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Recommended Component 2024 – Stereophile
"I Love It," Says Stereophile
Hana EL and EH moving coil cartridges represent the best way to upgrade from 'starter' cartridges that typically come packaged with turntables. Weighing in at only 5 grams, and possessing great tracking ability, the Hana EL and EH cartridges feature a distinctive moss green body which houses a sophisticated generator with an aluminum cantilever and synthetic elliptical stylus.
"Recommended Component" Honors
Stereophile honored the Hana EL by awarding it the magazine's coveted Recommend Component status for 2024.
Stereophile magazine's Herb Reichert (reviewing the Hana EL moving coil cartridge in the August 2016 issue) listened to the Hana through an extensive variety of tonearm and phono stage combinations and a plethora of program material, all to great results.
Herb's initial reaction to the cartridge was that "the EL's basic sonic character was highly musical and exceptionally non-mechanical." He continues, "[The Hana EL] demonstrated technicolor mids, liquid (but not overly extended) highs, and a delightful way with plucked double bass." Additional listening yielded more great results, with Mr. Reichert touting its "easygoing musical magic" and its "inexorably real" sound.
Herb's conclusion: "I love it."
More "Best" Honors
Part-Time Audiophile included the Hana EH / EL in its The Best Phono Cartridges, Tonearms and Headshells Buyers Guide 2022, noting, "After mounting this affordable high-output MC on a very expensive table with two tonearms, and against another cartridge that was more than five times the Hana’s cost, we were surprised that the lower bass frequencies were fuller and more satisfying—possibly at the cost of that last bit of inner detail. This is crazy inexpensive for one of the best phono cartridges to feature Japanese high-quality."
Also, ecoustics.com listed the hana EH / EL in its Best Phono Cartridges: 2021 Holiday Buying Guide, with Ian White saying, "An excellent tracker, the EL offers a lush sounding midrange, and slightly rolled-off treble making it an excellent cartridge with a wide range of music and systems."
"Terrific Value for the Money"
Reviewing the EL and the EH, Paul Rigby at TheAudiophileMan.com reports that both cartridges "performed well and both bring genuine advantages to any listening session, while both offer terrific value for money."
"If the vinyl revival continues I see a bright future for the new Hana brand, its excellent price to quality ratio should ensure that," notes René van Es in a February 12, 2016 review for The-Ear.net
Chose Low Output or High Output Versions
The EL cartridge, in case you were wondering, is the low output version. Not totally unexpectedly, the EH is the high output version. EL has an output voltage of 0.5mV, while EH has an output voltage of 2.0mV.
Hana cartridges use the best materials, including alnico magnets, cross-shaped armatures, and proprietary manufacturing processes. Hana has excelled at creating MC cartridges noted worldwide for their sound and value, which retain their 'musical magic' regardless of their phono stage pairing.
