Hana Umami Red moving coil cartridge
Hana was founded in 2021 by the Excel Sound Corporation which launched the brand in order to market the firm’s own moving coil cartridges to the public. Excel has a long history of cartridge manufacturing on behalf of third parties since 1964, so knows more than a thing or two about the subject.
I was fortunate to have two turntables on hand for this review, initially the Townshend Rock factory deck outfitted with Excalibur tonearm with a plinth finished in stunning gloss red and also my own fully loaded Michell Gyrodec turntable equipped with the SME Series IV tonearm. Both were fed into my Trichord Dino Mk IV phono stage complete with Never Connected power supply, and suitably loaded at 100 Ohms in line with Hana recommendations. The rest of the system comprised my usual Naim NAC82 and NAP 250 power amplifier combination driving the resident ATC SCM40 loudspeakers.
The Umami Red is a very striking design indeed and in terms of overall execution and finish holds its own with established prestige designs from Koetsu and Lyra at its price point of ÂŁ3,399. The cartridge body comprises hard duralumin with a multi-layered scarlet Urushi lacquer finish which incorporates an ebony wood inlay resonance damper. The generator is cryogenically treated and features a samarium cobalt magnet with a pure iron armature which is hand wound with high purity copper wire. Internal impedance is quoted at 6 Ohms, while output is typical for a moving coil of this type at 0.4mV.
The stylus is a nude microline type bonded to a solid boron cantilever and recommended tracking force is quoted at two grams. The whole assembly weighs nine grams so is ideally suited to most medium mass tonearms such as the SME Series IV and Excalibur.
Installation presented no problems in either arm despite the curved body sides, this thanks to easy sightlines for the stylus tip and alignment gauge. I was grateful for the precision afforded by my Rega Atlas stylus force gauge and Avid Level 45 precision bubble level. Such tools deliver confidence and a highly accurate result every time I set up a new turntable or cartridge.
The listening
I began listening on the Townshend Rock which made for a sensational visual pairing with the Umami. First up on the platter was the recently re-issued pressing of Del Amitri’s superb Twisted album and the track Here and Now. The Umami delivered an impressively layered performance delineating the contributions of individual instruments beautifully and thus highlighting their contribution to the overall sound. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, it is this separation of musical strands that becomes increasingly obvious the more you improve the quality of hi-fi components. Mass market Bluetooth speakers don’t even attempt this, while budget systems start to provide glimpses. Listen to higher end turntables and systems though and the ability to discern each individual strand of the music becomes significantly more easy. Most recordings start out after all as multi-track recordings and there’s a feeling of getting closer to the master tape and its multi-track mix.
Of particular note on the Rock was the astonishingly low level of surface noise, as well as an impressively broad and expansive soundstage. The Umami Red presented music with a sense of even-handedness across the entire frequency spectrum. Bass weight and extension was superb irrespective of which turntable was employed. The overall sonic signature offered being a somewhat warmer presentation than my usual Lyra Kleos SL. This combination was a very enjoyable way to enjoy a much loved recording, however the sound lacked a degree of transparency, speed and snap compared to my resident Gyrodec/SME IV/Lyra Kleos SL combination.
I decided to install the Umami Red in the Gyro to see how it performed on the same track. My listening notes describe a sense of greater precision and resolution, particularly in the higher frequencies. There was certainly a sense of greater speed and verve with Andy Alston’s organ cutting through the mix with better transparency if a shade less warmth. In a deck of this calibre the cartridge was finally being given maximum opportunity to perform and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
I spun several more records, each one revealing yet more of the Hana Umami Red’s capabilities. Take The Girl From Ipanema from Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto’s Getz/Gilberto. The way the Umami Red captured the dynamic interplay between the saxophone and Astrud Gilberto’s serene vocals was enchanting. There was an unexpected level of emotional depth in Getz’s sax—so smooth, so effortless, one could really feel the air moving through the instrument. The stylus did a remarkable job of picking up on the smallest tonal shifts, and gave a real sense of the acoustic space of the recording venue. Cues like this are vital to the suspension of disbelief that fine audio delivers and brings the listener closer to the recording session. It’s uncovering details like this that makes being an audiophile so rewarding over the longer term, I love the way that new information is revealed in old, familiar records.
Even on records that are less overtly audiophile in nature like Kashmir from Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti the Umami Red brought a punch to the music that made it feel larger than life. The impact of Bonham’s drums and the intricate layers of Page’s guitar were conveyed with impressive energy and dynamics by the Umami Red on the Gyrodec, which brought the track alive without compromising on precision. The tonal balance was masterfully even handed —the bass wasn’t overblown, but it wasn’t lacking in muscle either, just beautifully robust and rich and devoid of exaggeration.
I couldn’t help closing my time with the Umami Red with The The’s latest masterwork Ensoulment and the utterly sublime Sometimes I Drink My Coffee by the Grave of William Blake. Few songwriters in the past 30 years have captured the state of the nation better than Matt Johnson here. For a band established in 1979 to create an album of this quality in late 2024 is virtually unprecedented.
Johnson’s vocal was conveyed with striking richness and timbre here, while the double tracked lead and backing vocals remained beautifully distinct against a rich tapestry of drums, bass, guitars, synths and strings. The Umami Red remained completely un-phased and orderly even when the mix got busy. Make no mistake this is a very musical cartridge design and it lapped up everything I threw at it delivering rich, detailed and enjoyable replay irrespective of genre.
Conclusion
The Hana Umami Red is a feast for all the senses. Its Urushi lacquer process and exquisite finish give it the aura of a far more expensive design. Fortunately, its performance proved equally impressive at conveying fine detail, timbre, soundstage and crucially emotion.
Compared to my resident MC at a very similar price point the Umami Red offers a slightly richer tonal balance, erring towards a hint of warmth compared to the more clinical approach of the Kleos SL. I loved it, and in a perfect world I would love to own both. This is a superb cartridge which will elevate the quality of music in your home, encouraging you to spin records deep into the witching hour and to hell with work tomorrow. Cue the music, dim the lights and play vinyl straight through.