Hana EH

This Hana EH cartridge breaks established conventions by offering moving coil technology with the ease of use of a moving magnet. The result of fifty years of Japanese expertise, it combines carefully selected materials and artisanal assembly to deliver remarkable musicality at a controlled price.

Handcrafted Construction and Thoughtful Technical Choices

The delicately molded green ABS shell provides excellent damping properties at just 5 grams. The 24-carat gold-plated connectors ensure optimal transmission and durability. The aluminum cantilever perfectly balances rigidity and lightness, while the synthetic elliptical diamond undergoes meticulous polishing and rigorous selection.

Manual assembly by Excel Sound’s craftsmen remains the true asset. Each cartridge benefits from watchmaker-level precision, with coils wound using 4N copper wire (99.99% pure), directly contributing to the characteristic sonic transparency.

Overwinding: An Elegant Technical Solution

The EH uses overwinding to achieve a 2 mV output while retaining the advantages of a moving coil. This technique increases the number of coil turns, generating a voltage compatible with a standard 47 kΩ load—identical to MM cartridges.

The practical advantage is significant: compatibility with any MM preamp, eliminating the need for a specialized MC stage. Excel Sound has mastered this technology to preserve finesse and subtlety, avoiding the aggressiveness found in some competing overwound MCs.

Sound Signature and Musical Qualities

Listening reveals a coherence that favors naturalness. The 15 Hz – 25 kHz response offers a welcome touch of warmth. The bass remains deep and articulate, the midrange is the main strength with remarkably textured vocals and material timbres without artificial presence.

The treble takes a silky approach, forgiving poor pressings while revealing the finesse of the best recordings. The 25 dB separation allows for a stable and deep stereo image. Tracking at 70 μm with 2 grams negotiates dynamic passages without distortion, even on inner grooves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this cartridge really work with a standard MM preamp?

Yes, that’s precisely the advantage of overwinding, which brings the output level up to 2 mV. Any properly designed MM preamp will be suitable, though a sensitive model is recommended to fully exploit the cartridge’s potential. Some users may need to slightly increase the gain compared to a typical MM.

What’s the difference with the low-output EL version?

The EL delivers 0.5 mV and absolutely requires an MC preamp with a load above 400 Ω. Both share the same construction, but the EL theoretically offers slightly greater dynamics and a more analytical character, whereas the EH favors a warmer and more forgiving approach.

How does it compare to high-end MM cartridges?

The EH brings the tracking finesse and detail resolution typical of moving coils, with more precise transient reproduction than an equivalent MM. The trade-off is that you cannot replace just the stylus: the entire cartridge must be replaced or reconditioned at the end of its life.

Technical Specifications

Construction and Materials

• Cartridge type: high-output moving coil
• Stylus: synthetic elliptical
• Cantilever: aluminum

Electrical Characteristics

• Output level: 2 mV / 1 kHz
• Coil impedance: 130 Ω / 1 kHz
• Recommended load impedance: 47 kΩ

Mechanical Performance

• Recommended tracking force: 2 g
• Groove tracking: 70 µm / 2 g
• Compliance at 10 Hz: 16 × 10⁻⁶ cm / dyne
• Compliance at 100 Hz: 10 × 10⁻⁶ cm / dyne

Audio Performance

• Frequency response: 15 – 25,000 Hz
• Channel separation: 25 dB / 1 kHz
• Channel balance: > 2 dB / 1 kHz

General Specifications

• Weight: 5 g