Anybody know the difference between audio cassette Type 1 and Type ll?

Answer 1

Type 1 and 2 (i and ii) were most common being:
i:ferric oxide (cheap and cheerful)
ii: chromium dioxide (higher quality and more expensive)
there is also:
iv: metal (top quality and very expensive)

Type i was the most common, but the advantage of the other types was the increase in ability to handle higher decibel levels (you will often find the threshold limit written on the cassette box ie: '+5' etc...), and better durability.
You don't really see type iii (3) anywhere, I believe this was an experimental combination of type i & type ii which quickly died out. Some decks have a switch to select between tape types, some cassettes were produced with extra cut-outs to enable more expensive decks to auto-select their tape type. Other units have a dial to set the 'bias' for different tape types (mine came with a list of popular tapes and corresponding settings).
If memory serves correctly, you could actually tell a metal tape by its physical weight - they really were quite a bit heavier than other types.
Type ii was my personal favourite and many of my chromium dioxide tapes are as good now as they were when they were recorded.
If you are interested in turning your tapes into CD's - check out:
http://www.cassette2cd.co.uk/diy

Answer 2

Type I had just the two write-protection tabs at each end on the top and used an iron-oxide tape, which will usually be reddish-brown (not unlike rust, which is appropriate, since that's exactly what iron-oxide is). Alternately, they might be sold as "Chrome", in which case they are probably just a cobalt-blended iron-oxide that's more stable but works with the same basic settings.

Type II can be identified by wider pits underneath the tabs (such that when the tabs are still in place, there is an open space that's roughly the same size as the tab itself) and used chromium-dioxide tape, which will be black.

Type III was a very short-lived blend of the two (released by Sony, which is becoming somewhat famous for producing defunct media formats), but I have no idea how to identify it.

Type IV is a more robust style, and has additional notches just off the center of the top edge. I have no idea what material is used or what color it would appear.

Tape decks used to be manufactured with the ability to check for the additional notches and vary their recording/playback characteristics to match the media, but these days audio casettes have fallen so far out of favor that most decks will be designed just to work with Type I cassettes. Fortunately, most pre-recorded casettes are Type I. I looked through my collection, and didn't find a single Type II casette, though many of them had cases that clearly had the capacity to be modified to indicate Type II and/or Type IV contents. Many had an extended shelf over a double-wide pit where the knock-out tab would be (cut away the shelf and it'll read as a Type II casette), and a few of them had the center notches outlined in the case material (cut away those spots, and it'll read as a Type IV...as long as it has a fully lined pit instead of just the external placement, in which case it'll probably jam up from all the dust and debris that you'd produce by cutting away the notches).

Answer 3

The difference is the formulation of the magnetic coating of the tape and the magnetic bias it has. A Type I tape was the orginal while a Type II is a Chromium Dioxide coating. The Type II tapes are able to have a better dynamic range, but are usually slightly more expensive and will need a player that supports them. (Most modern players can play TypeII tapes just fine though: they have been common since the late 70's).

Answer 4

#1 will play your music or recordings, and #2 will let you play them again without rewinding