Custom-Made Cocobolo Wood Body for Audio-Technica AT-VM95 Cartridge (MC Design)

Custom-Made Cocobolo Wood Body for Audio-Technica AT-VM95 Cartridge (MC Design)

Nice combo — the VM95 is a lively, detailed moving-magnet family and Cocobolo is a dense, oily hardwood with its own acoustic personality. Here’s a practical, experience-based description of what you (and your customers) should hear when that cartridge is mounted in your Cocobolo body.

Tonal character

• Warm but detailed mids: Cocobolo tends to add a touch of natural warmth and smoothness to the midrange. Vocals and guitars will feel a little more rounded and pleasant compared with bare aluminium headshells, while the VM95’s inherent clarity still keeps detail intact.

• Tight, slightly rounded bass: The density of Cocobolo gives a controlled, well-defined low end — not over-boomy but with a pleasant weight. Kick drums and upright bass have good body with a small smoothing of the very lowest transient attack.

• Sweet, non-aggressive treble: High frequencies come across as sweet and less etched than some metal headshells. The VM95’s treble extension is preserved, but sibilance is tamed slightly, making long listening sessions easier on the ears.

• Natural overall tonality: Wood resonance and internal damping in Cocobolo produce a more “organic” sound — the music feels cohesive and musical, often described as less analytical and more involving.

Imaging & soundstage

• Good focus and localization: The VM95 is capable of precise imaging; Cocobolo doesn’t smear that — it may soften exact pinpointing ever so slightly but improves overall solidity of images.

• A slightly narrower but deeper stage: Expect instruments to sit a touch more "anchored" and natural rather than spread ultra-wide. Depth can improve because of the tonal weight and warmth.

Transients & dynamics

• Natural dynamics with restrained edge: Attack is still fast (VM95 tracks well), but the wooden body rounds the very sharpest edges, which many listeners prefer. Microdynamics remain clear — you won’t lose subtle detail — but the most aggressive transients are cushioned.

Interaction / synergy notes

• Effective mass / tonearm matching: Cocobolo headshell will change the effective mass compared with aluminium or carbon headshells. That can slightly alter cartridge resonance frequency — usually beneficial (damping) with most medium-mass tonearms, but if you have an ultra-low or very high mass tonearm you might want to check the resonance.

• Wiring & mounting: Use short, high-quality leads and tight mechanical mounting. A snug fit (and the right mounting screws) preserves the Cocobolo body’s damping benefits.

• VTF / alignment: Start near Audio-Technica’s VTF recommendation for the VM95 series, then fine-tune by ear: if bass feels loose, increase VTF slightly; if top end dulls, reduce a touch.

Compared to other headshell materials

• vs Aluminium: Cocobolo = warmer, less etched. Aluminium = crisper, more analytic, more obvious detail but can be fatiguing for some.

• vs Carbon: Carbon = very tight, fast, slightly brighter. Cocobolo = more musical/organic, somewhat more forgiving.

• vs Rosewood: Similar family feel — Cocobolo often a touch denser and slightly richer in the low mids.

Practical recommendation for customers

• If they love musicality, long listening sessions, and natural timbre — the Cocobolo + AT-VM95 pairing is a very attractive choice.

• If they chase razor-sharp, ultra-analytical playback, suggest comparing with an aluminium or carbon headshell first.