Balanced input phono stages

Hello everyone,
I although am new to the forum, and this is my first post, I am not new to music and the means to reproduce it - a good hifi system. I'm sure all of you must have an itch that they want to scratch and one of mine has been to own and use a phono stage with balanced inputs - ie XLR. Balanced input phono stages have been around for some time and are aimed only at low output MC cartridges. All MC cartridges are balanced by the nature of their design so a balanced input phono stage would seem to be a logical interface? Not everyone can easily use a balanced input phono stage (BIPS for short) as the changing of the cable from their tone arm is not easily achieved - either captive inside the turntable or not having a din plug that easily facilitates change over. These very facts have also prevented accurate reviewing in the hifi press - some reviewers making a half hearted attempt by using rca to xlr adaptors which do allow the full benefit of a BIPS to shine through.

I have used  a German Aqvox 2CI Mk II BIPS  for 2 years now. It has MM and MC inputs - the former via unbalanced rca sockets. My cartridge collection is quite large with Lyra Kleos, VDH Frog, L*nn Arkiv, Denon 103R and Miyajima Mono Zero MC carts. and Grado Statement Master, Grado Reference, Musicmaker mkII and Soundsmith Zephir Mimic II LO MM cartridges.

The heart of a phono stage for me is its MM stage which I use a lot not only with my MM carts but with a range of SUTs - Ear MC-4, K & K Audio and Fidelity Research FRT3 units. The musicality of the Aqvox's MM input is extremely musical to my ears imho.

So having got that off my chest do any of you have any experience of BIPSs?

Also extremly interested in Graham's opinion  of BIPS and SUTs with MC carts into his MM stages.

Thank's for reading.

The circuit in the Aqvox BIPS uses passive EQ with no capacitors in the signal path - so their service man Norman tells me. Of course if you choose the wrong type of MC cartridge the match will not be good and the qualities of BIPS will be largely lost. The MC cart.must have a low input impedance and inductance and a large - relatively - amount of current generation. The BIPS is a current amplification device not a voltage amplification device utilised by single ended MC cart phono stages. I never dis things until I've given them a good chance unless there is an obvious flaw in the logic; even then the sound might be magnificent! I am interested in the Accession MM stage and hope to hear it in my system at some future time.