For VPI Unipivot Owners, do you use antiskating?


I have a Scout 1.1 with Ortofon 2M Black. Have always read that unipivot arms do not require antiskating. I don't use mine. Any opinions?
adeep42

Showing 3 responses by bill_k

It is incorrect to state that VPI doesn't believe in anti-skating. Harry has stated that he greatly prefers the sound of his unipivot arms with the inherent anti-skating force that the tonearm wire loop provides, compared to a mechanical anti-skate device. He started including one only due to some customer demand, but does not really recommend using it for the best sonic performance. Of course YMMV, and in some specific setups the adjustable anti-skating may provide some benefit.
Yogiboy - I have read that using the grooveless record setup in the way you describe is not truly accurate, since the skating force is different when the stylus is actually in a groove. Anti-skating force is more accurately set by optimizing sound quality when tracking a record, or when you lower the stylus in the runout groove of a record. It should be stationary for a moment and then slowly move inward. This results in a slightly different setting than if it just remained stationary. This is the recommended procedure from tonearm manufacturer Origin Live and I find it to work very well.
Stringreen - If you're still using a VPI tonearm as in your system listing, you seem to be ignoring the fact that it has some inherent anti-skating force that the wire loop provides. So it appears that you are in agreement with HW from VPI that it sounds better with just that a/s, rather than using the mechanical a/s mechanism that he now provides. So you're in good company, enjoy the tunes!