Voltage mode vs current mode phono stages

Here is the vdH website on their phono stages:

https://www.vandenhul.com/product-category/electronics/

The way I read it, the SB offers balanced operation; the base model may only offer XLR inputs into an SE circuit. I don't know. The language is only a little less vague and confusing than what you find on the Channel D website. Clearthinker, I think you made the most cost-effective choice among the many Grail iterations, but it occurs to me that their statement about auto matching for cartridges in the 40-400 ohm range might mean that if the cartridge has an internal Z of 4 to 40 ohms, which covers just about all low output LOMC types, then the current drive stage will accommodate it.  It's a bit confusing and suggests that voltage drive is an option.  I cannot blame drbond for being confused. But you own one, so let us know.  Most reviewers don't have a clue.

@clearthinker If the Grail was ‘under-exposed’,  it certainly has caught my attention with the discussion here. 

What are some of the higher internal impedance LOMC you have tried? Presumably it was the Boulder 1008 that you made the compare to?

Yes it was the Boulder 1008.  I really didn't like it.  It sounded very 'transistory'.  I didn't move on to the 2008 mainly because of the price, but I felt it likely there would be a house sound that doesn't suit me.

I have Ortofons A90, Anna, Verismo; van den Huls Grasshoppers II and IV and Colibri.  Also Audio Technica ART1000, another sleeper, uses entirely difference suspension engineering.  These are all low impedence, between 3 - 7 ohms, the ART1000 is only 3 ohm, save the Colibri XGP which is 36 ohm.  I do not hear any artifacts that distinguish that but overall these vdHs have fallen behind a little.  The ART and the Verismo are the best I have.  Anna has a high mass that unfortunately doesn't suit my ultra low mass parallel tracking arm, so I use it in my second system where the amplification is vintage.

Clearthinker, that’s an impressive list of cartridges. Your colibri with 36 ohm internal resistance probably has a healthy voltage output. Do you run it into the Grail in current mode or voltage mode or does the Grail even offer that choice via separate pairs of inputs? Thx.

@lewm 

I am curious about what happens when you mate a Sussuro, for example, with a current driven phono stage.

This post from a recent Little Loco thread may shed some light:

I ended up with a Soundsmith Sussurro cartridge, but the Low Z (Low impedance) version. I would suggest if you were to buy one make sure Peter Lederman knows it's for a transimpedance stage.

The long version is that I contacted Peter and he contacted Ron Sutherland and compared notes. Peter built a low impedance version of the Sussurro and sent to me. I didn't like it, thought it was rolled off up top a bit. Peter offered to refund my money but I told him I would prefer he try to resolve and asked him if he would be willing to put in the time to do that. He agreed and I ended up sending the cartridge and the Little Loco to him to work with. The results are as you would expect if one of the most knowledgeable and talented guys in the cartridge/phono industry had your gear on his bench...an excellent match, I'm loving what I am hearing. 

My comparison is the Audiotechnica ART-9 which sounds pretty darn good but not nearly as good as the Low Z Sussurro, and my digital: Innuos Zen MKIII and Bricasti M1 SE MDX (who names these things?!) DAC. 

I actually picked the cartridge and Little Loco up at his shop because I was in the area visiting family. Peter took me on a tour, we listened to music, talked about dogs...he's a great guy, I'm really thankful for the entire experience (and for sure I'm glad he was willing to take the time to make the cartridge sound so good).