From: utzoo!decvax!duke!unc!mcnc!jwb
Newsgroups: net.records
Title: Re: cassette brands - (nf)
Article-I.D.: mcnc.1443
Posted: Wed Dec 29 21:44:28 1982
Received: Thu Dec 30 05:16:12 1982
References: hp-pcd.554

I have been stung twice (though not in the last year or two) by BASF tapes,
not the cheap ones but top of the line.  I say not in the last year or two
because I have not bought any, not because they may or may not have improved.
Essentially, I have found these tapes play fairly in a home type player but
either run slow or squeek in several different auto decks, particularly
Pioneer and Sanyo.  Cleaning the heads will allow about 1 or 2 plays (some-
times only 1/2 play).  I unfortunately recorded a number of very important
(to me) tapes, including off air and other nonreproducible material on these
tapes and have almost made a career of trying to recover the material which
is on them.  I have had no such trouble with TDK-SA or Maxell UDXL-I or II.
I have also not had this problem with Scotch (except it doesn't sound too
well generally).   Sometimes rewinding the BASF tapes on a home deck will
allow a play or two on the auto deck.  I think this problem is a combination
of tape tension and oxide build up on the heads but it has not been isolated
to one or two or three or four auto type decks.  I will not buy another
BASF tape.