Hana's deluxe low-output moving coil: a nude Microline stylus, cryogenically treated Alnico motor and damped Delrin body, with the same low-impedance generator used in the Umami Blue.
The M Series is Hana's deluxe line, and it brings four upgrades over the S Series. The stylus is a nude Microline tip that mimics the cutting stylus and sits more precisely in the groove. The body is injection-molded Delrin (POM) with an integral machined brass cap for constrained-layer damping and threaded mounting fittings; the cap takes the weight to 9.5 g for better coupling to a wider range of arms. The pure-iron magnetic circuit, including the front yoke and center and rear parts, is cryogenically treated for a more linear magnetic field, and the coils are wound with high-purity copper wire. The magnet is Alnico, the cantilever aluminum. The ML's generator is the low-impedance design shared with the Umami Blue, wound with very high-purity copper for an 8 Ω coil and 0.4 mV output; Hana says it was adopted to match a broader range of phono preamps.
Herb Reichert in Stereophile called the ML a stunning-sounding, artfully engineered cartridge that loves all music and a fantastic bargain, and Michael Fremer at Analog Planet found it a clear leap beyond the SL. The Audio Beatnik simply found it a joy to use. The ML needs an MC phono stage with about 60 to 66 dB of gain or a step-up transformer, loaded above 100 Ω; 100 to 200 Ω is a good place to start. At 9.5 g and 10 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyne compliance it suits medium-mass tonearms, and the threaded brass cap makes mounting straightforward. The Microline tip wants precise alignment and an arm with adjustable height, and it rewards clean records. If your phono stage has only MM gain, the MH is the same cartridge with 2 mV of output.
| Type | Low-output moving coil (MC) |
| Output | 0.4 mV at 1 kHz |
| Internal impedance | 8 Ω at 1 kHz |
| Recommended load | Greater than 100 Ω |
| Tracking force | 2.0 g (70 µm trackability at 2 g) |
| Compliance | 10 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyne |
| Weight | 9.5 g (16.7 mm tall) |
| Stylus | Nude Microline diamond |
| Cantilever | Aluminum |
| Magnet | Alnico, cryogenically treated pure-iron magnetic circuit |
| Frequency response | 12 Hz – 45 kHz |
| Channel separation / balance | 30 dB at 1 kHz / within 1 dB |
| Body | Delrin (POM) with machined brass cap and threaded mounts, black |
| Also available | Hana MH (2 mV high-output version for MM phono inputs) |
Pearl Audio is an authorized Hana dealer. Call or visit our Portland showroom to talk about matching a cartridge to your tonearm and phono stage.
