Been a long time since I’ve listened to a LS15 but in its day it was a really nice preamp. Not sure what a GNS goes for on the used market but a stock one $13-1500, so maybe the GNS $2,000? Hard to believe it’s been 25 years!
The latest ARC preamp I’ve had in my system was a LS25 MK II and my former ModWright SWL 9.0 SE was better... I felt much better. Between the two preamps the LS25 seemed cold and boring compared to the 9.0. The LS25 is no slouch but when I put it up against the 9.0 I was surprised to say the least.
My guess is you’re going to have to find something used for $3K to be a significant improvement over your LS15. I personally wouldn’t spend anymore on you LS15 on modifications, especially if you’re looking at another $1-2K. For the cost of a major upgrade and what you can probably get out of your LS15 I bet you can find better such as a Ref 3 or a MW LS36.5. The new ModWright SWL 9.0 AE or LS100 are other preamps worth reading up on as well if you’re looking for new and wanting to spend less. Lots of options out there that’s for sure.
If you’re tired of tubes, there’s Ayre and Pass, among others.
The latest ARC preamp I’ve had in my system was a LS25 MK II and my former ModWright SWL 9.0 SE was better... I felt much better. Between the two preamps the LS25 seemed cold and boring compared to the 9.0. The LS25 is no slouch but when I put it up against the 9.0 I was surprised to say the least.
My guess is you’re going to have to find something used for $3K to be a significant improvement over your LS15. I personally wouldn’t spend anymore on you LS15 on modifications, especially if you’re looking at another $1-2K. For the cost of a major upgrade and what you can probably get out of your LS15 I bet you can find better such as a Ref 3 or a MW LS36.5. The new ModWright SWL 9.0 AE or LS100 are other preamps worth reading up on as well if you’re looking for new and wanting to spend less. Lots of options out there that’s for sure.
If you’re tired of tubes, there’s Ayre and Pass, among others.