[brnt]

I was too young to do much with this information, but I not-so-vaguely recall my father cared deeply about getting metal-tapes. Not the music, but the material. I don't know if they lasted longer or sounded better (and now I would suspect: maybe have a sound profile he liked, rather than have high fidelity), but it was important to him.

[sandworm101]

Metal tape (the dark black tape) sounded much better but only if you had high end equipment. Pure metal tape was rare outside japan and contributed to japan's 80s status as a mecca for consumer electronics.

[brnt]

I think he only had Japanese equipment (Awai, TDK) and mostly TDK tapes.