HANA Umami Red (UR)

Japanese Master
With the Umami Red MC system, Hana presents its undisputed masterpiece. Even the name of the noble flagship is associated with a taster in a class of its own. The Japanese word umami is used to describe a hearty, intense flavor that is considered the fifth gustatory characteristic alongside sweet, sour, salty and bitter. The audiophile gourmet will therefore be delighted by an Umami Red with a “spicy, tasty” sound image that presents realistic timbres and clearly defined bodies in a seemingly infinitely wide image.

From a technical point of view, Hana chief developer Masao Okada-san chose the finest ingredients in pickup construction. He designed the CNC-machined duralumin housing as an Auricle™ body to fulfill the goal of an acoustically effective sandwich construction with ebony edging on the front. The shape, carved out of an A7075 aluminum block, imitates the physique of the outer human ear. This provides the elaborately rebuilt open-air generator with an acoustically effective working environment that significantly eliminates any resonances.

The red Urushi lacquer finish, which is applied using a traditional process, is another step towards perfection thought through by the master craftsman. Japanese craftsmanship is skillfully combined with the finest precision mechanics in the Umami Red. Powerful Samarium Cobalt magnets and a cryogenically optimized generator form the energetic heart. Hana uses a naked gemstone with a microline cut as the diamond. This guarantees maximum fine resolution and pleasantly smooth running. The lightweight and extremely rigid needle carrier is made of the rare semi-metal boron. This ensures effective and low-discoloration mechanical transmission of the groove deflection from the vinyl. PEEK is the material of choice for the carrier plate of the 24 carat gold-plated connector pins.

With Hana, it is obviously also the small details that contribute to this dream pickup. Ultimately, however, the wonderful musicality of an Umami Red cannot be explained by simply listing the technical details. The amazing magic of Okada-san's top system can only be experienced with music.