Hana Umami Black moving coil cartridge
The Hana Umami Black continues the brand’s legacy of “brilliant and gorgeous” sound. Master cartridge designer Masao Okada-san of Excel Sound celebrates over 5 decades of innovation and excellence with his new masterpiece, featuring a diamond cantilever and new OKD high-efficiency moving coil generator. The Umami Black is much more than just an Umami Red with a diamond cantilever.
High-efficiency OKD moving coil generator
A world first, the Umami Black employs the newly developed OKD generator featuring an Integrated Pole Piece and Rear Yoke together with an Inverted U-shaped Front Yoke. This innovative architecture optimizes energy transfer from the Microline stylus/diamond cantilever to the moving coil system.
The OKD generator’s compact, rigid structure minimizes magnetic power loss while suppressing unwanted mechanical vibrations to vanishingly low levels. The result is a dramatic improvement in transducing the vinyl groove modulations that carry the musical signal, ensuring the hybrid armature moving coil responds with unprecedented accuracy and musicality.
Inverted U front yoke
The U-shaped (bifurcated) inverted front yoke is engineered for both mechanical resonance control and magnetic field alignment, while also providing precise support for the diamond cantilever.
High-power rare earth magnet
Unique to the Umami Black, the rare earth neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnet is used for the high-efficiency generator, delivering superior energy conversion.
Hybrid carbon armature
A 2mm square hybrid carbon permalloy armature, comprising 78% carbon-infused nickel-iron, is precisely hand-wound with 30-micron, 4N high-purity copper wire on Excel’s proprietary machinery. This ultra-light moving coil has an output of 0.3mV and a 5 ohm impedance.
Special Urushi enameled finish
The Hana Umami Black features an exquisite Urushi lacquer finish, applied through a specialized thermosetting process, bonding to the aluminum body via vapor deposition.
UK retail price is £7,995, (€10.000, $11,500) and available to purchase (worldwide) from the 22nd Sept.