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Does removing anti-skating really improve sound?

I know this topic has been discussed here before, but wanted to see if others have the same experience as me. After removing the fishing line dangling weight from my tonearm I’m convinced my bass and soundstage has opened up. I doing very careful listening with headphones and don’t hear any distortion or treble harshness. So why use anti-skating at all? Even during deep bass/ loud passages no skipping of tracks. Any thoughts from all the analog gurus out there?
tubelvr1
pops
2,274 posts
 
I have always kept anti skating on my Vector 4 on the light side, just below mid level.  I think it best for several cartridges I have owned.  I think Millercarbon’s advice is sound.
tastyfreeze's avatar
tastyfreeze
135 posts
 
Better setup is better than better tweeking.  
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
it depends on the stylus tip profile, it's better to use antiskating if you don't want to destroy one side of the vinyl groove wall 
hondo's avatar
hondo
22 posts
 
With my 12" Jelco and two 12" Groove Master tonearms used with Denon 103R, Audio-Technica Art9, Audio-Technica 33Sa, Benz Ace, and Soundsmith Zephyr cartridges little or no anti-skating sounds the best.  My two 12" Schick tonearms have no anti-skating.

When I used a 9" Jelco I again found very little to no anti-skating sounded the best. 

My opinion is what sounds the best is the best for my cartridges.
wdl3
13 posts
 
It’s difficult to reason that not setting the anti-skating will produce better sound reproduction. Reducing side loading on the  stylus cantilever should result in minimal side loading and damping of the mechanical function of the system, hence allowing for maximum possible accurate reproduction and channel balance, but I don’t discount  empirical data either . 
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