Anti-skating- test records vs. ears

Moonglum.....My advice is for you to listen with and without a/s and decide which you like the best. As for me....I have done this test many times and invariably like the no a/s best. If my car needs new tires, I get them...if my cartridge needs a new stylus, I'll probably get a new cartridge. Its the cost of doing business. How can i take your pronouncement that these tests are valid... conducted scientifically, and meaningful.... If MY cartridge sounds better to me without a/s, that means that for some reason it is correct.

Could it be that Scotch skews ones hearing?

Get a good cart that will track at 2 grams and forget about
anti-skate.
Try it.

Dear Stringreen,
After the cartridge is well run in, what you are proposing (to use a similar car analogy) is that my car can have a square tyre on one front wheel and a circular one on the other whilst expecting it to steer, handle and perform properly?

Do I need to fit a "square tyre" to my car to prove this or is common sense sufficient?

In my rig, if I were to play the 12db track with my current A/S setting, the R channel would be buzzing slightly. This is because I optimised by ear and used lower A/S. IMO, contrary to some suggestions, I don't consider that the ideal setting is a million miles away from the "balanced setting" on the 12db track so it is an acceptable starting point (as far as I'm concerned).

(BTW, I have actually tried low > zero A/S approx 1000 LPs ago on this Phantom II/Delos combination)

Dear Schubert....it's a fair point. Beats the hell out of arguing about it. Or you could use an MMIII which doesn't even need the 2g! ;^)

I get the strong feeling you could put that cartridge in the worst turntable/tonearm combination you could find and the cart would do all the work for you(!) :)

Just a shame I got strange resonance issues (reactions to pinchwarps) with it on 20% of pressings using a gimballed arm. Never tried the MMIII on the Phantom but I'd like to...
It only has about 100 hrs on the clock. :)