Hana MC Unami Black

The HANA Umami Black is the flagship low-output moving coil (MC) phono cartridge designed by master craftsman Masao Okada-san at Excel Sound in Japan. Sitting at the very top of the Hana lineup (above the Umami Red and Blue), the Black incorporates several firsts for the brand to achieve high-end analog playback.

Key Technical Features

• Solid Diamond Cantilever: Unlike the Umami Red (which uses boron), the Black uses a single-piece solid diamond cantilever paired with a nude MicroLine stylus. Diamond offers extreme rigidity and immediate energy transfer, reducing vibration loss.

• "OKD" Generator Architecture: Designed around the diamond cantilever, the "OKD" moving coil generator features an integrated rear pole piece/rear yoke structure and an inverted U-shaped front yoke. This design controls mechanical resonances, aligns magnetic flux, and lowers energy loss.
• Body Design & Finish: The outer body uses Hana’s signature "Auricle" open-air shape carved from A7075 duralumin aircraft-grade aluminum. It is finished with a traditional Japanese Urushi lacquer via a specialized thermosetting process that provides structural damping alongside its sleek black aesthetic.
• Materials & Processing: It utilizes a high-power Neodymium (NdFeB) magnet, a 78% carbon-infused nickel-iron (permalloy) armature hand-wound with 30-micron 4N copper wire, and full cryogenic treatment on the generator assembly and 24k gold-plated terminal pins.