HANA UMAMI BLUE

The HANA-Umami Blue cartridge represents the pinnacle of high-end moving coil audio design, combining premium materials, traditional Japanese craftsmanship, and modern audio engineering. Handcrafted by Excel Sound’s highly skilled artisans, the Umami Blue builds on the legacy of the renowned Umami Red while introducing even more advanced specifications and innovations, delivering exceptional performance in a low-output format.

The Auricle™ body is machined from A7075 Duralumin, a lightweight and durable alloy, with a white POM insert on the front for damping and stability, while threaded mounting holes ensure a secure attachment to the turntable tonearm. This exclusive CNC-machined design balances rigidity and lightness to maximize dynamic response and musical fidelity. The glossy blue Urushi lacquer finish completes the refined aesthetic of the cartridge, engaging both sight and hearing.

The “nude” Microline diamond stylus is cut and polished to replicate a mastering stylus, ensuring the most precise groove tracking possible and capturing the subtlest musical nuances. The boron cantilever, chosen for its diamond-like hardness, supports the stylus with rigidity, providing stability and accuracy in playback.

The Alnico magnet generator, derived from the HANA ML, features a cross-armature with hand-wound, high-purity copper wire, cryogenically treated, with an internal impedance of 8 ohms and an output of 0.4 mV. This system delivers high linearity, low saturation, and a rich, engaging musical quality. The pure iron cryo-treated magnetic circuit completes the generator, optimizing frequency response and channel separation.

Every element of the HANA-Umami Blue works in perfect synergy: the Auricle body, the Microline stylus, the boron cantilever, and the sophisticated Alnico magnet generator combine to create an intense and memorable listening experience, akin to the precision and emotion of a Michelin-starred dish. All major components are produced in-house by Excel Sound, which, with over fifty years of experience, ensures meticulous hand assembly and craftsmanship to achieve the highest musicality and the “Brilliant and Gorgeous” sound quality characteristic of the HANA series.

Technical Specifications:

• Type: Low-output Moving Coil (MC) cartridge
• Stylus: Nude Microline Diamond
• Cantilever: Boron
• Magnetic Circuit: Pure iron with cryogenic treatment
• Coil Wire: High-purity copper
• Output Level: 0.4 mV
• Impedance: 8 Ω; Recommended Load: > 80 Ω
• Magnet: Alnico
• Vertical Tracking Force: 2 g
• Body Material: Duralumin (A7075) + POM
• Body Finish: Glossy Urushi lacquer / blue
• Weight: 10.8 g