VPI Scout and Scoutmaster owners.

Twisting the wires is also a mechanical solution to antiskating, isn't it?
I'd be more interested in hearing from HW himself. I'm not aware of any comments from him since coming out with the device. We can only postulate what he's thinking now. I would respect him even more whatever his reponse was. If he really did just do it just to meet demand and admitted as much, then I applaud his honesty. But if he's since found a better way than twisting wires or if he's found it to be an improvement to any degree, then I'd applaud his humility to admit his previous stance has changed. Either way, it's a good debate.
I don't think you can thread the needle by calling the twisted wires non mechanical though. It's almost starting to sound like a political debate to save face.

HW still feels that to add a mechanical anti skating device, add add'l noise, and has always found, when doing an A/B comparison, that the particular table sounds better, when using the wire twist method, as opposed to adding a mechanical device, it is true, that so many people opposed the idea of the wire twist, that he started offering the new mecanical anti skate device, but as stated above, only to appease the people who wanted it, from what i understand, his stance has not changed.

Harry posted this on the Vinyl Asylum March 15, 2004....................."Customers are demanding a mechanical anti-skate adjustment even though it already has a non-mechanical one and it works perfectly. So, like everything else in this country today, you will pay for a device that most of you don't need. Sorry. Should be out around the time of the Stereophile show and will retrofit all the older arms without it."

HW

I have to admit I can't hear a difference with or without anti-skate so I'm not going to spend much much time, effort or the tips of my fingers discussing it. Much better to spend time tuning the system properly, swapping tubes and buying vinyl. Oh, and listening to records!

The difference I hear is very subtle. Without antiskate, the left channel sounds more dynamic, a little more alive, than the right. With the antiskate at the highest setting, the left channel is a little less dynamic, and balance seems to shift slightly to the right. There's more of a silkiness overall and less graininess, but also less lively too. I now have it set around the middle, and that seems to bring back the liveliness and clean it up some. I haven't settled on anything yet, but I do think it's worth messing with. Either way, it's a great table. We're splitting hairs here.
I've had the Scout and now Scoutmaster for a couple years now. I tried twisting wires before this and ended up leaving them untwisted. I think if you can hear the difference twisting, then you should hear a difference with this too.
Didn't want or mean to hijack the thread. I know the antiskate controversy has been discussed extensively before and don't want to go there.