Simply put, the Excel Sound team has delivered a masterpiece.
FEBRUARY 11, 2026
The Hana Umami Blue Moving Coil Phono Cartridge and DS Audio Grand Master Extreme Optical Phono Cartridge both win the 2023 Golden EAR Award from The Absolute Sound.
Hana Umami Blue
By: Andre Jennings - The Absolute Sound - 2023 Golden Ear Awards
Hana has set another benchmark of performance-for-cost…Excel Sound Corporation has created another superb-sounding cartridge with the HANA Umami Blue.”
DS Audio Grand Master Extreme
By: Jacob Heilbrunn - The Absolute Sound - 2023 Golden Ear Awards
“Listening to it will surely turn almost any analog lover into an adherent…the results are immediately audible…and you have one of the, if not the, best cartridges extant.”
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Turntable of the Year
Clearaudio Concept Signature with Tracer Tonearm - $6000
Clearaudio created this special edition turntable exclusively for the U.S. market, and yes, it’s a home run. Think of it as a bells
DECEMBER 16, 2025