The HANA S Series MK II cartridges are the second generation of one of the most celebrated moving coil designs in modern analog audio. Built by Masao Okada-san at Excel Sound Corporation in Tokyo, these cartridges feature a Shibata stylus profile that reads groove detail with exceptional precision, revealing musical information that simpler styli simply cannot access. The MK II revision refines the original's already strong performance with improved construction and tighter tolerances, delivering the "Brilliant and Gorgeous" sound that earned HANA its worldwide reputation.
The SL MK II (low output, 0.5mV) is the most popular model, requiring a dedicated MC phono stage for best results. The SH MK II (high output, 2.0mV) offers the same Shibata performance with universal compatibility for any moving magnet input. For mono record collectors, the SL Mono MK II is purpose-built for monaural playback, eliminating surface noise and vertical groove distortion that stereo cartridges introduce on mono pressings.
