Hana SL MONO MK II Moving Coil Cartridge, Low Output

Recommended Component 2024 – Stereophile

Editors' Choice Award 2019 – The Absolute Sound

"Recommended" - Hi-Fi Choice

"Solid and Straightforward, with a Well-Balanced Energy"

Get the full sonic experience from new reissued or treasured vintage mono LPs with the Hana Mono SL/SH phono cartridge, available in the low output SL 0.5 mv version and high output SH 1 kHz version.

Think of the Mono SL/SH as the mono version of the highly acclaimed Hana SL Stereo phono cartridge. It features the same alnico magnets, nude natural diamond Shibata stylus, aluminum cantilever, and high-purity copper wire as the Stereo SL.

"Recommended Component" Honors

Stereophile honored the Hana SL Mono by awarding it the magazine's coveted Recommend Component status for 2024.

According to Stereophile, reviewer Herb Reichert "was won over by the SL Mono's 'unprecedented ability to hear everything that had never before been exposed by my spherical-tipped cartridges. Single after single, the Hana SL Mono made sound that was decidedly present, punchy, finely detailed, and liquid.' Unlike those cartridges regarded by purists as true mono pickups—such as EMT's discontinued OFD models—the Hana SL Mono does exhibit vertical compliance, and the output signal appears on both its pairs of output pins."

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," reports The Absolute Sound, magazine, March 2019, handing the Hana SL an Editors' Choice Award. "It represents what any more costly cartridge should offer as a bare minimum – and plenty more."

It also achieved "Recommended" status in the pages of England's Hi-Fi Choice . "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."

"Solid and Straightforward"

"The Hana SL had a unique sonic character: solid and straightforward, with a well-balanced energy throughout all ten octaves of the audio band," reports Herb Reichert in his Stereophile review for October 2018. "The Hana SL and SL Mono delivered those old-school alnico pleasures I cherish: naturally supple viscosity and glowing vivid tone. In addition, both SLs delivered those new-school pleasures I associate with Shibata stylus profiles: "black" background quiet, seductively rendered top octaves, and exquisite inner detail. Each Hana SL played records as if it cost not hundreds but thousands of bucks."

Part-Time Audiophile "Best"

"From the best phono cartridges we’ve seen come out of Japan at this price. 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," notes Part-Time Audiophile, which listed the cartridge in its The Best Phono Cartridges, Tonearms and Headshells Buyers Guide 2022. "The Hana is also quiet in the groove—you may wonder if you lowered your tonearm once you sit down."

"Brilliant and Gorgeous" Hana Cartridges

Hana cartridges are produced by Excel Sound Corporation of Tokyo Japan. Hana means "brilliant and gorgeous." 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

MC moving coil mono phono cartridge
Specially made for mono LPs
Alnico low-impedance generator from Umami Blue and ML
Cryogenic treatment from Umami Red, Umami Blue and ML
Body shape and metal cap with threaded fittings from ML
Tapered aluminum cantilever unique to all S MK II models
Stylus: Nude Diamond Shibata
Low-output design
Body color: Black

Product Specs

Output voltage: 0.4mV / 1kHz
Vertical tracking force: 2 grams
Trackability: 70um / 2 grams
Dynamic compliance: 10 x 10 (-6) cm / dyne
Frequency response: 15-32,000 Hz
Impedance: 23 ohms
Suggested loading: >230Ω
Weight: 8.6 grams
Manufacturer's limited warranty: 2 years

Product Warranty

2 Years

Parts & Labor

Hana Warranty Information

Recommended Component 2024 – Stereophile

Stereophile's Herb Reichert "was won over by the SL Mono's 'unprecedented ability to hear everything that had never before been exposed by my spherical-tipped cartridges. Single after single, the Hana SL Mono made sound that was decidedly present, punchy, finely detailed, and liquid.' Unlike those cartridges regarded by purists as true mono pickups—such as EMT's discontinued OFD models—the Hana SL Mono does exhibit vertical compliance, and the output signal appears on both its pairs of output pins."

- Stereophile, March 15, 2024

Editors' Choice Award 2019 – 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

The Best Phono Cartridges, Tonearms and Headshells Buyers Guide 2022 - Part-Time Audiophile

"From the best phono cartridges we’ve seen come out of Japan at this price. 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."

- Editorial Staff, Part-Time Audiophile, November 26, 2021

"Recommended" - Hi-Fi Choice

"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 magazine

"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

"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 preamp then the high output version is a no brainer."

- HifiPig.com

"The Hana SL had a unique sonic character: solid and straightforward, with a well-balanced energy throughout all ten octaves of the audio band."

The Hana SL and SL Mono delivered those old-school alnico pleasures I cherish: naturally supple viscosity and glowing vivid tone. In addition, both SLs delivered those new-school pleasures I associate with Shibata stylus profiles: "black" background quiet, seductively rendered top octaves, and exquisite inner detail. Each Hana SL played records as if it cost not hundreds but thousands of bucks."

- Herb Reichert, Stereophile, October 2018