Hana sl = Fantastic

I had to send my Hana SL back to the factory to check what I think is a fault in the diamond/cantilever assembly - I got some microscope photos and it looks off center and quite angled. Despite some great qualities, the cartridge was never quite right, so hopefully that explains it.

Excel Sound don't do domestic Japanese sales, so despite the factory being about 10km away from my place, I sent it to my dealer in NZ, who sent it back to Japan, who sent it back to him, and hopefully it will soon come back to me! (And hopefully all that fuss will be worth it!)

I'm looking forward to hearing the Hana at its best! I thought it was much better than the Dynavector 10x4 mk2 that it replaced, even with a manufacturing fault. While I wait for it to return, I've been enjoying a Nagaoka MP-500 that I found a good deal on online - great cartridge!

 

Definitely, after posting I thought in editing it to add the windings but left it like that, I am fairly sure that I did read that the magnets are stronger very likely on the Denon website. Probably from now on when there is an option my choice would be low output.

 

The Hana SL was down to be my next cartridge, but after hearing the Ortofon Quintet Black S versus the Hana SL on a Michael Fremer shootout I preferred the Ortofon. Seemed to have smoother top end and upper midrange

 

Oops! My mstake. The Hana sH is indeed a high-output MC. Sorry for my mis-step.

In Hana's case, is it a different magnet or more coil windings that makes it HOMC? I have never seen any clear explanation.

 

Like I posted above on my Benz Wood, Hana also specs the winding resistance, so roughly four times more turns equals four times more output... not always exact, but close ...

Internal ohms/output voltage
SH: 130Ω/1kHz ... 2.0mV output
SL: 30Ω/1kHz ... 0.5mV output

 

Thanks, but both are MC, right?
So what's the difference between high MC and low MC on this cart?

 

If you believe that the fewer coils in the low output version leads to less inertia and better transient response, then you will prefer the low output version.

The high output version is designed to plug directly into the usual 47 kohm phono input. The low output version requires additional amplification, either through an MC phono stage or a step-up transformer. They must both be carefully matched in input load impedence to the requirements of the cartridge. Again, black art, rabbit hole and expense prevail.

 

Recently bought this cartridge and it needed some serious break-in time. It's a good tracker and seriously refined for the price point. Excellent value to be sure. Anyone else find it overly bright and fatiguing on their system though? It sounds like an AT440MLa to my ears and that's not a pleasing sound.

Probably the thing I enjoy most about its presentation is the presence. This Hana SL is really great at reproducing accurate reverb and the studio space. I'm spinning Way Out West and I can hear Sonny Rollins' sax bouncing off the studio walls. But the texture of his instrument is sterile and lacks emotion and warmth, compared to how it previously sounded with my Ortofon Rondo red.

 

I did at first, and was unimpressed. I kept adjusting VTA to compensate for a lack of bass. Then I realized the culprit was the garbage rumble filters I was using at the time. After removing those filters and additional break-in, I've been very pleased with the performance.

I've heard the Koetsu Rhodonite vs the Hana EL (note, not even the SL) on an SME 30/2, in the same system, and the gap was not as large as one might assume.

 

@.crystalised. The SL is not a bright cartridge at all- is everything set up and loaded correctly- also it is certainly not sterile either...….

 

The Hana SH version is very smooth. I’m guessing mine is nearer to 200 hrs now. As of the last couple of months I have noticed the bass is very well fleshed out, the highs are sweeter than ever, tracing noise is dang near non existent and the expansive soundstage width and scale are mighty impressive.
This Hana cartridge has pointed me soo far in the correct direction as to what might conceivably be expected from vinyl playback. For the money it costs the compromises in sound are probably zero. However, when I upgrade to the next level I know what I’m looking for sound wise that the Hana may not quite achieve. And it’s probably going to cost 3-4 times the price of the Hana to get. And I’m OK with that!

 

Yeah, it might need some more break-in time. I've only got about 30-40 hours on it. My VTA was off with the 4mm spacer (Hana is not quite deep enough for 4mm and too deep for 2mm) so I bought an Achromat for the platter and now it's darn near perfect. Can't use my Mitchel clamp anymore now that I've got the Achromat but I'm willing to entertain that compromise for correct VTA.

It could be the synergy of my system that's giving it a bright presentation. I have noticed the bass is getting warmer over time and the imaging is getting more expansive and holographic. I'm also used to the sound of an elliptical cut, so it'll take some time to get used to the less forgiving surface noise that an advanced stylus tip brings to the table.

 

@.crystalised. The SL is a very quiet cartridge in the groove and is an incredible tracker....this is odd indeed.

 

I'll give it some time. I want to enjoy this cartridge as much as others do.

 

I'm running the Hana SL at 100 ohms although the manufacturer recommends 400. I wonder if this is causing some of the issues I'm having? My phono preamplifier doesn't allow for custom loading to get me to 400...

At other forums people are saying it can run at 100 but it might distort the frequency curve and cause a treble roll off. Since it's sounding bright to my ears that's probably not an issue. I just have to turn up the volume by 2-3dB more than usual to get the same levels at 100 ohms.

 

I'm reading this with interest - my tired Benz Glider recently lunched itself and I can afford another or the Hana ML. (It's going on an LP12/Ekos.)
Does anyone have any wisdom around this choice?
Cheers,
DD

 

The ML is referenced in many threads here if you do a search. I’m a huge fan of it.

JohnK

 

Just tested my Hana SL with my Project phono Box RS- with on the fly loading and 100ohms is dull, 200 a tad brighter, then 400 ohms does seem pretty darn good, however like l said 100 ohms is very rolled off and shut in.....hope this helps.

 

Interesting, thanks that's really helpful. So if I'm finding it bright and a little harsh at 100 ohms, 400 ohms would make it worse not better?

What's your favourite loading for it?

 

I noticed the SL handles sibilance in a strange way - it takes on what I can only describe as a sort of "metallic" or mechanical texture with some voices or albums. Anybody else notice this? Not sure if it's the shibata tip or something else, I've never had a shibata cut before.

It's not happening on every record so it might just be a case of the SL revealing pressing problems or poor pressing quality. Emmylou Harris' voice seems hard to track, for example.

 

I was having issues with spitty sibilance when using my SL so I examined the stylus with a USB microscope. It turned out that the diamond was off centre and on an angle so I sent it to Excel through my dealer and got a replacement. All good now!

 

Maybe you can find another copy for any of these records and see what happens ...

 

Interesting, thanks. Perhaps mine is defective

 

It's not uncommon, at least a "normal" deviation. That's azimuth adjustment ... try to do little movements left and right, we need to align the stylus, not the cantilever.

Shibata diamond cut is very picky with that kind of things.

 

I have the Hana SH on my Rega P6 that feed my tube pre-amp with a tube phono stage. Although it is a high output cartridge, I found that it still requires a minor boost with SUT. Unfortunately, now that I have introduced the SUT , I have a little more hum than I would like in some cases.