Charisma Audio is a Canadian importer and distributor of a number of high performance audio lines, and over time have crafted a remarkable series of moving coil cartridges that have gathered praises and accolades over the last several years. The Charisma series of cartridges may not possess the instant brand recognition of Koetsu or Shelter, but I do know that a growing niche of seasoned audiophiles are aware of this product, and every year the brand recognition among vinylophiles continues to increase. Bernard Li is a principal contributor of Charisma Audio and has an extensive history with analog playback. Actually this may be understating Bernard's experience and knowledge, as for a number of years he held the position of contributing editor to Audiotechnique which is one of the premier audio publications in Asia. With years of experience as an audiophile, along with time spent as a reviewer and dealer, Bernard has gained a deep understanding of music reproduction, and what must be achieved in order to create a cartridge that can connect the listener to the soul of music and satisfy over the long haul. The Charisma line of cartridges may truly be hidden gems in the world of analog, but Positive Feedback readers need to know about this product line, and especially the recently released Eco moving coil cartridge.
Charisma Audio works closely with a cartridge designer, and the final design is the result of many prototypes, different materials combinations, and the input from multiple listening panels. The cartridge development process will see multiple prototypes built with different wires and winding configurations, several magnet materials, various cantilevers, and an array of damping materials. Materials and sub-components are sourced from multiple countries, and the majority of these parts are custom ordered. The listening panels are worldwide, and consists of members who are music lovers and not just audiophiles. These panels have significant input on the evaluation of the various prototypes, but in the end the final decision of a products design and subsequent performance lies solely with Bernard Li. The vision for Charisma Audio is to produce a cartridge that is natural in its presentation, free of listener fatigue, and to convey the inner essence of a musical performance. The reality is that Charisma Audio does not stamp their name on a cartridge that is being ordered from a vendor; rather this is the culmination of the hard work and efforts by a large group of people across the globe to create a product that is an uncommon value in a number of ways.
The Charisma Audio Eco is the entry level cartridge in Charisma Audio's lineup at $795 USD. When looking at the build sheet for the Eco, the first element that stands out is a ceramic cantilever, which is an unusual material to use for a cartridge. After doing research the only other manufacturer I find using a ceramic cantilever is X-quisite, which specializes in crafting exotic analog products. This bit of information certainly piqued my interest, and I was curious about the characteristics this material has, and what makes it an appropriate choice for a cantilever. In conversations with Bernard he shared that ceramic has properties close to sapphire or ruby, and has a desirable stiffness and weight ratio that contributes positively to the performance of the design. This is not just a cost effective alternative to using boron or ruby as a cantilever. The diamond is a nude hyper elliptical stone that has a small footprint. and yet has an advantage of being easier to set up the various line contact types. This cartridge uses a cross-coil generator wound from OFC copper wire. The Eco body is a semi-open design that is milled from a single block of aluminum alloy. This creates a solid foundation for the yoke and magnets to be firmly mounted, and minimizes unwanted resonances from contaminating the electrical impulses generated by the cantilever and coil assembly. Cartridge weight is 11 grams, with an output voltage of .38 mV, internal impedance of 8 ohms, and a compliance of 12 um//mN. To summarize this design, the Eco has a high enough output voltage to be used with any phono stage that accommodates low output moving coil cartridges, and would prefer a medium mass tonearm, as the substantial aluminum body provides enough mass to ensure this cartridge can be properly matched to a wide selection of modern tonearms.
Over the course of my listening sessions I installed the Charisma Audio Eco cartridge on a SOTA Sound Innovations Cosmos Eclipse turntable with a SME V tonearm and a Scheu Analog Das Laufwerk No.2 table that is fitted with a Dynavector DV505 arm. The majority of my listening sessions occurred on the Scheu Analog table, however the observable characteristics of the Eco cartridge was consistently evident on the SOTA also. The phono stage is an Esoteric Audio E-03 that in turn feeds a Halcro DM8 pre-amplifier and a pair of AVM Audio AMP Essential solid state mono-block amplifiers. Speakers are the JBL 4365 from the Synthesis series, and are flanked by a pair of Velodyne HGS12 subwoofers. Cabling is Wireworld Eclipse 8 speaker wire and interconnects while power conditioning duties are handled by the TLP Audio TF130 power conditioner and PI Audio Group power cords. The Eco cartridge received 40 hours of break in time before the listening sessions started, and I settled on 100 ohms as the phono load, and 1.9 grams of tracking force. To set VTA I started with the cartridge body parallel to the record, and after extended listening sessions I found a slight tail up position to be preferable, but I will say that the Eco is an easy going cartridge in terms of this setting, and there is a generous target area where this cartridge will yield excellent results. This means that prospective owners can set up the Eco easily and not agonize over getting VTA in just the right spot.
Bernard Li's goal for Charisma cartridges is for a natural voicing that does not rely on a manipulated frequency response that tricks the listener into experiencing what they believe to be heightened detail and resolution. Cartridges voiced in this manner can initially appeal to a listener, but long term satisfaction can be elusive as the emotional underpinnings and harmonic structure of the music is lost. On "Crosstown Shuffle" (The Time Is Right; Blue Note ST-84025) by Lou Donaldson there is a a rich and resonant trumpet passage that opens the song, and the flow and timing is relaxed and free flowing without being plodding or heavy handed. This in turn segues into Donaldson's opening saxophone segment that is remarkable for its clarity and realism, as you cannot miss hearing the reedy texture of the sax, or the metallic sheen of the instruments body. A natural presentation is the target for the Eco cartridge, and the bass passages are quick, articulate, and resonant in the way an acoustic bass should be. When listening to this cartridge I am pleased to hear how this design is able to strike a balance between enough detail to bring instruments alive and maintain the timing and emotional content of the music.
During my listening sessions I developed a a strong appreciation for the manner in which this cartridge minimizes surface noise and other various vinyl imperfections. The Eco is intended to be a value based cartridge, and this means that a balance must be struck in terms of cost of materials and what the overarching performance goals are. In conversation Bernard makes a point, Charisma Audio invests more in higher quality sub-components than a cartridge would typically have at this price point, and this provides the listener with the opportunity to achieve a higher level of vinyl playback. The stylus on the Eco makes this point quite dramatically, as the elliptical geometry is often considered inferior to various line contact profiles, yet with this cartridge it is so deftly optimized that not only is there an impressive amount of detail, but the noise floor of this cartridge is remarkably low. I have various records from Windham Hill that I have owned since I was a young man, and time has taken its toll on these records as the turntables of my youth were a bit primitive. Yes, I did care for the vinyl to the best of my ability, and even then I carefully handled records, yet when I play these albums today on less expensive cartridges I can experience surface noise with a few various clicks. One album that is particularly troublesome is Aerial Boundaries by Michael Hedges, as the dynamic passages are challenging to track and there are quiet passages that separate these notes and call attention to any diamond that is a wayward tracker. "Rickover's Dream" (Aerial Boundaries; Windham Hill WH1032) is eerily quiet in the opening notes, where a muted melody is quietly played, and this is followed by explosive strummed chords that will reveal poor tracking characteristics in lesser cartridges. The Eco has a surefooted stance though these passages, and the dynamic passages are vibrant and harmonically full as they should be. Any spurious noise in the dead wax between songs is almost non-existent, and I cannot remember any cartridge that sells for less than $1000 that can equal the Eco in this area. This suppression of vinyl noise is not achieved by a corresponding loss of detail and micro-dynamic expression of music. What I find intriguing is that Charisma Audio has created a cartridge with enough detail to bring out the subtleties of a well crafted recording, and yet the sound is relaxing and comfortable as your favorite tennis shoes or flannel shirt.
The new box set of Sade albums released in 2021 is an excellent example of this balancing act of detail and tone. On "The Sweetest Gift" (Lovers Rock; Epic 500766 1) Sade's vocals are wonderfully intimate and presents with an immediacy that brings her into the room. Another cartridge might wring out a hyper focused level of detail, yet lose the expressive nature of the music that comes from harmonic shading. The Eco can showcase Sade's delicate voice, and get the essence of the beauty of her music. Then "King of Sorrow" is a more complex composition, and the bass passages are resonant and strong without being plodding or overbearing. Sade's vocals are quicker paced, yet the emotional content ebbs and flows underneath the composition, and as a listener I feel it in my being rather than acknowledging it with my mind. Bernard Li and his unnamed cartridge designer are a formidable team, what they have accomplished with this cartridge is impressive as the Eco is deftly balanced between the poles of detail and harmonic texture in a way that highlights the benefits of each element.
There are many positive attributes to the Eco, yet entry level cartridges are never free from limitations that, if we are honest, will mean that it is better suited for certain types of music. The Eco certainly presents dynamic contrasts in musical passages well, and the interplay between various instruments with differing dynamic range is also deftly highlighted. Instead, what I am trying to convey is that the Eco is not a brash and kinetic cartridge that thrives on playing aggressive rock and roll or techno type recordings. Yes, this cartridge will do a respectable job with these genres, but it is not the forte of the Eco. Recently I acquired a new pressing of the album Electric by The Cult. Electric was my introduction to this band, and has always been a favorite album of mine. This is a powerful and driving album from beginning to end, so whether it is listening to "Peace Dog" or "Love Removal Machine" (Electric; Beggars Banquet BBOLP2125) I find that I can enjoy this album from beginning to end at any time. When tasked to play this album, the Eco turns in a respectable performance, but it never telegraphs the primal drive from the power cords from Billy Duffy's guitar, or the visceral feel of Ian Astbury's belted vocals. So if you appreciate Glam Rock, Heavy Metal, Industrial, Punk, or other aggressive types of music, I would suspect that the Eco may not be the most appropriate choice for you. This is certainly not a criticism of the cartridge, but rather an acknowledgment that there are "different horses for different courses," and the Eco is a refined and sophisticated cartridge that is better suited for Jazz, Blues, Classical, World, or mainstream Rock and Roll albums.
Moving coil cartridges that sell for $800 are not going to be giant slayers, and it is not my intention to represent the Eco in this way. The conversation that we need to have at this point is about value and the overall sound quality that can be achieved at this price point. Charisma Audio sees this cartridge as a gateway product that provides a pathway for hobbyists to experience high performance audio playback without having to part with a wheelbarrow of cash to do so. An objective evaluation of the materials and construction techniques is a solid indicator of what a person can expect from a cartridge. You can achieve a respectable level of sound quality from middling quality parts, although you can never reach levels of excellence when using substandard materials. Bernard Li understands this, and that is why the Eco uses an expensive machined aluminum body, as this is the foundation for the generator assembly. The ceramic cantilever is another specialized piece, and its unusual resonance and stiffness characteristics undoubtedly contributes to the remarkable presence and detail this cartridge provides. Finally, the suspension materials and fine tuning of the architecture of the Eco is accomplished by the partnership of a gifted designer, and the exhaustive listening and evaluation process of the listening panels Charisma Audio has assembled. The convergence of talent, hard work, and patience has brought the audio world a superb cartridge, and I feel more people should know about it. I happen to have a few excellent cartridges in my cache, such as a Transfiguration Proteus, ZYX 4D, and a restored Ortofon MC2000 as examples. Yet I find the Charisma Audio Eco to be an engaging cartridge and I thoroughly enjoy listening to it for several hours in an evening. Yes I have more expensive alternatives, but the Eco consistently creates enjoyable listening sessions, and to me that is the highest praise you can give a cartridge at any price. The fact that Bernard Li prices the Eco at such a fair level is truly icing on the cake.
Eco Cartridge
Retail: $795 USD
Charisma Audio
