Clearaudio's Flagship MM Cartridge

As Clearaudio continues to advance standards in its range of moving coil (MC) cartridges, the company felt it was equally time to turn its attention to the moving magnet (MM) range and to make a new statement. The Charisma V2 is Clearaudio founder Peter Suchys Moving Magnet masterpiece, setting new performance standards for MM cartridge clarity, soundstaging, bass, and dynamics."

From the Concept V2 to the Maestro V2, Clearaudio's MM cartridges have long been at the forefront of the moving magnet field and have proved popular among music lovers for their distinctive high quality. The Charisma V2 is the new flagship of the Clearaudio MM cartridge range.

"The Charisma V2 showcases the capabilities of MM pickup cartridges in the market and demonstrates that the good old technique of moving magnets is anything but old," notes Issue 34 (March-May 2017) of Germany's Hifi-Stars Magazine. "The certain something that Charisma has, however, is much more than the name Charisma implies. The Clearaudio Charisma V2 is quite simply ingeniously good and fits perfectly on this 'table and this tone arm!"

Only the Finest Compoments

Charisma V2 uses only the finest components, the same Boron cantilever and double-polished Gyger S stylus found in the company's top-of-the-range Goldfinger Statement MC cartridge. Handmade in Clearaudio's German factory, the generator utilizes ultra high-efficiency magnets that are precisely matched, ensuring flat frequency response and excellent channel separation.

The use of highly efficient magnets gives the dynamic Charisma V2 an almost record-breaking output, easily enough to amply drive less sensitive phono stages. The double-polished diamond stylus is mounted on the cantilever with matchless precision, ensuring excellent frequency response and the highest channel separation.

The cartridge body is made from the finest ebony wood and is set with a precious metal-bearing inlay. The result? A quality of sound that, until now, seemed unachievable rom MM cartridges. Utterly charismatic.

The Charisma V2's output is a real world 3.6 MV, allowing it to easily drive most phono stages for maximum system compatibility.

Product Features

Flagship MM moving magnet phono cartridge
Cartridge: Gyger S double polished
Cantilever: Boron
High efficiency magnets
Cartridge Body: Ebony wood with German Silver inlay

Product Specs

Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz
Output Voltage: (1 kHz, 5 cm/s): ∼ 3.3 mV
Channel Separation: (1 kHz): > 32 dB
Channel Balance: (1 kHz): ≤ 0.2 dB
Tracking Ability: 90 μm
Rec. Tracking Force: 2.4 g ± 0.3 g
Coil Impedance: (1 kHz): 0.66 kOhm
Coil Inductance: 400 mH
Load Resistance: 47 kOhm
Load Capacitance: 100 pF
Compliance: 17 μ/mN
Total Weight: 9.0 gram

222 Golden Ear Award Winner

"Promoted as founder Peter Suchy’s 'moving-magnet masterpiece,' the Charisma V2 confirms in the listening that this claim is no exaggeration. With a mass-loaded, low-resonance, ebony-wood body, Charisma employs top-notch features like the same boron cantilever and double-polished Gyger S stylus found in the legendary Goldfinger Statement mc. But it’s the raw musicality of Charisma that had me spinning LPs like a demented DJ. Naturalistic and detailed, Charisma offers up classic midrange bloom and image stability, plus a full palette of tonal colors, dynamic electricity, and top-end sweetness. As with its vaunted moving-coil brethren, it resolves even finer gradations of light and air in the upper octaves, all the while maintaining a neutral balance. There are no tonal dead spots, and tracking is unshakably excellent. Costly moving coils tend to grab all the headlines in high-end circles, but their low output generally requires pricey step-up devices, which means your wallet takes an additional hit. However, with its real-world output of 3.6mV, a Charisma means you’re likely good-to-go with an existing phonostage. Charisma…either you’ve got it or you don’t. This cartridge has got it."

- Neil Gader, The Absolute Sound, December 6, 222

"The Charisma V2 showcases the capabilities of MM pickup cartridges in the market and demonstrates that the good old technique of moving magnets is anything but old. The certain something that Charisma has, however, is much more than the name Charisma implies. The Clearaudio Charisma V2 is quite simply ingeniously good and fits perfectly on this 'table and this tone arm!"

- Germany's Hifi-Stars Magazine, Issue 34, March-May 217