The new "blue label" #microcassetttes aren't that good quality and seem to have the tape slightly misaligned, so you hear the recording from the other side of the tape backwards (thankfullly I've been able to find some NOS #TDK ones) which work a lot better.

Seems bizzare though someone would go to all the trouble of making *new* microcassettes in 2026, but get the dimensions slightly wrong..