Umami Blue 

CARTRIDGE

Embodying the true sense of synergy, the HANA-Umami Blue combines the essential ingredients of the Umami Red and Hana ML to establish a new standard for musical performance and value.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The HANA-Umami Way

The HANA-Umami Blue high-end moving coil cartridge combines the vision of Master cartridge designer Okada-san with the history of unique materials, classic Japanese techniques, and modern audio engineering. The Auricle™ body design, unique and exclusive to our Umami series, is CNC machined from Duralumin. Sharing key Umami Red ingredients, including the precision-cut diamond stylus, Boron cantilever, and high-purity copper wires, then combining these with the Alnico magnet-based generator found in the famous Hana ML, creates the exceptionally musical Umami Blue.

This synergistic relationship in MC cartridge design between specific materials, unique body design, a sophisticated generator, and hand-built precision is critical for outstanding cartridge performance. This creates a memorable and emotional experience, reminiscent of a meal at a Michelin 3-star restaurant, with every element and detail working in concert.

All the major parts in a HANA-Umami Blue are manufactured in-house by Excel Sound with its rich history spanning over 50 years. Excel’s highly trained craftsmen skillfully hand assemble the HANA-Umami Blue ensuring an intensely musical experience furthering the HANA “Brilliant and Gorgeous” sound quality.

Umami Sound - Exceptional Musical Quality

 

 

 

REVIEW & AWARDS

The Hana Umami Blue High-End Moving Coil Cartridge - Read More

"Hana has made a cart with high resolution with a wonderful tonal balance that delivers magnificent sound for a fair price ($2500). You are getting a high-end cart with a great-quality build and a component that’ll make waves in your system. The Umami Blue is a must-upgrade for your analog setup. No doubt for me, this is going on my Audiophilia Products of the Year 2023 recommendations." - Jesús González-Monreal

 

Hana Umami Blue Cartridge - Read More

"It is very difficult to fault the HANA BLUE UMAMI when compared to its more expensive sibling, but that sibling is my reference point and so compare I must when it comes to dishing out the award it gets. The RED got our EDITOR’S CHOICE award and not to give the cheaper BLUE the same award would make no sense whatsoever given how little they differ in performance! 

Both the RED and the BLUE cartridges from HANA offer you a fantastically detailed and solid performance and both dig deep into the grooves of your records to deliver a very satisfying listening experience." - Stuart Smith

Hana Does a Umami in Blue, Read the Review - Read More

"Music lovers are all different and wish to achieve different things with their systems. Some look for timbral accuracy and harmonic richness. Some need laser-like imaging and a deep soundstage. Some desire dynamics and detail. Regardless of your personal requirements, the Hana Umami Blue won’t disappoint. Is it the perfect cartridge? Absolutely not. There are differences between a $2,500 cartridges and ones that costs north of 10k. The Hana Blue just lessened that gap. I am quite confident that in 10 years theHana Umami Blue will be regarded as one of those products that was "the one to beat", at or anywhere near its price tag." - Dean Cacioppo

 

Hana Umami Blue for the spice of vinyl life - Read More

"That just about sums it up. The Umami Blue really does deliver what Hana promises – a delicate optimisation of characteristics resting in a lovely sound. Tonal balance can’t be totally separated from the tone arm and turntable, or of course the recording itself, but I reckon the Umami Blue is essentially neutral to maybe oh-so-slightly warm through from deep, powerful, well-controlled bass to its deliciously liquid and transparent midrange and treble. There did not seem to be any audible peak to lift highs, and yet treble seemed nicely extended, with no lack of sparkle. In cases where certain records had inherent traces of hardness, the Umami Blue minimised (while not eliminating) its impact, so more vinyl found its way on to the platter." - Dave Berriman

 
Hana Umami Blue Phono Cartridge - Read More

"This Umami Blue doesn’t leave much on the table and has quickly become part of the mainstay cartridge rotation because it is so enjoyable to listen to. Hana has set another benchmark of performance-for-cost because there is one heck of a lot of goodness in this cartridge when compared with more expensive models, even into the upper four-digit realm. If my legitimate in-house comparisons to higher-resolution 15ips tape sources with the same downstream components are any indication, the Umami Blue—with appropriately capable supporting source components—comes closer to that sound than not. Excel Sound Corporation has created another superb-sounding cartridge with the Hana Umami Blue. One listen to a well set-up Blue will give you another slightly different, mouthwateringly delightful taste of Umami. Lightning did, indeed, strike again and this time, it’s blue. " - Andre Jennings

 

Hana Umami Blue MC Cartridge Review - Read More

"Sometimes the importance of a pick-up cartridge in a vinyl system can be easily overlooked. Yet if it doesn't excavate the music from the record groove in the first place, it can never be got back later – it is lost forever. The cartridge may be the smallest component in your system, but still plays a major role. Of course, a stable platform is essential for the cartridge to give its best, and so for this cartridge, you're talking something of the calibre of a high-end Rega or a middle-ranking Linn or Michell at the minimum. I found that properly set up in a decent turntable, Hana's Unami Blue has great ability. Hear one for yourself if you possibly can" - Chris Frankland

 

Hana Umami Blue Moving-Coil Cartridge - Read More

"The Hana Umami Blue Moving-Coil Cartridge is a winner! With top-notch imaging and cutting-edge neutrality, this jewel often recreates the performance of master tape sound with your best LPs. A tracking champ, the Blue sails through the toughest bass and midrange bombast with ease, at a reasonable 1.8 grams tracking force. With the body, finish, and many of the features of the top-of-the-line Hana Umami Red, the Blue is a super high value for audiophiles looking for a cost-effective moving coil cartridge. With an output that will work well with any phono stage with MC inputs, the Blue will bring joy to music lovers and audio fanatics alike. I highly recommend the Hana Umami Blue Moving-Coil Cartridge as the Sweetheart of the Hana cartridge line and the world of moving coil cartridges alike. " - Robert H. Levi

 

Hana Umami Blue - Read More

"The Umami Red justifies its higher price point thanks to extra dynamism and rhythmic drive. I played ‘Are You Alive’ from Orbital’s Optical Delusion LP [Orbital], and the voice is beautifully rendered in both. The Hana Umami Blue plays the ambience, bass, and space around this track exceptionally well. The Red does the same but tightens up the performance, making it sound like an old-school Techno track.

The Umami cartridges more than justify their places in the pantheon of moving coils. The Hana Umami Blue brings that high-end cartridge ‘wow’ factor at a stunning, attainable price. It looks great, and it sounds great. If it were any more Umami, you’d probably want to eat it!" - Alan Sircom

 

The New HANA-Umami Blue MC Phono Cartridge (yum) - Read More

"My eyes have already said “yum” and my ears are more than curious about the HANA cartridges. “ML” does have a certain familiar ring to it (wink). " - Michael Lavorgna

Review Hana Umami Blue MC Element: Warm Delicacy - Read More

"First of all, it is great news that the Hana cartridges are again readily available in the Netherlands. And my meeting with the second - top model of this special and very experienced Japanese cartridge builder was extremely pleasant. Provided it is mounted in the right tonearm and connected to a nice phono stage with the right termination resistance, the Hana Umami Blue is a cartridge that lives up to its name. The tone is colorful and warm in the right way, and the music is reproduced with sensitivity and detail.

By the way, don't think that the Umami Blue only does well with acoustic or electronic music. Those who missed the part about the French progressive math-metal band Gojira in the listening section of my review (because I simply didn't mention it) can rest assured: when the music demands it, the Blue can also roar like a bulldozer exhaust. From my experience as a musical omnivore, I come up empty-handed when I force myself to think about possible disadvantages or drawbacks in relation to the price range. I didn't notice or hear any. Five stars…" - Max Delissen 

 

 

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS

Body	Duralumin (A7075)
Finish	Melamine Thermosetting Process (MTP)
Cantilever	Boron
Stylus	Microline
Parts Material	Pure Iron*
Magnet	ALNICO
Output Pins	24K Gold Plated
Coil Impedance	8Ω
Output	0.4mV
Coil Wire Material	High Purity Copper
Load Impedance	>80Ω
Frequency Response	15-50,000Hz
Output Balance	0.5dB/1kHz
Channel Seperation	30dB/1kHz
Trackability	70μm/2g
Dynamic Compliance	10 x 10(-6) cm/dyne (100Hz) Estimated at 17 x 10(-6)cm/dyne at 10Hz
Tracking Force	2g
Weight	10.8g
Height	15.8mm
Warranty	2 years