Hana Umami Red
- Thread starter skinnyfla
- Start date
I wrote this a while back, maybe it will help. I was fortunate at the time to sample a number of Cartridges and break them in for a Dealership.
Hana Umami, One Red and One Blue. Sibling Rivalry?
Why Now?
In my 20 years of ownership, my Ortofon Jubilee has had two re-tips plus a rebuild Ortofon; I think I’ve gotten my money’s worth. I felt the Ortofon Jubilee had become the Achilles heel of the system, and last year’s upgrade of the Bergmann Galder turntable proved this. Adam suggested Hana Umami; he had just received the Hana Umami Red and Umami Blue, and they needed breaking in for auditioning, so after three macchiatos plus a couple of Rich Tea, I convinced Adam to loan me these on condition of my thoughts and if these worked with the Bergmann and a review. So here I am with a Red and a Blue and around 100 hours of playback plus a handful of observations.
Excel Sound
Hana is a subsidiary of Excel Sound Corporation, which has been manufacturing phono cartridges for over 50 years. Their two top-tier cartridges are the Umami Red and Umami Blue, as a more affordable option.
Cost is an interesting point; the Umami Red retails at £3399, which is getting on to the High End of the hi-fi spectrum. The problem is that a moving coil cartridge is consumable, as the stylus is not replaceable and will eventually wear. I know I have made my Ortofon Jubilee for the last 20 years, but that has been re-tipped twice (by Expert Stylus) and eventually sent back to Ortofon to be rebuilt at a considerable cost.
Like many manufacturers, Hana does not rebuild or re-tip its MC cartridges. Still, it will sell you a heavily discounted replacement as a loyalty incentive, which does help with the cost of ownership.
Set up and Blue
I started with the Hana Blue; the first 10 hours could have been better, with a narrow soundstage and limited range. I wasn’t too surprised it needed time to break in. There was no point in me sitting down to any serious listening, so I bid my time and counted the hours until I hit 20, which is usually enough concerning most manufacturer recommendations. Things started to open up, and I heard more of the signature Hana sounds, but still, it was nothing special, so I continued breaking in. After 40 hours of playback, things were getting interesting; there was good instrument separation, the soundstage had opened up, and mid and low ends were beginning to take on a presence. The mid-range had a fuller sound than I remembered from the Ortofon Jubilee. It started to sound like it might be a good match for the Bergmann. The Ortofon Jubilee had recently been rebuilt, so it was a new cartridge with just over 100 hours of playback, but it did not sound as good as this. I could still hear it improving, but it needed longer, so I had a good few hours of casual listening over the weekend to get used to the sound before any critical listening.
Yeah, it was getting there. Things were getting interesting, but the treble was a little bland, and the bass needed more body, so I adjusted the cartridge as the suspension had settled a little and played with the impedance on the phono stage. There it was! Bingo, things were now starting to sing. The mid-range had opened up beautifully, and the treble was rounded off enough to have the TAD CE1 speakers sing without long-term fatigue from too harsh a treble. As excited as a kid in a sweetshop, I started flicking through the record collection, starting with some electronic music: Kraftwerk’s Tour De France. There was depth with deep bass, a feel of the really low notes but detail within the bass; images flicked with ease and accuracy from speaker to speaker on Elektro Kardiogramm. Let’s try something more analogue - Keith Jarret’s Koln Concert; I have the Japanese pressing of this, which consistently demonstrates what vinyl is capable of. The Hana blue did not disappoint; there was good imaging without tonal hotspots, just linear throughout the range. It tracked beautifully with little record noise, digging deep within the groove. You could hear exactly which hammer was being hit where on the piano and with what ferocity Keith was tinkling the ivories. This sounded pretty impressive; It had the right tone and track well. I was pretty convinced this would be the one.
But I had yet to try the Umami Red, and having learnt from the Blue, I decided to give it 40 hours of playback before any serious listening. So the Cartridge was set up, I confirmed it was playing well, and I flipped over the record every half an hour. I was excited; I could hear what the Blue was bringing to the table, so how would its bigger brother do? Was there going to be a big difference, or was the Blue the killer cartridge?
Red is Back
I started this time with Jarrett; the Red had a similar sound, an even deeper bass, and a bigger sound stage. There was more there, but nothing too substantial, and the highs were a little harsh. Maybe it needed more time to break in, so I continued casual listening and eventually made a few adjustments to the system.
I started again with the Koln Concert and noticed more presence; it was faster, with little delay and better rhythm, and this made me think about how good the Red was at interpreting timing. As with the Blue, the tonal range felt linear from highs to lows and went low when needed. Let’s try some Rock; Jon Bonham playing drums would be a good call, so I put on Led Zepplin: Physical Graphitti. The track I wanted to hear was “In My Dying Time”, as a lot is happening within the rhythm section; I wanted to hear how the Red would interpret this. I was shocked; the snares had speed and kick drum depth; whatever was happening within those grooves was extracted accurately, quickly, and with emotion. I had not heard vinyl payback so well before. I had no choice; I had been inspired and had to listen to the rest of the album.
The following day, I revisited my experiences with these cartridges and how the Hana Umami might interpret some more challenging tracks. The blue was no longer set up, but the Red was, so I had some ideas for later that evening. What would have been nice would be two identical tone arms so I would not have to swap between each cartridge. The Galder can accept four tone arms! But not today. UNKLE—Burn My Shadow (Feat. Ian Astbury) is a great track that gets messy; the drums and bass are dominant but quickly die to silence. Hana would need to give each instrument its space within this soundscape without letting the rhythm section take over. I had used this track as a test when Johnnie Bergmann visited to set up the turntable, so I knew how it sounded with the Ortofon Jubilee and the challenges it would bring.
Ian Astbury’s vocals came over with emotion and an excellent mid-range. The snares hit hard, and the bass rumbled. All were there and present with good positioning on the soundstage. Things became more lively, but everything was easily held together as Ian Astbury’s vocals blossomed, making me think of him in The Cult’s - She Sells Sanctuary. It was much more involved than I remembered from the Jubilee; it had speed, attack and recovery and kept composure, allowing many of the musician’s traits to add more layers. This was what music was about, and I had it all right in front of me as I grinned and hummed away like a trigger-happy Hippy.
Conclusion
Over the last twenty years, I have been shocked by how much vinyl and playback have progressed; Hana has demonstrated this with its Umami Red and Umami Blue cartridges. The Red is not cheap, though, and will eventually wear out. Hana built on the Umami Red’s success and filled that void by introducing the Umami Blue as a more affordable high-end cartridge. It still holds many of the strong points of its bigger brother. It is getting plenty of praising reviews and is a great-sounding cartridge for the price.
I would never have considered a cartridge over £3k before, but the Umami Red demonstrated to me that there is much more to be had from those black discs. When you bring a new component into your system that wakes it up, you get excited; it’s a rush. You start revisiting albums and listening to more, and your journey begins. Again! The Ortofon Jubilee was an award-winning cartridge and has since been replaced by the Cadenza Black retailing at £2749. I am sure this is a wonderful cartridge, too, but you need synergy with a good tonearm/cartridge match, and the Umami cartridges with Bergmann hit that spot.
Hana Umami, One Red and One Blue. Sibling Rivalry?
Why Now?
In my 20 years of ownership, my Ortofon Jubilee has had two re-tips plus a rebuild Ortofon; I think I’ve gotten my money’s worth. I felt the Ortofon Jubilee had become the Achilles heel of the system, and last year’s upgrade of the Bergmann Galder turntable proved this. Adam suggested Hana Umami; he had just received the Hana Umami Red and Umami Blue, and they needed breaking in for auditioning, so after three macchiatos plus a couple of Rich Tea, I convinced Adam to loan me these on condition of my thoughts and if these worked with the Bergmann and a review. So here I am with a Red and a Blue and around 100 hours of playback plus a handful of observations.
Excel Sound
Hana is a subsidiary of Excel Sound Corporation, which has been manufacturing phono cartridges for over 50 years. Their two top-tier cartridges are the Umami Red and Umami Blue, as a more affordable option.
Cost is an interesting point; the Umami Red retails at £3399, which is getting on to the High End of the hi-fi spectrum. The problem is that a moving coil cartridge is consumable, as the stylus is not replaceable and will eventually wear. I know I have made my Ortofon Jubilee for the last 20 years, but that has been re-tipped twice (by Expert Stylus) and eventually sent back to Ortofon to be rebuilt at a considerable cost.
Like many manufacturers, Hana does not rebuild or re-tip its MC cartridges. Still, it will sell you a heavily discounted replacement as a loyalty incentive, which does help with the cost of ownership.
Set up and Blue
I started with the Hana Blue; the first 10 hours could have been better, with a narrow soundstage and limited range. I wasn’t too surprised it needed time to break in. There was no point in me sitting down to any serious listening, so I bid my time and counted the hours until I hit 20, which is usually enough concerning most manufacturer recommendations. Things started to open up, and I heard more of the signature Hana sounds, but still, it was nothing special, so I continued breaking in. After 40 hours of playback, things were getting interesting; there was good instrument separation, the soundstage had opened up, and mid and low ends were beginning to take on a presence. The mid-range had a fuller sound than I remembered from the Ortofon Jubilee. It started to sound like it might be a good match for the Bergmann. The Ortofon Jubilee had recently been rebuilt, so it was a new cartridge with just over 100 hours of playback, but it did not sound as good as this. I could still hear it improving, but it needed longer, so I had a good few hours of casual listening over the weekend to get used to the sound before any critical listening.
Yeah, it was getting there. Things were getting interesting, but the treble was a little bland, and the bass needed more body, so I adjusted the cartridge as the suspension had settled a little and played with the impedance on the phono stage. There it was! Bingo, things were now starting to sing. The mid-range had opened up beautifully, and the treble was rounded off enough to have the TAD CE1 speakers sing without long-term fatigue from too harsh a treble. As excited as a kid in a sweetshop, I started flicking through the record collection, starting with some electronic music: Kraftwerk’s Tour De France. There was depth with deep bass, a feel of the really low notes but detail within the bass; images flicked with ease and accuracy from speaker to speaker on Elektro Kardiogramm. Let’s try something more analogue - Keith Jarret’s Koln Concert; I have the Japanese pressing of this, which consistently demonstrates what vinyl is capable of. The Hana blue did not disappoint; there was good imaging without tonal hotspots, just linear throughout the range. It tracked beautifully with little record noise, digging deep within the groove. You could hear exactly which hammer was being hit where on the piano and with what ferocity Keith was tinkling the ivories. This sounded pretty impressive; It had the right tone and track well. I was pretty convinced this would be the one.
But I had yet to try the Umami Red, and having learnt from the Blue, I decided to give it 40 hours of playback before any serious listening. So the Cartridge was set up, I confirmed it was playing well, and I flipped over the record every half an hour. I was excited; I could hear what the Blue was bringing to the table, so how would its bigger brother do? Was there going to be a big difference, or was the Blue the killer cartridge?
Red is Back
I started this time with Jarrett; the Red had a similar sound, an even deeper bass, and a bigger sound stage. There was more there, but nothing too substantial, and the highs were a little harsh. Maybe it needed more time to break in, so I continued casual listening and eventually made a few adjustments to the system.
I started again with the Koln Concert and noticed more presence; it was faster, with little delay and better rhythm, and this made me think about how good the Red was at interpreting timing. As with the Blue, the tonal range felt linear from highs to lows and went low when needed. Let’s try some Rock; Jon Bonham playing drums would be a good call, so I put on Led Zepplin: Physical Graphitti. The track I wanted to hear was “In My Dying Time”, as a lot is happening within the rhythm section; I wanted to hear how the Red would interpret this. I was shocked; the snares had speed and kick drum depth; whatever was happening within those grooves was extracted accurately, quickly, and with emotion. I had not heard vinyl payback so well before. I had no choice; I had been inspired and had to listen to the rest of the album.
The following day, I revisited my experiences with these cartridges and how the Hana Umami might interpret some more challenging tracks. The blue was no longer set up, but the Red was, so I had some ideas for later that evening. What would have been nice would be two identical tone arms so I would not have to swap between each cartridge. The Galder can accept four tone arms! But not today. UNKLE—Burn My Shadow (Feat. Ian Astbury) is a great track that gets messy; the drums and bass are dominant but quickly die to silence. Hana would need to give each instrument its space within this soundscape without letting the rhythm section take over. I had used this track as a test when Johnnie Bergmann visited to set up the turntable, so I knew how it sounded with the Ortofon Jubilee and the challenges it would bring.
Ian Astbury’s vocals came over with emotion and an excellent mid-range. The snares hit hard, and the bass rumbled. All were there and present with good positioning on the soundstage. Things became more lively, but everything was easily held together as Ian Astbury’s vocals blossomed, making me think of him in The Cult’s - She Sells Sanctuary. It was much more involved than I remembered from the Jubilee; it had speed, attack and recovery and kept composure, allowing many of the musician’s traits to add more layers. This was what music was about, and I had it all right in front of me as I grinned and hummed away like a trigger-happy Hippy.
Conclusion
Over the last twenty years, I have been shocked by how much vinyl and playback have progressed; Hana has demonstrated this with its Umami Red and Umami Blue cartridges. The Red is not cheap, though, and will eventually wear out. Hana built on the Umami Red’s success and filled that void by introducing the Umami Blue as a more affordable high-end cartridge. It still holds many of the strong points of its bigger brother. It is getting plenty of praising reviews and is a great-sounding cartridge for the price.
I would never have considered a cartridge over £3k before, but the Umami Red demonstrated to me that there is much more to be had from those black discs. When you bring a new component into your system that wakes it up, you get excited; it’s a rush. You start revisiting albums and listening to more, and your journey begins. Again! The Ortofon Jubilee was an award-winning cartridge and has since been replaced by the Cadenza Black retailing at £2749. I am sure this is a wonderful cartridge, too, but you need synergy with a good tonearm/cartridge match, and the Umami cartridges with Bergmann hit that spot.
... just had it installed yesterday - it has only played 4-5 hours but already sounds amazing - probably the best cartridge I have ever owned.
That's excellent news, and it will get sweeter! I found it needed around 60 hours to open up. Enjoy the journey. Don't forget to adjust the VTA once it settles down.
Similar threads
 | Steve Williams Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator |  | Ron Resnick Site Owner | Administrator |  | Julian (The Fixer) Website Build | Marketing Managersing |