Hi,
While I have no experience with the VPI tonearm, I've owned a ZYX Airy 3 (.24 mV output) and used both with a Moerch DP-6 (13 g armwand) and with a Siggwan tonearm. While it benefits from a little bit of antiskating force, the amount is close to the MINIMUM possible with both arms. Further increasing anti-skating with the ZYX Airy 3 has a very negative effective on the sound.
It is puzzling (particularly since you've described your careful troubleshooting) that you need a lot of anti-skating force using Peter Ledermann's method, which (as you know) is to cue down the tonearm-stylus in the leadout area in between leadout grooves, and adjust anti-skate so arm moves very little or very slowly inward.
Good luck in sorting this out.
Harvey
While I have no experience with the VPI tonearm, I've owned a ZYX Airy 3 (.24 mV output) and used both with a Moerch DP-6 (13 g armwand) and with a Siggwan tonearm. While it benefits from a little bit of antiskating force, the amount is close to the MINIMUM possible with both arms. Further increasing anti-skating with the ZYX Airy 3 has a very negative effective on the sound.
It is puzzling (particularly since you've described your careful troubleshooting) that you need a lot of anti-skating force using Peter Ledermann's method, which (as you know) is to cue down the tonearm-stylus in the leadout area in between leadout grooves, and adjust anti-skate so arm moves very little or very slowly inward.
Good luck in sorting this out.
Harvey