Does removing anti-skating really improve sound?

millercarbon,
How do you set up a tangential tracker with overhang?  I would call that condition a "bad job" in setting it up, not an optional method. (I'm sure you would too.) Actually, that's one of the dirty little secrets of tangential trackers; you do have to set it up exactly correctly to get the full benefit.  Off-center LPs are impossible to get right.

My only thoughts on reading some of the comments to the effect that this or that tonearm sounded "better" with no added anti-skate is that in every case there was some other force that was approximately cancelling the skating force, either bearing friction or wire drag most likely.  And this is fine.  Since the skating force is varying in magnitude at every point across the surface of the LP, and since anti-skate devices are relatively primitive, whether magnetic or string and weight type, there is no one single setting of any anti-skate device that works perfectly to cancel the skating force.  And most users tend to over-compensate.  This is why some report that their SQ got better when they disengaged AS. But the core fact is that every tonearm except a perfectly set-up tangential tonearm with a fixed pivot point will generate a skating force.  As others mentioned, Peter Ledermann, who makes a living repairing cartridges, testifies that he sees the negative effects of prolonged exposure to the skating force on cartridges he repairs.  My own solution is to set AS very low and not to think much about it after that.

No AS results in a more open sound. By contrast, AS brings greater focus and more stable L to R image. It also enhances the bass somewhat.

brilliant ears, lol

The thread in your arm will also dampen its movement and resonances. Over the years I have run my tonearms (VPI, Sumiko The Arm, Grace 840FB, Lustre GST 801) without AS, without harm to my styli or records.

How can you inspect your stylus, do you have powerful microscope? The professional retippers opinion is opposite to yours. I also have Lustre GST-801 and the sound is just fine with its magnetic anti-skating.

This thread has me keen to try mine without tonight. Origin Live Conqueror, uses the fishing line weight method, easy to disconnect, will have to give it a try tonight.

Hard to believe, but sounds virtually the same. Maybe a tiny bit more open and present without. Maybe. Nowhere near enough to be worth even a tiny risk of faster/uneven wear. Oh well. No surprise really. Origin Live Conqueror. Not like they were ever likely to have left that stone unturned.

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I used to work for the BSR turntable company back in the 70's as a line repairman.  We had a smooth disc that looked like a groove less record. When placing the tone arm on the spinning disc the arm would quickly swing inward if the anti-skate was too low.  And,  would swing outwardly if set too high.  The centrifugal force created by the spinning record does the same thing.  If set too low, the inner groove will be getting most of the pressure from the stylus, and if too high the outward inner groove will will get the most contact.