a magnetic head assembly includes a magnetoresistive element for reading magnetically recorded information from a record medium . the mr element comprises an elongated member having a predetermined height and a plurality of elongated attachments which are contiguous with and made of the same material as the mr element . the elongated attachments have a predetermined width and a predetermined spacing and the attachments are unidirectionally magnetized along their length so that a bias is produced to maintain the mr sensor in a single domain state and to obtain a substantially linear component in the mr response in the mr element so that barkhausen noise is suppressed and so that previously recorded information is read from the medium with optimum sensitivity .