TDK SA-XS

You can’t just shove them in any recorder and expect them to perform, they are very demanding of the equipment around them. You will find that Normal & Chrome cassettes are far less demanding on the surrounding equipment than any Metal cassette.

 

Well, I chose the equipment and then the media, not the other way around...I wasn't in the financial position to constantly switch my equipment around looking for a perfect match/etc.

Frankly, I didn't just compare SAX with MAX/G. I tried lots of different cassettes, including normal and other chrome. SAX always won out to me - in terms of their sound. Others *looked* better, imo, but nothing sounded better.

In any case, the proof is in the pudding - what reaches my ear is what matters and, for me, SAX were the better option for my ear. I just loved their sound. I think my hearing profile is such that a brighter, higher frequency, sound is much better.

As ever with audio equipment, YMMV.