Hana's best-selling low-output moving coil, now with the Alnico low-impedance generator from the Umami Blue and ML, a tapered cantilever, cryogenic treatment and a heavier damped body.
The S Series MK II is master designer Masao Okada's update to Hana's best-selling cartridges. The headline change is a new tapered aluminum cantilever with higher rigidity and less mass at the tip, carrying the same nude diamond Shibata stylus. The yoke, pole pieces and gold-plated terminal pins are now cryogenically treated, a process borrowed from the Umami Red, Umami Blue and ML. The body is reshaped along the lines of the M Series, damped with a matte soft-feel black elastomeric paint, and topped with a brass cap that carries threaded mounting holes. That cap raises the weight from the original's 5 g to 8.6 g, which Hana says gives better coupling and compatibility with a wider range of tonearms. The biggest change inside is the generator: the SL MK II uses the Alnico cross-coil design found in the Umami Blue and ML, wound with high-purity 30-micron copper wire for an 8 Ω impedance. Output is 0.4 mV. Hana says the new generator improves signal-to-noise, reduces moving mass for better resolution and tracking, and suits a broader range of phono stages.
The Absolute Sound gave the SL MK II a 2025 Golden Ear Award. Andre Jennings heard admirable harmonic richness, very good transparency and excellent soundstage depth, with bass that is more agile and extends deeper than the original SL, bringing the cartridge a few steps closer to neutral than the old SL's warmer balance. It plays well with every kind of music. Plan on an MC phono stage with about 60 to 66 dB of gain or a step-up transformer, loaded at 80 Ω or higher; 100 Ω is a good starting point. At 8.6 g and 10 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyne compliance it is a medium-compliance cartridge for medium-mass tonearms. As with any Shibata, careful alignment and adjustable arm height pay off.
| Type | Low-output moving coil (MC) |
| Output | 0.4 mV at 1 kHz |
| Internal impedance | 8 Ω at 1 kHz |
| Recommended load | 80 Ω or greater |
| Tracking force | 2.0 g (70 µm trackability at 2 g) |
| Compliance | 10 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyne |
| Weight | 8.6 g |
| Stylus | Nude diamond Shibata |
| Cantilever | Tapered aluminum |
| Magnet | Alnico |
| Frequency response | 15 Hz – 32 kHz |
| Channel separation / balance | 28 dB at 1 kHz / within 1.5 dB |
| Body | Black, soft-feel elastomeric paint, brass cap with threaded mounts |
| Also available | Hana SH MK II (2 mV high-output version) and SL Mono MK II |
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.
