Hana SH/SL Moving Coil Cartridge

Recommended Component 2023 – Stereophile

"Recommended" - Hi-Fi Choice Magazine

"Singers and Instruments Sound Denser and More Real"

Distinguished by their black body, the Hana SL and SH moving coil phono cartridges provide tighter channel balance, greater channel separation, and improved high-frequency extension compared to their EH and EL counterparts. The SL and SH models also feature an upgraded Shibata stylus.

"Recommended Component" Honors

Stereophile honored the Hana SL by awarding it the magazine's coveted Recommend Component status for 2023.

According to Stereophile, "Herb Reichert wrote about the Hana SL almost immediately after reviewing a slew of $5000+ cartridges, and observed that switching to the $750 Hana 'did not feel like a depressing step down.' At the business end of the Hana's aluminum cantilever is a Shibata stylus—cause, HR says, for the user to give 'more-than-usual care' to cartridge alignment and downforce and antiskating settings—and deep in the Hana SL's plastic-bodied heart is an alnico magnet, to which Herb attributes the cartridge's timbral realism and ability to make 'singers and instruments sound denser and more real.'

"A No Brainer"

The Hana SL won the coveted "Recommended" honors from England's Hi-Fi Choice magazine. According to Neville Roberts, "The Hana-SL gives a really sophisticated performance, which is very involving and refined… Both (Hana-SL & Hana-SH) are superb cartridges and are strong challengers to rival big-name brands at the price."

"I really liked these cartridges as they were fuss free and just got on with their job of producing great music," notes HifiPig.com. "The low output for me was better but this doesn’t mean the high output was poor or wouldn’t be preferred by some listeners. If you only have a moving magnet input on your amp or pre amp then the high output version is a no brainer."

2019 Editors' Choice Award –The Absolute Sound

The Absolute Sound honored the Hana with a 2019 Editors' Choice Award. "The $750 Hana SL is the gem of the Excel lineup and can easily fit any turntable/arm combo that will accommodate a 0.5mV output… It represents what any more costly cartridge should offer as a bare minimum – and plenty more."

Chose Low Output or High Output Versions

The SL cartridge is the low output version, while the SH is the high output version. SL has an output voltage of 0.5mV, and the SH 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.

Product Features

Distinctive black body
Sophisticated generator
Stylus shape: Shibata
Aluminum cantilever

Product Specs

Output voltage: SH: 2mV; SL: 0.5mV
Internal ohms: SH: 130Ω / 1kHz; SL: 30Ω / 1kHz
Suggested loading: SH: 47kΩ; SL: >400Ω
Weight: 5.0 grams
Tracking: 2.0 grams
Manufacturer's limited warranty: 2 years

Product Warranty

2 Years

Parts & Labor

Hana Warranty Information

Recommended Component 2023 – Stereophile

"Herb Reichert wrote about the Hana SL almost immediately after reviewing a slew of $5000+ cartridges, and observed that switching to the $750 Hana 'did not feel like a depressing step down.' At the business end of the Hana's aluminum cantilever is a Shibata stylus—cause, HR says, for the user to give 'more-than-usual care' to cartridge alignment and downforce and antiskating settings—and deep in the Hana SL's plastic-bodied heart is an alnico magnet, to which Herb attributes the cartridge's timbral realism and ability to make 'singers and instruments sound denser and more real.'

- Stereophile, April 1, 2023

"Recommended" - Hi-Fi Choice Magazine

"The Hana-SL gives a really sophisticated performance, which is very involving and refined… Both (Hana-SL & Hana-SH) are superb cartridges and are strong challengers to rival big-name brands at the price."

- Neville Roberts, Hi-Fi Choice

2019 Editors' Choice Award – The Absolute Sound

"The $750 Hana SL is the gem of the Excel lineup and can easily fit any turntable/arm combo that will accommodate a 0.5mV output."

"It represents what any more costly cartridge should offer as a bare minimum – and plenty more."

- The Absolute Sound, March 2019

"I really liked these cartridges as they were fuss free and just got on with their job of producing great music. The low output for me was better but this doesn’t mean the high output was poor or wouldn’t be preferred by some listeners. If you only have a moving magnet input on your amp or pre amp then the high output version is a no brainer."

- HifiPig.com

"The Hana (EL and EH) get a solid recommendation for their $475 price point. The Hana-SH gets an easy recommendation for the sub-$999 category and quite possibly beyond. The Hana-SL is the gem of the lineup and can easily fit in any ’table/’arm combination that will accommodate a 0.5mV output. With the Hana-SL, the user can rest assured the cartridge will support the next ’table/’arm “upgrade” and will provide a clear baseline from which to judge if any future cartridge “upgrade” is warranted. The Hana-SL is strongly being considered as an addition to my choices of moving-coil cartridges to use for ’table/’arm evaluations and—more importantly—musical enjoyment. Yes, it’s that good."

- The Absolute Sound, High-End Audio Buyer’s Guide 2017

"We called this LOMC from Japan a 'killer sub-$1000 cartridge,' noting that it lacks any sort of pretense and is made for those who honestly love music. The Hana is also quiet in the groove—you may wonder if you lowered your tonearm once you sit down."

- parttimeaudiophile.com - 2018 Editors' Choice Buyer's Guide, December 2018