Master cartridge designer Masao Okada-san refines Hana's globally acclaimed S Series — with a new tapered aluminium cantilever, cryogenically treated components, and elite-grade materials — for a brilliantly musical listening experience.

A Legend, Refined

The Hana SL MK II is the next evolution of one of the world's best-selling phono cartridges. Building on the remarkable foundation of the original S Series, master designer Masao Okada-san has implemented a series of carefully considered enhancements that draw directly from Hana's higher-priced elite models — bringing greater clarity, natural musicality, and expanded compatibility to a cartridge already beloved by audiophiles worldwide.

The result is a moving coil cartridge that embodies Hana's defining philosophy: brilliant and gorgeous sound.

A New Cantilever — Precision Where It Matters Most

At the heart of the MK II upgrade is a new tapered aluminium cantilever with increased rigidity and reduced effective mass at the stylus tip. This precision engineering directly improves the transfer of groove modulation from vinyl to the cartridge generator — retrieving more musical information, with greater clarity and speed, than its predecessor.

Paired with a Shibata stylus profile, the SL MK II tracks the finest groove details with extraordinary accuracy, making it equally at home with standard and high-frequency cut records.

Cryogenically Treated for Natural Sound

Critical internal components — including the Yoke, Pole-pieces, and gold terminal pins — have undergone cryogenic treatment, a process borrowed from Hana's elite cartridge range. This deep-cold process relieves microscopic stress in the metal, resulting in a more natural, open, and composed sound across the entire frequency range.

A Generator Worthy of the Name

The SL MK II's generator is the same architecture found in the Hana Umami Blue and ML — among the most celebrated cartridges in Hana's lineup. It incorporates an Alnico magnet and a cross-coil wound with high-purity 30-micron copper wire, delivering an 8Ω impedance that strikes an ideal balance between signal-to-noise performance, moving mass reduction, and compatibility with a wide range of phono stages.

The lower moving mass translates directly to higher resolution and improved trackability — subtleties in the music that other cartridges simply miss.

A Body Built for Performance and Compatibility

The MK II features an improved, non-resonant body shape modelled after the Hana M Series, damped with a matte soft-feel black elastomeric resin paint. A brass cap with threaded cartridge mounting fittings provides secure, precise installation, while the slightly heavier overall mass offers better tonearm coupling and expanded compatibility across a wider range of tonearms — with measurable improvements in bass weight and dynamic authority.

What You'll Experience

• Greater musical detail and groove resolution from every record
• A more natural, open, and composed tonal character
• Improved bass weight, dynamics, and rhythmic precision
• Wider compatibility with phono stages and tonearms
• The hallmark Hana "brilliant and gorgeous" sound, elevated

Key Features

• New Tapered Aluminium Cantilever — Increased rigidity and reduced effective mass for improved signal transfer
• Shibata Stylus Profile — Exceptional groove tracing for standard and high-frequency records
• Alnico Magnet Generator — As found in the Umami Blue and ML; high-purity 30-micron copper cross-coil
• Cryogenically Treated Components — Yoke, pole-pieces, and gold terminal pins for natural sound
• Non-Resonant M Series Body Shape — Matte soft-feel black elastomeric resin damping
• Brass Cap with Threaded Mounting — Secure, precise installation
• 8Ω Impedance — Optimised for a broad range of phono stages (>80Ω load recommended)
• 0.4mV Output — Low-output MC for use with suitable MC phono stages

Technical Specifications