The O'Brien 07 Bindings are sick. I ride the Xenons and the the snowboard boot style liner is so soft and easy to get into. No foot cramps ever and the kidney pads provide great heal hold down. The new lace locks work super easy, just flip the lever down and pull the laces as tight as you want, then flip the lever up to lock them in place. Here are some pics.
07 Xenon Lace Lock Open
The bindings open up super wide so they are really easy to get into. No soap, no water, just slip them on.
Laces pulled tight and lock closed
From the top you can see how the upper cuff of the liner wraps around the tounge of the liner, no pinch points and super hold.
About the Cartel, I rode the 141 and really liked it, I still like the Natural 139 a little better, but like Chris said, the Natural works better for my style(or lack there of)!! If there wasn't a Natural I would ride the Cartel for sure. It's super fast and light and lands really soft.
Hope this helps,
jjakober