Hana SH vs ortafon 2m Black

I don’t have direct experience with either cartridge, but I *do* have experience with the Shibata stylus, high output MM carts, and (relatively) high output MC carts. I also have experience (from playing guitar) with the characteristics of alnico magnets on speakers and guitar pickups.

I have a phono preamp that has variable gain. It has its limits in that the mfr says it’s not intended for LOMCs on its own. It does, however, easily handle high output MCs, and I have one whose output is around 2mV (same as the Hana SH) and another at a pretty low 1.2mV.

I can easily switch between a 5mV MM cartridge and the 1.2mV HOMC without a problem. I do, however, generally bump up the gain knob a bit for the 1.2mV. I’ve had previous phono stages with no such feature, and I could easily switch between a 5mV MM and a 2mV HOMC with no gain issue whatsoever. Note that the Hana has an output of 2mV.

I assume you have the original Rogue Cronus Magnum and not the Magnum II? The Magnum II has 6dB more gain in the phono stage than the original. The upgrade is $650. Not cheap, but less money than the cartridges under consideration. A Rogue guy should be able to confirm whether the upgrade would be enough for an HOMC with an output of 2mV. I suspect that it would. Here’s the link to the Rogue Upgrade Page, which lists the Cronus Magnum to Cronus Magnum II upgrade.

I think the Hana would have an advantage over the Ortofon in smoothness. The Shibata stylus does make the treble smoother, and both cartridges have that, but the Hana has alnico magnets *and* moving coils, and that should provide two advantages for a more organic presentation. Do you hear any disadvantages to turning up the gain a bit when playing the Hana? If not, I'd just bump the volume and enjoy the music.

In the realm of guitar pickups and speaker magnets, alnico is characterized as the "musical magnet."

Thanks for your response. The Hana is as you described smooth musical low noise. Turning up the volume is fine up to about 75% then I start getting tube rash or something like that and I feel I am pushing the limits of the amp. Now when I have it at that level with my digital side Its clear and very load. Its still not a deal breaker Im keeping my Hana because its getting better and better as it is breaking in. A phono amp with a gain control will work for the right price. Project has one for a decent price Im not sure if it is better then my rogue phono stage though. What brand is your phono pre?

What brand is your phono pre?

My phono pre is a somewhat obscure and hard to find MAGI Phonomenal . I think the new ones run about $1K or maybe a couple hundred north of that. I got mine used in 2014 for $1K. It’s an all tube handwired PTP unit that uses a quartet of 6DJ8 family tubes. I’ve swapped in 6922s and 7308s with various effects, but eventually settled on Soviet Military surplus 6N1Ps, the designer’s recommendation, which lowered the noise floor considerably.

I still think that upgrading your Rogue Cronus Magnum to a Magnum II would provide the extra gain you are looking for to flesh out that Hana.

It might be worth considering a step-up transformer for your Hana cart.  
Parks Audio makes one that is not too expensive and gets good reviews.  http://parksaudiollc.com/index.html#txt_162
SUTs are used with the MM setting on your phone preamp and will provide a nice boost to the MC signal.  If you read what Art Dudley has been writing about SUTs recently you might gain some useful info.  
Benefits beyond the extra gain you will get are lower noise and greater smoothness of the sound.