Hana Umami Black MC Phono Cartridge

Flagship moving coil design with diamond cantilever and “OKD” high-efficiency generator

The Hana Umami Black is the new flagship moving coil cartridge from Excel Sound, designed by master cartridge builder Masao Okada-san. Building on over five decades of innovation, the Umami Black uses a diamond cantilever and the newly developed “OKD” high-efficiency generator system. This cartridge represents the pinnacle of Hana’s “Brilliant and Gorgeous” design philosophy, delivering exceptional detail retrieval and musicality.

Unlike the Umami Red, the Umami Black is not a simple evolution but a complete rethinking of energy transfer and resonance control. Its diamond cantilever, rare-earth magnet, hybrid carbon armature, and hand-wound coil assembly establish a new standard in signal integrity and moving-coil engineering.

The U-shaped (bifurcated) inverted front yoke is engineered for both mechanical resonance control and magnetic field alignment, while also providing precise support for the diamond cantilever. 

The body is finished in a specialized Urushi lacquer, thermoset and bonded to the aluminum chassis through vapor deposition for both aesthetic beauty and mechanical damping. Every element of the Umami Black is engineered for transparency, tonal accuracy, and long-term stability.

Specifications

Generator System: High-efficiency “OKD” moving coil with integrated pole piece and inverted U-shaped front yoke

Cantilever: Solid diamond

Stylus: Nude microline

Magnet: Rare earth neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB)

Armature: 2 mm square hybrid carbon–permalloy, hand-wound with 30-micron 4N copper

Coil Wire: 4N (99.99%) high-purity copper

Output Voltage: 0.3 mV

Internal Impedance: 5 Ω

Body Finish: Urushi lacquer on aluminum, applied via thermosetting vapor deposition

Designer: Masao Okada-san, Excel Sound, Japan