Umami Black MC Cartridge

The Umami Black continues Hana's legacy of “Brilliant and Gorgeous” sound. As Hana's Flagship, this cartridge builds on their legacy of excellence but at a much higher level.

The advancements created for Umami Black by Master cartridge designer Masao Okada-san of Excel Sound go far beyond anything Hana has ever offered before. The Umami Black incorporates well over 50 years of experience and innovation, featuring technology and materials not available in any other Hana cartridge, which includes a diamond cantilever, proprietary "OKD" generating mechanism and an innovative winding system for the coils!

No detail has escaped Okada-san's desire to create the ultimate Hana; even the finish, a gorgeous Urushi Black, is applied to the body in a novel way! This cartridge is truly the ultimate embodiment of Hana's design philosophy.

Diamond Cantilever
In a first for HANA, the Umami Black incorporates a diamond cantilever, the most rigid material available, making it the ideal choice for signal transfer from stylus to generating mechanism.

High-Efficiency “OKD” Moving Coil Generator
Umami Black features the “OKD” generator, designed specifically for this cartridge, with the world’s first implementation of the “Integrated Pole Piece and Rear Yoke” mechanism and an Inverted U-shaped Front Yoke. These two combined provide optimal preservation of the signals provided by the diamond cantilever.

Inverted U Front Yoke
The bifurcated inverted front yoke (aka *U") is engineered for three things: mechanical resonance control, magnetic field alignment and to provide precise support for the diamond cantilever.

High-Power Rare Earth Magnet
Unique to the Umami Black, a  rare earth neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnet structure is used to create a high-efficiency generator, improving low-level resolution and expanding maximum dynamic range.

Hybrid Carbon Armature
The 2mm square hybrid Carbon Permalloy armature is composed of 78% carbon-infused nickel-iron.  30-micron, 4N high-purity copper wire is hand-wound to exceedingly tight tolerances using Excel’s proprietary process. This ultra-light moving coil delivers robust output of 0.3mV at a 5 ohm impedance.

Cryogenic Treatment
To improve conductivity and fidelity, Hana has applied cryogenic treatment to the Generator, Pole Piece, Rear Yoke, Front "U" Yoke and Gold Plated Output Pins.

Special Urushi Enameled Finish
The HANA-Umami Black features an exquisite Urushi lacquer finish, applied through a specialized thermosetting process and is bonded to the aluminum body via vapor deposition.

CHASSIS
Body Material: Duralumin (A7075)
Body Shape: Auricle, Open Air
Body Finish: Urushi Lacquer (Black), Thermosetting Process

MECHANICAL
Cantilever: Diamond
Stylus Shape: Microline Nude Diamond
Magnetic Structure: "OKD" Generator (more info in Features)
Armature Material: Permalloy, 78% Carbon-Infused Nickel-Iron
Armature Shape: 2mm Square Plate
Parts Material: Pure Iron
Magnet: Neodymium (NdFeB)

ELECTRICAL
Coil Impedance: 5Ω
Output Voltage: 0.3mV
Channel Balance: 30dB @ 1kHz
Recommended Load: ≥50 Ω

SETUP
Frequency Response: 15Hz-50kHz
Recommended Tracking Force: ~2gms
Compliance: 10
Weight: 11.3 gms

NOTE: These specs are preliminary and may be subject to change.

In Japan, Umami describes the taste that signals protein in food. Recognized as one of the five basic tastes—alongside salty, sweet, bitter, and sour—it’s often described as rich, savory, and deeply satisfying.

Considered to be one of the five basic tastes (which also includes salty, sweet, bitter and sour) Umami is best understood as being both rich and savory. Here in the US we might be more familiar with the terms "hearty" or "meaty", but of course, we might also use "lip smacking good".

Much like the flavor they're named after, Hana's Umami series cartridges deliver a warm, rich and flavorful vinyl experience crafted to satisfy!