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Tag Archives: hana umami

Technics SL-1210GAE Anniversary Turntable and Hana Umami Red Cartridge | REVIEW

To say the Technics (website) SL-1200 is a legend is an understatement. Rumor has it that they sold 3.5 to 4 million SL-1200s over its 50+ year history. Its distinct look, reliability and smooth pitch […]

HANA Umami Red – Sales Begin Today

The announcement of a new flagship Hana cartridge has most of us at Part-Time Audiophile in a frenzy. We all want to review the new $3950 Hana Umami Red, and I think we’re going to have to enter Thunderdome to determine which of us gets the honor. I think I should advance to the finals, since I’m the one who just reviewed the extraordinary Hana ML and loved it. Also, I’m the editor-in-chief, dammit, and what I say goes! Some long-forgotten bit of altruism deep inside of me squeaks, in a tiny little voice, “Let someone else review the Hana Umami Red. Spread the love that is Hana cartridges.” Here’s the thing: the Hana ML costs just $1200, and we feel it’s one of the best cartridge values there is. That goes for all of the Hana designs, which start at an incredible $475. These are Japanese cartridges, made in Japan by a master craftsman who has figured out an efficient design that doesn’t have to cost a fortune to buy. So the question became: “If Hana can make a cartridge this good and sell it in the US for just $1200, imagine how good an, oh say, $3950 Hana […]

HANA to Launch Umami Red Moving Coil Cartridge

OAKLAND, CA (PTA) — Little gets us more electrified than new phono cartridges from Musical Surroundings. Today HANA made an official announcement of their newest Umami-Red moving coil cartridge. From the pictures and specs they’ve sent us, we all agree it aims to be a world-beater just like the Hana ML which we reviewed earlier this year. The HANA-Umami Red retails for $3,950 USD and sales officially begin on September 22, 2020, which also happens to be Autumnal Equinox Day (秋分の日 or Shūbun no Hi in Japan). Quite nice. Check it out. Press Release and Documents Below HANA UMAMI RED OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Umami Sound means Wonderful Taste in Music The HANA-Umami Red hand-built MC cartridge embodies Umami, officially coined in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda-san as a very pleasing or delicious flavor on the palette, a synergistic effect resulting in higher taste intensity. Hana’s Master cartridge designer Masao Okada-san applies this concept as he combines brilliant materials and classic Japanese techniques with modern audio engineering in creating his HANA-Umami Red MC cartridge. The HANA-Umami Red exclusive Auricle™ body design, mimics the shape of the human outer ear to rigidly support the “Open Air” MC generator. It is machined from […]

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