Here we introduce karaoke and scented cassettes, Italian-made models sold in Japan, and models from the final years of the cassette era. Sony sold a remarkable variety of cassette tapes!
BASIC
A basic cassette released in the final years of the cassette era. Normal Position, since 1995.
Released in 1995 near the end of the cassette era, the model carried a message about retaining good sound and withstanding repeated use. As a basic model, it had a thoroughly practical appearance. The first generation used tape made in Japan and was assembled in Thailand. From the second generation onward, the tape appears to have come from the United States and Korea, with assembly in Thailand and China.
Vocal / カラオケヴォーカル (Karaoke Vocal)
A cassette specifically for karaoke. Normal Position, since 1983.
The first generation was released in 1983 as a dedicated karaoke model. It appears to have used a high-performance magnetic material for music, intended to reproduce vocals vividly. It continued to be sold as a karaoke cassette through successive revisions until the final years of the cassette era. It could be called a little-known long seller.
SOM
A cassette specifically for computers. Normal Position, released in 1983.
Cassettes were once used as a data-recording medium for personal computers, and Sony made them too. With a short leader tape, its selling point appears to have been the ability to begin recording as soon as the cassette was set.
Cadeau de Pop-ri
An unusual gift cassette with a scented shell. Normal Position, released in 1989.
Sold in a three-cassette set, this model had a French name meaning a gift of potpourri. It was released during Japan’s economic bubble; the shells smelled of roses or lilies of the valley. It appears to have used HF tape.
CHIARA
An Italian cassette released during the economic bubble. High Position, released in 1989.
CHIARA is read キアラ (Kiara). It was released in 1989 at the height of the bubble, and was designed and manufactured in Italy. It used UX tape; the 50-minute cassette had a white shell and the 70-minute version a black one.