An economy metal cassette for casual use, priced at one coin.
Metal Position. Released in 1989.
46 minutes - ¥500 / 50 minutes - ¥520 / 54 minutes - ¥550 / 60 minutes - ¥600 / 74 minutes - ¥690 / 90 minutes - ¥790 / 100 minutes - ¥850.
Although an economy model, its black package with a gold line gave it a premium appearance. The cassette used no screws: ultrasonic welding around the entire perimeter increased rigidity and suppressed modulation noise. The shell was made of transparent, smoke-tinted material, with a black film bearing printed lettering transferred onto the upper half. The film also reduced vibration.
Explanatory Note
This product appeared in 1989 at a startlingly low price and pioneered the reduction in metal-tape prices.
Metal tape was generally thought to sound good but be expensive. Even in 1989, a 46-minute cassette typically cost ¥700-800; the cheapest were around ¥600. This model’s ¥500 price for 46 minutes was therefore a startling price on a par with Normal tape.
Despite the low price, it was still metal tape. The newly developed magnetic material ファイン・ダイナメタル (Fine Dynametal) had a residual magnetic flux density of 2900 gauss. That was lower than Metal-S, but its energy was about three times that of High Position and four times that of Normal. Noise was also reduced to the same level as Metal Master, giving it a wide dynamic range adequate for recording CDs.
Seven playing times were offered, from 46 minutes to a 100-minute version, the first for a Sony metal cassette. All were priced considerably below the going rates of the time.
After this product was released, manufacturers brought out economy metal cassettes one after another, making metal tape more accessible.