My Sonic Lab Signature Platinum

@sfischer1  Steve hope all is well with you. I am a little surprised that you would go away from your Koetsu Onyx Platinum to the Umami! How would you describe the Umami against a highly resolving cartridge like a Lyra? What ( for you, as I realize that the presentation from these cartridge models is highly personal as to its desire) made you go from Koetsu to Umami? The cartridge in the OP is quite a special piece, too bad it is multiples of its price here in the US vs. in Japan! 

@audioquest4life,The impressions were broad and personal and may not work for someone else.  The price of modern phono cartridges has little relation to the cost of the design elements once you get above about 3K. The Umami at 4K is not cheap in absolute terms.

I kinda detailed my impressions of the physical stylus characteristics of the Umami which didn't impress me, but didn't result in a bad performance either.  Nice diamond and cantilever, but  crude mounting.  As I wrote earlier, who knows? Maybe the mounting method is why it sounds good.

Try it.

@sfischer1,

Interested to understand the reasoning behind you replacing the Koetsu Onyx with the Umami Red. I understand the Umami Red is a culmination of combined trickle down technology derived from higher end phono cartridges. Due to constant experimenting by designers, we arrive to these new types of cartridges such as the Unami Red. What did you like or prefer on the Red over the Onyx? How were the dynamics and voicing between the two? Sounds like a bargain if one is willing to dispel the Onyx for the Red. 

So now, I only have Anna - Cadenza Black Mono - Umami Red which I use interchangeably. If a record sounds too cool, I’ll use the Anna, too warm, the Red.

I had an ART-1000 and it was a very competent high end cartridge with a very cool/interesting implementation. I found it to lie between my Transfiguraton Proteus and Ortofon Anna (neutral to rich) which meant I couldn’t justify keeping it.
Later I got a Koetsu Onyx which replaced my Proteus.
I now have a Hana Umami Red, which I like a lot. It is more dynamic and detailed than my Anna and I decided to let it replace the Koetsu Onyx that I liked a lot.
Interestingly, the Umami Red had the "crudest" diamond mount, even compared to the awesome value for money AT ART-9. Perhaps that blob of epoxy is what makes the Red sound so good?

How do you like the Art 1000?

How is the Hana ?

Mine comes in next week.  I also own a Art1000, Hana Umami, MSL ultra eminent Ex, and Eminent EX.  I am assuming this one is going to be the next level 

How about now?

nobody so far.

Nobody?