Balanced in phono stages preamp?

There is an exception to every rule I reckon. I've got a VKP10SE and I like it a lot better with the input connection unbalanced. To the second half of the original question, I think the answer is no. Some great phono stages give you the balanced input option and some do not. A drawback to the balanced input approach is that to convert a two wire device (cartridge) to a three wire device you have to cut the signal in half which creates opportunity for more issues with signal to noise ratio and amplification error (i.e. for a 1.0 mv cart the unbalanced input is 1 mv, the balanced input is 0.5 mv on each leg).

Atmasphere - I never understood why it is said that phono cartridges are balanced, given that they are a two wire device. For the particular connection between two wire cart and pre amp ,i.e. signal still single ended until split into balanced at the pre, there shouldn't be any advantage in common mode rejection. Once the split is made (downstream of the input connection at the pre amp) I understand your point.
N803nut - If I understand the circuit you have described correctly, it is electrically the same as an unbalanced connection except that you are using two wires in parellel on the grounded side of the unbalanced connection.

Jfrech - No step up. Gain switch to high. Balanced output to pre (full balanced through pre to power amp). Shelter 90x. To my ear the main difference is reduced background noise. Lewm - didn't mean to say that balanced was bad just that there were trade offs. Circuit wise, balanced ain't balanced unless it is balanced :). Do not have the Bat schematic but at some point they have to split the signal from each channel with something like a center grounded resistor to get equal strength (balanced) + to ground and minus to ground signals. It would be interesting to look at the schemativ or ask Victor, the signal splitting might occur exactly the same way regardless of which input connection you are using, so in this particular case we may be talking about no difference except in cabling between the table and phono pre.

Anyone have access to a VKP10 schematic? My curiosity is tweaked now, I'd like to see if there is any difference to the balanced input connection downstream of the connectors.

When you get away from purely technical considerations, and you have the average buyers desire for best bang for the buck in both sound quality and reliability, you wonder which approach outweighs the other at a fixed cost of manufacture?