Thanks for the input atmasphere.
I just yesterday received a nice vintage Harman Kardon TD 4800 cassette deck.
I've wanted one for years and finally scored it. This deck sounds SWEET, even with a 40 year old prerecorded tape.
I've been researching the best types of blank tapes to buy. Of course there's many opinions and most differ. One thing I have learned is that a cobalt tape is of very high quality. I'll definitely try out the ATR offerings.