Hana Umami Blue Cartridge Now Served
Hana's Umami Blue high-end moving coil phono cartridge slips between the brand's ML and flagship Umami Red.
The Hana Umami Blue follows the StereoNET Applause Award-winning Umami Red and, we're told, combines the vision of Master cartridge designer Okada-san with the history of special materials, classic Japanese techniques, and modern audio engineering.
__large_full.jpg)
The Hana Umami Blue's 'Auricle' body design is exclusive to the Umami series and is CNC machined from Duralumin (A7075 aluminium). The design mimics the shape of the human outer ear, hence its name, and rigidly supports the "Open Air" Moving Coil generator.
The Umami Blue body features a white POM inlay on its facia to provide damping properties and pays homage to the impressive Hana ML, the first cartridge to use a POM body.
The new cartridge shares key Umami Red ingredients, including the precision-cut Microline Nude Natural Diamond stylus that is shaped and polished to mimic the cutting head stylus used to master vinyl records and is said to offer the most precise fit into the vinyl groove.
__large_full.jpg)
The Blue also features a boron cantilever, allowing the smallest audible details and micro-dynamics to be transmitted without loss to the moving coil generator. Here, high-purity copper wires have been expertly hand-wound onto the Permalloy cross armature and combined with the Alnico magnet-based generator, resulting, says Hana, in greater linearity.
Additionally, the generator's front and rear yoke, as well as the gold-plated signal output pins, are cryogenically treated. The manufacturer states that this alters "the molecular structure of the materials, creating transformative sonic quality".
Hana lists the Umami Blue as having a frequency response of 15 Hz to 50 KHz, with a coil impedance of 8 ohms and output of 0.4mV. The cartridge weighs in at 10.8 grams, while the tracking weight is specified as 2 grams.
__large_full.jpg)
All the major parts in the Hana Umami Blue are manufactured and hand-assembled in-house by Excel Sound, with its rich history spanning well over 50 years.
The Hana Umami Blue moving coil cartridge is available now, priced at £2,149.
Visit Hana for more information
Jay Garrett
StereoNET’s resident rock star, bass player, and gadget junkie. Jay heads up StereoNET as Editor for the United Kingdom and Europe regions. His passion for gadgets and Hi-Fi is second only to being a touring musician.
Posted in: Hi-Fi
JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION
Want to share your opinion or get advice from other enthusiasts? Then head into the Message
Forums where thousands of other enthusiasts are communicating on a daily basis.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE MEMBERSHIP
Trending
applause awards
Each time StereoNET reviews a product, it is considered for an Applause Award. Winning one marks it out as a design of great quality and distinction – a special product in its class, on the grounds of either performance, value for money, or usually both.
Applause Awards are personally issued by StereoNET’s global Editor-in-Chief, David Price – who has over three decades of experience reviewing hi-fi products at the highest level – after consulting with our senior editorial team. They are not automatically given with all reviews, nor can manufacturers purchase them.
The StereoNET editorial team includes some of the world’s most experienced and respected hi-fi journalists with a vast wealth of knowledge. Some have edited popular English language hi-fi magazines, and others have been senior contributors to famous audio journals stretching back to the late 1970s. And we also employ professional IT and home theatre specialists who work at the cutting edge of today’s technology.
We believe that no other online hi-fi and home cinema resource offers such expert knowledge, so when StereoNET gives an Applause Award, it is a trustworthy hallmark of quality. Receiving such an award is the prerequisite to becoming eligible for our annual Product of the Year awards, awarded only to the finest designs in their respective categories. Buyers of hi-fi, home cinema, and headphones can be sure that a StereoNET Applause Award winner is worthy of your most serious attention.