About 12 years ago when I got my hands on a Clearaudio Goldfinger (from Musical Surroundings’ Garth Leerer) I felt I finally made it to the top of the mountain. It was the first time I had ever mounted and set up a fifteen thousand dollar cartridge. I was sweating like a heart surgeon through the whole process, but once it was optimized for my AVID Acutus Reference table, the sound was heavenly. I’ve had a number of primo phono cartridges pass through over the years, but the Goldfinger is still my favorite cartridge of all time.
Why am I telling you this in the context of the Hana Blue and Red review? Because on one level I couldn’t live with the Goldfinger. Be careful what you wish for. It was like dating a supermodel, and I just didn’t have enough self-esteem to pull it off. It was so good, I was always afraid it was going to break up with me, or break, in no uncertain terms. I wouldn’t let anyone near my turntable out of sheer panic. “Get away from my turntable!” came out of my mouth too often. So, after a few years I passed it on to a friend. But I still miss that sound every day.
Another reason for me not keeping a five-figure phono cartridge around as a reference is the level of turntables I own and my record collection. I don’t have a $350,000 turntable, or a gaggle of first pressing British this and that. I have pretty good records. A ton of MoFis, a fair amount of the Music Matters Jazz pressings, some ORGs and such. However, up until recently the gap between the five figure cartridges and the $2,500 – $5,000 carts was a wide one. Is a Goldfinger worth the money? If you want that experience, that’s what it costs. Is a Ferrari worth that much more than a Porsche? Same thing.
The gap has closed
Whether it’s ongoing R&D, or just more interest in vinyl these days, the cartridges in the $2,500 – $5000 range has closed in dramatically on the cost no object cartridges. Hey, in the late 70s a Porsche 911 Turbo was 256 horsepower, and it was a supercar. Today a base, 4-cylinder turbo Boxster pumps out 300, and everyone says it’s not enough.
Whenever we’ve had the opportunity to compare the mega cartridges to the almost mega cartridges, the biggest delta always makes itself more known on a highly resolving system and the perfect records. After a fair amount of time with both cartridges on a few different turntables (SME 20 w/SME iV.Vi arm, the new Luxman PD-191, and the Linn LP-12) I’ve come away thrilled about the level of performance both of these cartridges offer. Each of the test tables imparts its own sonic signature to the presentation, but overall the voice of the Hanas comes through loud and clear.
Decisions
From looking at the spec sheets, the two cartridges look fairly similar on paper, with both cartridges sporting a microline stylus mounted to a boron cantilever. The coils in the Red are wound on a square iron former and uses a Samarium Cobalt magnet. It has a slightly tighter channel balance spec, as well as a frequency response that extends down to 10Hz, versus 15 Hz for the Blue. The Blue uses a cross-coil former and ALNICO magnet. The Red has a 6-ohm coil impedance, where the blue has 8, corresponding to about a 60-ohm loading and 80 respectively. Make no mistake, both cartridges offer excellent bass response.
Both cartridges use a Duralumin body with Auricle design to more securely mount the generator. However, the Red incorporates an ebony wood insert into the Duralumin body and the Blue uses POM. The Blue uses a melamine thermosetting process finish (much like what you see on some speakers that seem too smooth to be paint) to finish the body, the Red sports red Urushi lacquer. On a transducer, the most minute details make a difference in the final sound.
Final tweeks and setup
Both of these cartridges proved easy to set up with the Analog Magik tools and Acoustic Sciences SmartTractor. Suggested tracking force is 2 grams and that proved to be right on the money. I noticed a couple of reviews on the red where another reviewer mentioned that 1.98 grams was perfection, but I must admit I can no longer hear the difference that .02 grams makes in tracking force anymore, nor am I that pedantic. I think you’ll be safe with 2 grams. It’s worth mentioning that I used the Clearaudio Weight Watcher digital tracking force gauge (now the newest model) for all measurements.
A bigger difference came with loading. Using the Pass XP-27 phonostage (with settings at 50, 100, and 160 ohms) The Red sounds more alive and open at 50 ohms, where the Blue delivers the best performance at 100 ohms. Ditto for the Backert Labs phono. Interestingly, when using the Nagra Classic phono on its MM input with the Quadratic MC step up transformer, the difference in the upper registers was not as marked between the Blue and the Red cartridge.
The new CH Precision I1 integrated is in for review, with it’s integral phonostage featuring transimpedance/current loading via an ADC, and all EQ done in the digital domain, and oddly this setup delivered the widest difference in performance between the two cartridges.
Character
Both cartridges are more resolving and have less tonal warmth than Hana’s previous top of the line, their ML/MH cartridges – also a top value choice at $1,200. Much like the Koetsu cartridges I’ve owned and reviewed, the Hana cartridges all maintain the silky midrange characteristics permeating their overall designs. Yet as you go up the range there is more resolution, a larger soundstage, and more dynamic punch. Refinement in every way. I’ll stick my neck out and say the overall tonal balance is as near perfection as it gets without spending five figures. Big, broad, open, and natural with the slightest bit of tonal saturation makes these cartridges a sheer joy to play all of your records – not just the finest ones in your collection.
As mentioned earlier, the sheer force and character of the lower registers is indeed impressive. Tracking through favorites from Thomas Dolby, Massive Attack, and even Pink Floyd, the Hanas deliver powerful bass, with speed and detail. An equally refined high end compliments the rest. Whether you are a fan of solo vocalists, acoustic music, or the heaviest rock, these cartridges really reveal what analog is all about. Going back and forth between the Hana Red and my reference dCS Vivaldi ONE (even the APEX model we had in for review while mine is out for upgrade) still shows that analog has that last gasp of “reach out and touch it” that the world’s finest digital comes incredibly close to, but….
The Hanas provide a sense of tonal realism on so many levels, making it incredibly easy to dive into the music and forget about everything else. For me, that’s a home run. Even though they take about 10-20 hours to be all they can be, you’ll notice it from the second you put the tonearm down.
The main difference between the Red and Blue is in the resolving of the finest musical details, and again, the better your system and records, the more you will notice it. If you’ve ever wet sanded a car before polishing, or a piece of fine furniture, it’s like the difference between 1500 grit sandpaper and 3000 grit. Again, if your musical tastes lean more towards heavier rock, hip hop and techno, you might not even hear the diff between the two. Those listening to more classical, stringed acoustic instruments and vocalists will pick up on it immediately. Anything with a piano or violin and you’ll hear it easily, Iron Maiden, not so much.
So, which one should I buy?
The Blue probably delivers 80% of the performance of the Red, but if you have the money and the system, that extra 20% of performance is still good money spent. Considering how little residual value used cartridges command (unless selling to a close friend that knows exactly how many hours are on the clock and how well you’ve taken care of it) I’d still push you in the direction of the Red, but I’m great at spending your money. However, if you do just pick up the Blue, you won’t be unhappy. How’s that for sounding like a politician?
We’ve purchased both and you’ll be seeing a lot more of these in both Chris Harr’s system and mine as we use them as references for a lot more analog reviews in the future. I feel that the Hana Blue and Hana Red offer such a high level of sheer performance and refinement, that they are more than worthy of a Product of the Year award, along with our #toneaudioapproved award for the Blue. (the Red was purchased last year) I can’t think of another pair of cartridges that we’ve reviewed in TONE’s 20-year history that have offered this much performance per dollar. – Chris Harr and Jeff Dorgay
Peripherals
Preamplifier Pass Labs XS Pre, Conrad-Johnson ART 88
Phonostage Pass Labs XP-27, Nagra Classic Phono (w/classic power supply) Backert Labs Rhumba 1.1
Turntables Linn LP-12, SME 20 w/SME iV.Vi tonearm, Luxman PD-191A
Power Amplifiers Pass Labs XA200.8, PS Audio BHK 600 monos
Integrated CH Precision I1
Speakers Peak Consult Sinfonia
Cable Cardas Clear Beyond and Tellurium Q Black Diamond
