Clearaudio Charisma V2

The Charisma V2 is Clearaudio’s standing-catalogue moving-magnet flagship — described by founder Peter Suchy as his “moving-magnet masterpiece,” and by The Absolute Sound as a genuine reference-tier instrument at its price point. It represents everything Clearaudio has learned about MM cartridge design applied without regard for the price of the components.

The most striking technical choice is the cantilever: Charisma V2 uses the same diamond-coated boron cantilever that Clearaudio uses on the flagship Goldfinger Statement MC cartridge, mounted on a matching double-polished Gyger S diamond stylus (the V2.1 update uses the Clearaudio Prime Line stylus instead). The diamond is precision-mounted — not glued in the usual way, but pressed into the boron tube with only a microscopic drop of adhesive so as not to absorb energy. The magnet assembly uses ultra high-efficiency neodymium magnets in 100% identical hand-selected pairs, driving output to an almost record-breaking 3.6 mV for a moving-magnet design.

The body is hand-polished ebony wood set with a German Silver (nickel silver) inlay — mass-loaded, low-resonance, and shaped to match the drive assembly’s vibration behaviour. Total mass 9.0 g, tracking force 2.4 g, 47 kΩ standard MM loading. Measured, Charisma V2 delivers 30 dB channel separation, 0.2 dB channel balance, 90 µm tracking ability, and 400 mH coil inductance into a 0.66 kΩ internal impedance — numbers that read like an MC cartridge in disguise.

Charisma V2 is the right cartridge for a listener who wants MC-tier retrieval with the operational simplicity of a moving-magnet — no step-up transformer required, no impedance matching needed, any competent MM phono stage will drive it. Best paired with a Master Innovation, Innovation, Ovation, or Performance DC turntable and the Universal or Tracer tonearm. Available on order at LMC Scottsdale — walk in during business hours or book ahead if the audition needs Charisma V2 heard against a proper MC cartridge in your specific system.