of all times.

My favorite brand, they made some great blanks, my other favorite is BASF Chrome Maxima 2.

thanks boys

What I find interesting is that Denon rarely gets mentioned in these "best of" posts. Specifically the HD8 line. Back in the 80s and 90s when I was doing most of my recording on tape, I loved the Denon HD8 for play back.

Is there a reason they don't get mentioned? It seems that those who sell them seem to know their worth because they ain't cheap!