VPI Scout and Scoutmaster owners.

Jamnperry, I just posted HW's comments to clear up my half-a$$ effort to quote him in my first post.

I myself am in no way trying to say no one with this table needs an anti-skate, if you can hear a difference and it pleases you, that's great. I have not found the need for one yet, but who knows. It would be fun to throw that new arm on tommorrow and give it a listen.

Now getting back to that wire upgrade. What does one gain there? And is it worth the jack?

That's the upgrade to get in my opinion. If your cartridge isn't low compliance, get the wire upgrade. If it is, maybe consider just the wand. The damping helps too but my cartridge is low compliance so it did make some impact as expected.
No controversy on the wire upgrade though. I got my arm in stages because VPI was delayed in shipping. I had the arm wand for over a month before the antiskate mechanism came. I had the antiskate around 3 weeks before the base with the damping came in. I have a pretty well developed opinion of the value of the parts of this upgrade. While the wand may have affected it more than I realize, there's no question the wire was the biggest factor. Resolution, soundstage all immediately better. The $200 for the rewire to me is the one to do if nothing else.

Hi Gregory Earl and Jamnperry, No dought in my mind about the Valhalla wire.I just found out about the new arm and wire upgrades afew weeks ago and jumped right on the new arm.Even having your stock arm and junction box rewired for 200 bucks...to me,sounds like a stupid good upgrade...Good Listening

Jamnperry, thanks for the insightful comments about the effects of anti-skate. When I get home from the holidays I'm going to tweak a bit, listen more closely and see if I can hear the changes you described.

i had a long and detailed discussion with vpi about the upgrades. it was put to me that the vahlhalla wire was only a benefit if a) you like the nordost presentation, b) that the full benefits came only with a full loom and that the nordost stuff didn't always like being mixed and matched.
the anti skate, i was also told was a marketing thing, because people had asked for it, and it's good business practice to give customers what they want (different from what they need!)
the individual did however go on to say that the strucutral changes to the arm did give real benefits. the individual told me he actually prefered the original wire and no anti skate, and it that it is possible to order the arm in this configuration. one imagines that this would also be at reduced cost minus the nordost branding premium. this is certainly what i am intending to do, then again having tried nordost, i have found that i'm not keen on their house sound and so have no wish to have their full wiring loom.