NEWS ARCHIVE

"It would be hard to think of anything grander, at least when it comes to LP reproduction, than the new DS Audio Grand Master. This superlative device truly represents a revolution in analog playback, liberating LPs, as far as possible, from any residual dynamic constraints to strut their stuff. " - Jacob Heilbrunn, TAS

"The Umami Red is the best-sounding cartridge to come from the Excel factory, and I've heard a number of them...the Umami Red provides deliciously enjoyable class-leading performance compared with cartridges in the same price range." Andre Jennings, The Absolute Sound | 2021 Golden Ear Awards

Jon Valin’s review in The Absolute Sound’s Analog Issue is subtitled "Setting a Standard—Again” and he concludes: "This is a great cartridge...In his sterling review of the Grand Master in HFNRR, Ken Kessler said something he seldom says about products under review. To wit, this is possibly the best cartridge he’s ever heard. I hate to be a copycat, but…ditto."

"The beauty of the Clearaudio Concept Active approach is that the turntable can be a beginning or an end in itself—the start of a well-dressed audio chain or, with a proper set of headphones, a case-closed complete system" - Neil Gader, The Absolute Sound

"The Clearaudio had a knack for making records sing.”

We could have mounted the Hana Umami Red cartridge to the provided Technics Head Shell and alignment jig, but we wanted to step it up with an upgraded head shell.