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What is more accurate: magnetic anti-skating, or barrel weight attached a fishline?

I have seen turntables from Project, Music Hall, and a few other brands that still incorporate a small barrel weight attached to short fishline string which is stretched across a hooking loop to set ANTI-SKATING. It seems to be an artifact from the 1960's and 1970's tonearm design. It is also easy to lose or break 

My question is how accurate is that "device" compared to magnetic anti-skating employed by many turntable manufacturers   Thank you

sunnyjim
chakster's avatar
chakster
2,482 posts
 
@nandric Do you like Sony PUA 286 tonearm more than Lustre 801?

  
moonglum
605 posts
 

Dear SunnyJim,

Initially, since A/S is a constantly moving target and whatever setting we use which sounds "good" to our ears is the "accurate" one, I confess I read your post with a slightly different interpretation i.e. "which of these methods has the least deleterious effect on SQ across the entire groove"?

.......I'd like to know the answer myself! ;^)

nandric's avatar
nandric
3,263 posts
 

Dear chakster, I prefer the Lustre 801. Excelent tonearm but with

mediocre lift construction. And, as Raul already recommended, the

counterweight(s) should be used in the usual way avoiding magnetic

VTF adjustment. This way the counterweight(s) can be get nearer to

the pivot.

sunnyjim OP
884 posts
 

Thanks to all the members who responded. I never expected such an impassioned discussion over the anti-skating used on many turntables. I believe one of  the responders ask me what tables have I seen using the wire suspended anti-skating device. On most Project tables, and also on the Music Hall 5.3  and the new MH  Ikura table.

To John-Tracy. Never watched Kung-Fu.  However, I could retitle the thread title to: "HOOK. LINE, AND SINKER"  ANTI-SKATING".....etc. 

I  once forget to apply anti-skating, and the stylus while in play just skated right across the record. I might try it on the Thorens I currently own to see as some have suggested if it improves the sound quality.   

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
7,068 posts
 
In a conversation I had with Tri Mai of Triplanar he pointed out that there is no industry standard for how much anti-skate to apply.

Further, it does appear that the amount of skating force is dependent on the geometry as well as the shape of the stylus tip.

I have a Triplanar and can confirm that only a small amount of anti-skate is needed. I usually use a single very small rubber O-ring on the anti-skate arm.

Something that has occurred to me over the years is that the position of the arm on the LP is an issue! You have the maximum skating forces at the beginning and end of the LP; at two places in the middle the cartridge should be perfectly aligned and so no skating force in those two locations.

As we all know, linear tracking arms generate no skating forces if properly set up.

That suggests that in the middle of the LP the skating forces would be opposite of what they are at the beginning and end. This would make all anti-skate systems erroneous.... Since the end of the LP is the most problematic area that is where I hope that my anti-skate setting is correct. At any rate, I've yet to find any LP that can cause distortion or mistracking of the cartridge at any point, so it must be all good, right?
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