The HANA way…
50 Years of Cartridge Design
Excel Sound Corporation developed the HANA MC cartridge, combining their 50 years of cartridge design with parts manufacturing expertise using modern industrial technologies. Excel realizes these designs with high quality materials and long established hand assembling techniques for the most musical sound quality.
Excel Sound Cartridge Master
Masao Okada-san, who began researching phono cartridge design in 1964, opened the Excel factory in Tokyo in 1970. His skills and expertise have been shared with the artisans employed by Excel Sound who build HANA cartridges.
Skillfully Hand Assembled
Excel Sound artisan builders hand assemble all the parts into a perfectly finished product. This precise hand assembly and the fine adjustments by Excel Sound's renown craftsman achieve the consistent "brilliant and gorgeous” HANA sound.
Exceptional Quality Assured
HANA phono cartridges are constructed of delicate parts, carefully hand assembled by skilled craftsman, and laboratory tested at the Japanese factory. This ensures both very high reliability and durability, providing years of musical enjoyment.
Hana, translated as "brilliant and gorgeous"represents Excel's best materials including alnico magnets, cross-shaped armatures, and proprietary manufacturing processes. They have excelled at creating MC cartridges noted worldwide for their sound and value, which retain their "musical magic" regardless of their phono stage pairing.
| Stylus | Shibata |
|---|---|
| Cantilever | Aluminum |
| Output Level | 0.5mv/1kHz |
| Output Balance | <1.5dB/1 KHz |
| Vertical Tracking Force | 2g |
| Trackability | 70 µm/2g |
| Channel Separation | 28dB/1kHz |
| Frequency Response | 15-32,000Hz |
| Impedance | 30Ω/1kHz |
| Suggested Load Impedance | >400Ω |
| Cartridge Weight | 5g |
| Body Color | Black |
| Warranty | 2 years |
The Hana SL is the most reviewed and awarded Hana cartridge to date. It is distinguished by its black body and a Shibata stylus expertly mounted to its aluminum cantilever. The Hana SL features tighter channel balance, greater channel separation, and improved high-frequency extension.
“A first-class MC cartridge” – STEREO (Germany)
“Remarkably smooth frequency response…terrific value for the money.” – HiFi World (UK)
“In the same class as a cartridge costing 10x the price.” – TNT Audio (France)
Stereophile Recommended Component USA
The Absolute Sound USA Golden Ear Award 2017
Rocky Mountain International HiFi Press Award winner 2018 and 2019