Home | Clinamen | Philosophy | Customer reviews | White paper | Partners | Pricing policy | Contact
I proudly present to you this new headshell, which accompanies the existing one made of cocobolo wood. The need for this headshell arose during the implementation of my AcquaMarina, cartridge on Shick 12" tonearm: the triad cocobolo headshell, Shick 12” tonearm and Acquamarina brought a resonance frequency with very low but still acceptable values. Thus I CAD designed a new headshell with a slightly smaller volume than the cocobolo one. I used ziricote wood, which has a slightly inferior density than cocobolo wood. I managed to save 3.5 grams compared to the cocobolo headshell.
The ziricote headshell, as well as looking stunning, in my opinion, has better ergonomics than the cocobolo one; the soft meanders that run along its body help with its handling during the delicate work of assembly. The tail gently wanes towards the bottom in order to save weight and offer a pleasant motif.
The Clinamen logo is engraved on the main body made of Kavazinga (better known as Bubinga wood).
Long loops allow a perfect shaping of the cartridges, and carbon fiber bar for the headshell regulation is terminated with a finger hold that prevents accidental and disastrous loss of grip.
Of course the azimuth is adjustable thanks to an M3 set screw on the top of the headshell. The thread is not on the wood but on a Helicoil, in order to resist accidental excessive tightening.
The cables are made of 7N, AWG33 section, 5 strand Litz copper. The clips are made of phosphor bronze with 24K gold galvanic treatment. The EIA connector is made from a block and the insulating material is Derlin. Finally the finishing of the body: after the CNC process it is sandpapered and treated with shellac. It is then sandpapered again with extra fine wire wool. Only at this point it undergoes a protective treatment with a neutral microcrystalline wax. All these processes are natural; they aim at preserving the beauty of the wood and allowing a direct contact of the cartridge with the wood without the interposition of acrylic layers.
The headshell is delivered in a laser engraved wooden box, containing all the stainless steel screws for the assembly of the cartridge and an Allen key to calibrate the Azimuth.
Tech Data & Price
Info about Ziricote wood
Scientific name : Cordia dodecandra, it is a plant native to Central America (southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua). It is subjected to global controls, I purchase it from channels who import it with a regular CITES certificate. Ziricote wood is a very precious essence, it is used for inlays, luxury furnishings, decorative veneers, construction of musical instruments (pianos, guitars), fountain pens and even decoration of luxury car cockpits. It resembles rosewood and is characterized by a predominantly brown colour, with a texture of black streaks, which can sometimes even border on yellow areas.
It is a hard and heavy wood, with excellent mechanical workability. The specific weight is, in the seasoned specimens in my possession, 0.91 g/cm3, therefore lighter than cocobolo and ebony, and lower than the density of water, therefore still capable of floating.