Hana has introduced the Umami Black, a new top-of-line moving‑coil phono cartridge above the Umami Red and Blue. US list price is $11,500. First public US demos are scheduled for September 6 at Quintessence Audio (Morton Grove, IL), with customer shipments beginning September 22.
What’s new The Umami Black’s headline change is a solid diamond cantilever carrying a nude Microline stylus. The cartridge also debuts Hana’s OKD high‑efficiency generator, which combines an inverted U‑shaped front yoke with an integrated pole piece/rear yoke. According to the company, the geometry improves energy transfer and lowers resonances; the magnetic and signal‑path parts receive cryogenic treatment.
Body and materials The open‑air Auricle body is machined from A7075 duralumin and finished in Urushi lacquer via a thermoset process; a black zirconia inlay on the facia is used for damping. Threaded mounting holes are retained.
Inside are a neodymium‑iron‑boron (NdFeB) magnet and a 2mm square hybrid carbon–permalloy armature, hand‑wound with 30µm 4N copper on Excel’s proprietary machinery. The generator terminates in gold‑plated pins. The cartridge is hand‑built in Japan.
