@markrj @rauliruegas Thank you both for replying. You're right in that the Maestro isn't as detailed as the Hana, but it does provide a wider soundstage. However, it's a moot point as either the suspension or the cantilever on the Hana is out of whack (the cartridge is almost touching the vinyl, even though the tracking force is consistent), so I'm sending it off to Kim to get retipped and repaied.
Clearaudio Maestro V2 Ebony has eclipsed Hana SL
I've been randomly switching back and forth between the two just to save wear and tear, but in the past few months I have to admit that the Maestro seems to outperform the Hana in terms of clarity, projection, and presence, while the Hana still holds the top in terms of detail.
They're both quite good and even tho the Maestro is 2x the price of the Hana, the difference isn't 2x as good. But it goes to show that a good MM cartridge can be just as satisfying as an MC cartridge (given a tonearm that is matches with both, of course).
Question: Why does it seem like my Hana (MC, 0.5 mV) picks up more dust clicks and pops than the Maestro (MM, 3.6 mV)? Is it the higher gain I set my pre to?