Kharma International B.V., usually knowns as Kharma, is a High-end

High-end audio

High-end audio is a term used to describe a class of consumer home audio equipment marketed to audio enthusiasts on the basis of high price or quality, and esoteric or novel sound reproduction technologies. High-end audio can refer simply to the price, to the build quality of the components, or to...

 audio equipment manufacturer producing mainly loudspeakers and cables.

History

The company was founded Oosterum Loudspeaker Systems (O.L.S. Audiotechnology) in 1982 by Charles van Oosterum.

In 1984 Kharma was the first company to use ceramic

Ceramic

A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...

 material as membrane

Acoustic membrane

An acoustic membrane is a thin layer that vibrates and are used in acoustics to produce or transfer sound, such as a drum, microphone, or loudspeaker....

 in their driver units

Mid-range speaker

A loudspeaker driver that produces the frequency range from approximately 300–5000 hertz is known as a mid-range.Midrange drivers are usually cone types or, less commonly, dome types, or compression horn drivers...

.

After starting international promotion at the C.E.S.

Consumer Electronics Show

The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...

 in 1997 the brand got several important awards and expanded sales from the Netherlands to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and the Far East

Far East

The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...

.