MM Cartridge Talk

Boothroyd, that is a reasonable expectation but somehow my ears are disagreeing. I think the problem is endemic to the cartridge itself. This is just my intuition speaking. Certainly I'm wrong enough. Just a thought.I think the watermelon gummies are stronger.   

Boothroid, I have a VM95ml. For What it costs it is a great cartridge. It tends to get a little bloated in the bass. There is a bit more bloom then there should be.  It has no tendency for harshness. It Tracks Fine. 

That is quite true Slaw. My 1st Charisma lost it's diamond at age 4 months. I sent Musical Surroundings USB microscope pictures of the cantilever and in four days I had a brand new cartridge and a return label for the broken one. That is what I would call great service. Errors happen. It is what you do about them that counts. I would not hesitate recommending Elusive Disc and Musical Surroundings for anything they carry.

I just got a Clearaudio Charisma V2. The only other recent MM cartridges I can compare it too are the 2M Black and the AT VM95ML. It is slightly on the dark side but not at all muddy in the bass like the VM95ML. It is extraordinarily detailed for an MM and more dynamic than any MC I have used. I have not heard it get harsh yet. Female voices are smooth. Cymbals sound just right. I was listening to Buster Williams Audacity last night and the system was doing a great impersonation of the Regattabar. 
The Charisma is a special cartridge. It gives back the intensity missing many MC cartridges without giving up much in terms of detail and high frequency performance. The overall effect is a touch darker but noticeably more dynamic. Tracking has been faultless so far.