92%
Hana Hana SL MK II
The MK II upgrade to our globally best-selling Hana S series cartridges enhances their musical performance and value. Master cartridge designer Masao Okada-san implements a new tapered Aluminum cantilever with increased rigidity, resulting in a remarkable improvement in transferring groove modulation from the vinyl record to the cartridge generator. The S Series MK II cartridges feature higher specified parts, advanced materials, and unique technical processes from Hana’s higher-priced elite cartridge models, furthering the Hana “brilliant and gorgeous” sound.
Hana S Series MK II cartridges use a new tapered aluminum cantilever with higher rigidity and effective mass reduction at the stylus tip. This results in greater clarity and increased music transfer from vinyl records to cartridge generator.
Critical parts, including the Yoke, Pole-pieces, and gold Terminal pins, have been cryogenically treated for a more natural sound.
The improved, non-resonant body shape, modeled after the Hana M Series, is damped with a matte Soft Feel Black elastomeric resin paint and features a brass cap with threaded cartridge mounting fittings. The heavier MK II cartridges offer better coupling and expanded compatibility with a wider range of tonearms, improving bass and dynamics.
The SL MK II generator, as found in the Umami Blue and ML, incorporates an Alnico magnet and cross-coil using high-purity 30-micron copper wire with an 8Ω impedance. This improves signal-to-noise, reduces moving mass for higher resolution and trackability, and optimizes performance for a broader range of phono stages.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
Professional Reviews 92/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
92/100
Build Quality
90/100
Features Usability
88/100
Value for Money
93/100
Open soundstage, refined detail, and a slightly warm, musical balance define the Hana SL MK II. Ken Redmond hears a major leap over the original, while Peter Familari praises its transparency, coherence, and spacious imaging. With a tapered aluminum cantilever and Shibata stylus, it brings lively, low-fatigue analog listening into sharp focus.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Delivers a larger, more open soundstage with strong left-right imaging and front-to-back depth.
Offers detailed, transparent, and coherent playback with natural vocal tone and good musical flow.
Improved MK II design adds a tapered aluminum cantilever, brass top plate, and easier mounting while broadening tonearm compatibility.
Viewed as strong value, with reviewers saying the price increase is justified by the performance jump and that it competes above its class.
&
Cons
Does not fully match far more expensive cartridges for ultimate top-end openness or deepest bass extension.
Still benefits from careful system matching and setup to realize its best performance.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
Reviewers consistently describe the SL MK II as more open, more detailed, and more musically alive than the original SL. They also praise its natural vocal tone, balanced presentation, and the way it handles complex music with good flow and expression.
Overall Sound
92/100
Ken Redmond calls it a "quantum leap in performance" with more openness on top, better dynamics, and greater retrieval of information, while StereoNET describes it as transparent, even-tempered, and highly detailed. Both reviews point to a slightly warm but very balanced sound that stays engaging without becoming fatiguing.
Tracking Retrieval
90/100
The cartridge is praised for revealing more information, preserving micro and macro dynamic shifts, and digging into vocals and instrumental textures with ease. There is one note that it falls short of ultimate openness and bass depth, but the overall evidence is of strong groove tracing and excellent retrieval for the class.
Soundstage Imaging
93/100
Reviewers explicitly highlight a larger soundstage, wall-to-wall lateral imaging, and commendable front-to-back depth. The MK II is also described as opening the soundstage during complex passages, which supports a very strong spatial presentation.
FEATURES USABILITY PERFORMANCE 88/100
The added mass of the brass top plate is said to make the cartridge more compatible with a broader range of tonearms and improve coupling to the headshell. Reviewers also suggest it works well in quality mid- to upper-level arm combinations, though it still benefits from sensible matching and setup.
Tonearm Compatibility
88/100
Ken Redmond says the increased mass makes it more compatible with a broader range of tonearms, and StereoNET notes that it can be mounted in top-ranking arms like the SME V and work to full potential. That said, reviewers still frame it as happiest in well-matched mid- to upper-level setups.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
90/100
The reviews point to a well-made cartridge with a nude Shibata stylus, tapered aluminum cantilever, cryo-treated generator parts, and a brass top plate with threaded mounting holes. StereoNET also notes careful stylus mounting with no excess adhesive, reinforcing the sense of solid execution.
Value for Money
93/100
Both reviews are strongly positive about value, with language such as "bargain," "exceptional musical value," and "punches well above its weight." The $100 price increase is presented as easily justified by the performance jump, and StereoNET says it competes with cartridges priced up to $1500.
Reviews
Online Reviews & Mentions
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
All Dealers
Zoom out the map to see more dealers
Authorized dealers for Hana Hana SL MK II
- In Living Stereo — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- The Audio Association — in-store — Anaheim, California, United States (website)
- The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
- 3mA Audio — online and in-store — Houston, Texas, United States (website)
- A/V Solutions — in-store — Pleasanton, California, United States (website)
- Absolute Audio - Canada — in-store — Calgary, Alberta, Canada (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Acoustic Streams — in-store — Lower Drift, England, United Kingdom (website)
- AES — in-store — Mitte, Hessen, Germany (website)
- ALAIN CHOUKROUN — online and in-store — Paris, Île-de-France, France (website)
and 231 more verified dealers