Does removing anti-skating really improve sound?

@larryi 
would using something like gruv glide mitigate the issue of the pull towards the spindle due to lower friction? I’ve been using it without anti-skate to get the best possible sound. I’ve done a-b tests of same tracks with definitive enhancement of sound when no skating is present using my 2m bronze cartridge at 1.5g vtf. So maybe it’s something that’s table or cartridge related.

Yes, I would expect that lower friction would also mean lower skating force.  In any event, if it sounds better to you to not use the antiskating mechanism, you then only have to decide whether or not you are concerned with uneven groove and stylus wear.   Records are quite robust, so the issue of record wear might be more academic than a serious concern.  For me, it is enough of an issue that I use anti-skating.  In applying the Peter Lederman approach, with most arms, I end up using less anti-skating than applying the manufacturer's recommendations which are based on down-force setting.

If removing anti skating makes a vinyl playback system sound better then the setup is off somewhere. You can prove this to yourself with any good test record Like the HiFi News one. The anti skate adjust or Bias track has symmetrical test tones on both channels in increasing modulation.
The game is to adjust the anti skate until neither channel distorts at the highest groove velocity. Take the anti skate off and the right channel will start buzzing like mad. Too much anti skate and the left channel will start buzzing like mad. It helps to have continuously variable adjustment. If you do not then you can fine tune by adjusting the tracking force. You can get yourself in the ballpark by just keeping an eye on the cantilever as you lower the stylus into the groove. It should remain straight ahead. If it deviates one way or another you are way off. With no anti skating applied the cantilever deviates to the edge of the record causing misalignment of coils to magnets and taking the suspension out of it's linear region. 

mijostyn

If removing anti skating makes a vinyl playback system sound better then the setup is off somewhere.

That is not a universal truth. Kindly note that the manufacturers of some pivoted arms do not include antiskate on their arms. Of those that do, some recommend against using it.

I've always found properly adjusted antiskate to be useful, btw.

Dear @mijostyn : @larryi  posted a wide and simple explanation why the AS is need it always in a pivoted tonearm design and we have to add that not only what larry posted is important but the stylus shape tip and cartridge owns tracking abilities too.

I can remmeber that Audio Technica vintage tonearms came with a weigth where we can move it for each kind of stylus shape: conical, ellipthical and LC.

The best approach for a perfect anti-skate mechanism is this one in the Sony tonearm I own but not mounted at this time:

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/sony/pua-237.shtml   


Btw, listening a pivot tonearm with out AS looking for better quality level performance makes no-sense at all because almost at no single LP recoded grooves the cantilever will stays straigth. At groove modulations microscopic level the friction forces are really really high and the cartridge cantilever always is non-starigth even if trhough our eyes we looks straigth. Important issue is not how it looks at sigth but how true looks at microscopic level.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.