Hana Umami Blue Cartridge Now Served

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.

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.

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.

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