Ancient AR Turntable with NO anti skate

Hello norman, I don't see why one would not apply the antiskate bias if this feature is available.  The skating force exists for every pivoting arm used with any stylus.  It is a vector quantity, very real, not some alternative fact.

Anti skate is such a low force that it is inconsequential..most part theoretical.  Actually  no antiskate sounds better than yes a/s.

stringreen

Anti skate is such a low force that it is inconsequential..most part theoretical. Actually no antiskate sounds better than yes a/s.

Certainly, many listeners prefer no antiskate, although I'm not one of them. However, to claim that antiskate force is so low as to be inconsequential is mistaken, imo. When antiskate force is considered in relation to VTF and effective tonearm mass, it is significant indeed - even if you prefer to avoid its use.

This discussion comes and goes on every analog forum.  Stringreen has not changed his opinion, which is his right.  But I have to agree with cleeds; the skating force does exist for every pivoted tonearm, whether we like it or not.  I don't have any idea why some tonearms seem to sound fine with no AS applied and others do not.  In some cases (VPI) the routing of the tonearm wires may in and of itself provide some degree of AS force such that lack of a formal mechanism for AS is not missed. At least that is a popular hypothesis.  Many cartridge makers and repairers have also remarked that they see styli with irregular wear patterns, where the cartridge was used for a prolonged period of time in a tonearm without AS.  The skating force is like global warming; it's there all the time, whether one chooses to compensate for it or not. 

rotarius,

I agree with your statement and have always used antiskate  I am just surprised that the AR tonearm didn't appear to need it.  I could see no discernible skating, which I can easily see when I remove the antiskate from my tonearms.

And, to my surprise the old AR sounded very good.

N.