Cassette Tapes Value or Dispose

[tcdriver]

I agree that recording quality wise they are not as good as type II or IV, but LOTS (and I mean LOTS) of folks used type I's to record music back in the day, including record labels.
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That was my experience too. The D type worked very well for me.

I disagree with those suggesting that these are only suitable for the trash. I've made good recordings on TDK D tapes from most generations. ...

Welcome to AudioKarma and thanks for your reply. My experience was similar to yours.

In defense of the TDK Ds, they were great tapes for use in my car. I always made 2 tape copies of my albums back in the day. One for home use (TDA-SA or Maxell XL II) and one TDA-D version for the car. Never had a TDK D fail in the less than idea car environment.

I also dubbed records and later Compact Discs to TDK - D tapes to play in my car in the era before car CD players. Like you, I never had one fail.

 

[swechsler]

I agree that recording quality wise they are not as good as type II or IV, but LOTS (and I mean LOTS) of folks used type I's to record music back in the day, including record labels.

They weren't just Type I, they were Type I budget tapes. TDK also sold a higher end (AD) Type I tape. Wasn't nearly as popular as SA.

 

[YY1]

I'd actually be willing to bet that type I tapes outsold type II tapes by 3 to 1.

Most people back then didn't know enough to know there was a recording quality difference, and just bought the cheapest.

 

[eiraved]

I don't believe it was a lucky break for me to sell these tapes. This brand may not be suitable for those who dabble in high end recording as some here do, but it works just fine for those who are looking for something inexpensive to record with.

This from the Vintage Cassettes website http://vintagecassettes.com/

TDK D was a "work-horse" type I cassette. It was a basic type I that evolved from TDK LN and first appeared around 1972. Even as a basic tape it still offers reasonable performance. It was available in a variety of lengths, ranging from 30 to 180. In Japan starting from 1987 TDK D was sold under TDK AE name.

Low-level: TDK A, TDK B, TDK J, TDK FE, TDK T1
Entry-level: TDK D, TDK DS, TDK DS-X, TDK AE, TDK LN, TDK Dela

 

[swechsler]

I'd actually be willing to bet that type I tapes outsold type II tapes by 3 to 1.

That's probably a safe bet, but I'd be willing to bet that Type II high end tapes significantly outsold Type I high end tapes.

 

[OlaTveiten]

Well, let me say this about their recording quality. If I were to record an album carefully on a TDK D using Dolby NR on a nice tape deck, I would be hard pressed to find a casual listener who could accurately guess if they were listening to the source or a copy. Someone who knows what to listen for could tell on good playback equipment in a low-noise environment, of course, but a great many of us did not and are not listening to cassettes under those conditions most often.

Welcome to AudioKarma and thanks for your reply. My experience was similar to yours.

Thank you very much! I'll make an introduction post shortly.

 

[markshan]

They weren't just Type I, they were Type I budget tapes. TDK also sold a higher end (AD) Type I tape. Wasn't nearly as popular as SA.

Maxell sold an XL-I. If it was a pile of those I would not trash them.

 

[swechsler]

Maxell sold an XL-I. If it was a pile of those I would not trash them.

Agreed.