Hana MC Moving-Coil Stereo Cartridge with Nude Microline Tip - ML (Low Output)

All of my "audiophile wannabe" life I've opted for Moving Magnet cartridges rather Moving Coil primarily for two reasons: (1) My turntables were direct drive, which MC carts are said to pick up the motor noise due to their extreme sensitivity (2) The cost. I have a Red and Blue ortolan 2Ms, as well as the discontinued Audio Technica AT150 MLX. Very nice sound. Never had any complaints, but slowly as I read more articles on the subject of MCs, my curiosity increased. Since I already own a belt drive TT and a pre amp that can handle both MM and MCs, plus the fact that I sold a lot of unwanted LPs online and had Amazon points, which covered half of the already discounted price, and the rave reviews north here and on audiophile sites.... I took The Leap Of Faith. The ML cartridge is heavy, and tracks at 2 grams. I got as far as 1.8, and I played a variety of both new and older records. What is amazing about this is that even when I'm not consciously looking for it, I hear instruments and a clearer definition of the music. For years I thought it was all "audio foolery" and sales talk, but it is true. It is generally believed or accepted that it takes about 100 hours of play to "break in" a MC cartridge, but so far the results are very positive, and I don't really play albums that much anymore. It will take me a long time to "break in" the cartridge at 100 hours, especially since I don't intend to play them on certain types of albums that are really not worth the effort (or cost) to play them with a truly good unit, as they were never great recordings to begin with: Ramones, early Stones, KISS, latin records, etc... Bottom line: I recommend this cartridge. From what I've heard with my own ears, and I didn't believe you could squeeze any better sound from an LP, this has been proven not true. You will enjoy your albums again as if you heard them for the first time, and discovering new sounds and nuances you didn't think existed. Remixing old albums now is the new trend, but when you have a cartridge such as this one, there is no need for it anymore. Buy yourself something nice for Christmas. Read the specs, reviews, and don't skimp. Don't go crazy either. It will be worth the cost.

I am still rocking this as my top-tier turntable cartridge aside my Audio-Technica AT-OC9XSL(and as much as I am partial to AT, there's no comparison). Spendy yes, worth the money, yes. Closest thing to a 'giant killer' cartridge that I've been exposed to so far. Highly recommend. Grade: A

This cartridge sounded much better than my previous cartridge right out of the box but after about 20-30 hours of play, the soundstage opened up and placement of individual instruments was evident. I’m hearing from other owners that the cartridge will continue to improve out to about 100 hrs give or take. Right now, beautiful detailed highs clear mids and strong but tight bass. The veil has been lifted.

I had the Hana SL before and loved it. Its life was cut short after only a few years thanks to a 4-year-old. I always wondered if I should have spent the money and gone with the ML, so I decided to pull the trigger and go for it this time. I am so happy I did. The sound is amazing. Just when I thought the detail couldn't get any better, it did. I would highly recommend this cartridge to any audiophile who can spend this kind of money and looking for amazing detail.

Pro Sounds awesome. Great bass, mids and highs. Awesome stylus design. Hana has good service if you have an issue. cons Needs step up transformer to sound best. Sounds better with tube preamp (Rogue) than class A transistor. You really need a good turntable to use this. At least $500 class. Kind of heavy for many turntables.

Mounted this on a PolyTable with 12.6" Sorane TA-1L Tonearm. It's an amazing sounding cartridge. It does have a Nude Mico-Line stylus so requires precision setup to insure proper performance. Once dialed in, it has amazing tone from top to bottom. Perfect Highs, powerful lows, an incredible mid-range. If you have a decent tonearm with full range of adjustability and the tools to get the job done proper, you can't go wrong with this cartridge. Excel Sound Corporation knows how to make Phono Carts and the HANA ML is a prime example of this!!! HIGHLY Recommended for finer Turntable/Tonearms. Phono PreAmp: Southerland KC Vibe Mk II Gain: 60db Loading: 200 ohm Geometric Alignment: Hi-Fi News Test LP & Dennesen Soundtraktor

Could not be more pleased with the performance of the Hana ML. I'm running it on a Clearaudio Concept Wood TT into whestTwo.2 phono pre, Arcam A49 integrated, and Sonus Faber Lumina V. Significant step up from the AT 540ML and Sumiko Moonstone I was using before.

I found this cartridge to perform at a high level. It does however need a little time to break it in. I would estimate somewhere between 25- 50 hours