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

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.

the op has really no way to know but to get both and try in his own system

short of that, he is asking for input

i have not heard a freya in my own system, but i have in others... but of course, not A/Bed against an sp15

i would say that so long as the unit is in good shape and checked out, no caps or tubes failing etc etc, the sp15 is one of the units that audio research built its name and reputation on in the 90’s, designed and built to take on all comers ... at the time it was its main linestage under the megabuck reference one ...

you can bet this preamp, while no doubt having its sound signature, makes absolutely no apologies to the linestages on the market today in the 2 grand price range

Thanks to all for their thoughts. One more question. I am looking at two very nice LS15's. The first is an older model with the attached power cord. The second one is a very late model with the detachable power cord and various ARC improvements. The price difference is $600. Is there $600 dollars worth of performance difference between the two?