I've heard other guys say they can't tell a difference between the two. Lots of different variables going on; different face, different whiskers, different techniques, etc.

Yeah that size is plenty big enough to work with comfortably. Circles should be a breeze.
I've had 8-10 les lats, most were from the ol Preu mine and two from regne. The coticule layer can vary quite a bit in hardness and speed but the hybrids seem to be very consistent.
IIRC Henk said the hybrid is made up of quartz that's less than 1 micron in size. The hybrid can be very slow on water so keep that in mind.
I think you'll really like it. There's no magic involved but they're cool stones and are easy on the eyes.
Enjoy!