Cassettes still rock!

You are correct on the dearth of good new blank tape media available.
There are still some basic TDK and Maxell tapes new but ok is about as far as I would go with description.

Unfortunately eBay sellers are a savvy lot and know they can charge a goodly amount for TDK SA tapes or similar especially if sealed NOS.

My stash of blank TDK SA tapes is running down and I will have to bite the bullet and try and find a good deal on the bay somehow.

I still have my cassette tape deck from 1981, Technics RSM 240X, and the Maxell UDXL II tapes that I recorded from 1981-1984. I upgraded that deck to the AIWA AD-F780 in 1988, but kept the Technics dbx deck also. That AIWA 3 head/dual capstan drive still works great, too, but I replaced the belts 3 years ago. They still sound great. 

Maxell tapes are the only ones that have withstood the test of time. All my TDK, Sony, and other brands stretched or the cassette mechanisms froze up. 

But alas, none of the tapes sound as good as the vinyl records I recorded them from. I still have the vinyl records, the Denon DP45F turntable, and even the cartridge, to compare to. 

I love my cassette collection, but to say that cassettes sound better than LPs is a total pipe dream. Perhaps with a few very TOP END decks, you can get close to being as good as source material.

I've just recently wound my way back to my cassette collection, (I have hundreds and hundreds).

I've had a blast listening and doing quite a bit of recording.  Glad I kept a bunch of sealed blank tapes.

Maybe not the best in reproduction, but what a good time!

Never stopped listening to cassettes. It helps having a top notch machine to play them on such as my Aiwa ad f770! Frank Sinatra on reprise cassette sounds spectacular!? 

I don’t think I would go as far as to say Cassette sounds better than lps but on a top flight deck, Nakamichi or similar with a top quality tape they can be very good indeed.
Certainly better than some members give them credit for.