The Mutech RM Kanda Hyabusa

The Mutech, like the aforementioned Haniwa cartridge, ought to be auditioned using a current-driven phono stage. I bet the results would be staggering with a good example of that type of phono circuit.  Fremer used the BMC MCCI when he reviewed the Haniwa in 2014.  He liked it better than the Haniwa phono stage, using their cartridge.

Absolutely Lewm perhaps the Channel D Lino C. I lust after the L20. Any cartridge less than 25 ohms can be use with a current mode phono stage. The lower the better. Fortunately this includes the Lyra cartridges, Air Tights, My Sonic Labs and many Ortofons.  Clearaudio cartridges need not apply. 

Did you check out the Haniwa turntable?  The tonearm is a non starter for me. I am of the school that says the platter and tone arm need to be rigidly connected on a stiff subassembly and the tonearm can only allow the cartridge two degrees of freedom. 

The current drive depends not only on the internal resistance of the cartridge but also on the input impedance of the phono stage. If you investigate, the phono stages said to be of that type actually have quite a wide range of input impedances among them. So, if your cartridge has a 10 ohm internal impedance and your phono stage has an input Impedance of 10 ohms or greater, then the drive will tend toward voltage rather than current. It’s really tricky to figure this out. You need to know for sure the specifications of each component for good matching. Also as a result, if you have a very low internal resistance cartridge like the Haniwa or the mutek , and you use a phono stage with a 10 or 12 ohm input impedance, which is quite common for so-called current drive phono stages, then that cartridge will be driving that phono stage in voltage mode mostly. This is not to say that a combination like that would not sound good. It might sound great.

Channel D does not list an input impedance for the L20 only that as long as the cartridge has on impedance less than 25 ohms it will function well in current mode. The L20 also has  voltage mode and MM inputs. It is the quietest phono stage made and it also costs $43,000. The Lino is $2000 some odd dollars and does most of what the L20 does but it is not as quiet. It is however in there with the higher echelon.  

What they say suggests that the input impedance of the Channel D L20 (odd name for a very expensive phono stage) must be less than 25 ohms, but to work well iin current mode with cartridges like the Mustek or the Haniwa would require a phono input impedance of less than 1 ohm.  The field of choice is quite narrow at that specification, but like I said, these cartridges can drive in voltage mode, providing there is enough gain available.  Same old problem.  Didn't mean to side track your discussion.  One of these days I will have to buy a current drive phono stage to satisfy my own fascination with the idea.