What's Your Advice, Used Audio Research LS15, Or Freya+?

You could consider the Quicksilver preamp. 

Freya is good but not great. ARC all the way.

I have an ARC LS-15 that was modded by Huntley with the great northern sound company.  I pulled it out as I’m updating my aesthetix calisto and am amazed by the sound.  I have auditioned schiit audio gear (mani and yaggi) and fine them to be a great bang to the buck.  But, frankly, not in ARC league.  For the price, a second hand ls-15 is a superb way to enter into tubes.  You can get fancy by purchasing exotic tubes, but you won’t go wrong buying tubes from ARC.  My ARC VM-220 holds its weight with 10k amps, but that would be appreciated more after some time with the LS-15, imho

This is interesting. I have never heard either a ARC or Schitt preamp, or amp for that matter. I have what I consider a very nice tube preamp made in Denmark.

But what I find interesting is that from all the very high praise garnered by the Freya+ from you tube and A’gon users, I would have thought the newer Freya+ would sound better than an older ARC. Just would have thought it, nothing else.

Not at all questioning your responses, but have you all heard both in somewhat comparable circumstances to draw your conclusions?

Jetter, you hit it on the head. My thinking is, am I better to go with a 15 (or more) year old ARC preamp, or a new Schitt Freya+. I really don't know. Thus the post. I have heard neither, and am going off of online reviews. Certainly a First World problem.