Professional sound from a ceramic tape guide and 2000-gauss tape.
High Position. Since 1985.
First Generation, 1985
46 minutes - ¥700 / 60 minutes - ¥900 / 90 minutes - ¥1250.
The cassette had an extra-wide window. Its white shell suggested ceramics but was actually plastic. The ceramic component was inside and visible from outside only around the locating holes, yet the cassette felt distinctly heavy in the hand. The packaging also used a predominantly white design, with effective color contrasts and transparent areas giving it a premium feel. This showed the characteristic quality of Sony’s design.
Explanatory Note
Like HF-PRO, UX-PRO used the ceramic composite material ファインセラミックコンポジット材 (Fine Ceramic Composite) where the tape rubbed against cassette-shell components inside the cassette. The three-layer structure of this ceramic composite guide block and the shell material enclosing it effectively absorbed various vibrations generated inside and outside the cassette, substantially reducing modulation noise.
Whereas HF-PRO used the tape from HF-ES, this model used newly developed tape. Dense packing of the ultrafine, high-performance magnetic material High Power Uniaxial raised residual magnetic flux density above the 1800 gauss achieved by UCX-S to 2000 gauss, approaching the theoretical limit for iron-oxide-based magnetic materials. Coercivity, which affects high-frequency performance, also increased to 680 oersteds, further extending the dynamic range across the entire frequency range.
There was little price difference from UCX-S, and the model became its effective successor.
Second Generation, 1988
46 minutes - ¥700 / 54 minutes - ¥800 / 60 minutes - ¥900 / 90 minutes - ¥1100.
Prices were changed later.
The second generation was renewed after about two and a half years. The tape with its 2000-gauss characteristic remained unchanged, while the shell enclosing the ceramic guide block adopted the high-precision IS (Infinity Shape) design. Reinforcing ribs and other features increased rigidity and further reduced modulation noise. Black became the main color, and the window changed to a slit shape, substantially altering its appearance.
Third Generation, 1990
46 minutes - ¥670 / 54 minutes - ¥750 / 60 minutes - ¥820 / 74 minutes - ¥920 / 90 minutes - ¥1030.
The third generation was released at the same time as the fourth-generation HF-Pro. It was a minor update of the second generation with a changed package design. The tape retained the same High Power Uniaxial magnetic material and residual magnetic flux density of 2000 gauss, along with the ceramic composite guide block and IS shell. The addition of a 74-minute version brought the number of recording-time options to five.