Looking for a preamp with XLR connections

Disregard anything ASR says.

I think we need to understand more about what you are trying to do.

In general, the more expensive the better sounding the equipment. Schiit is great budget gear… but is not going to stack up against a $10K audiophile preamp.

If I were writing down requirements for a preamp it would be a long list of sonic characteristics, with my musical preferences, associated equipment… in this scenario technology would not enter… and particularly not the connector… as it is likely to be such a tiny difference in comparison with the other characteristics.

Definitely, Ayre, Pass, Mark Levinson, Krell.

Many of the best preamps are tubed. Unless you have a very compelling reson for discounting them I would recommend searching on sound characteristics and then choose a preamp, regardless of technology. The preamp is so central to the sound characteristics of a system and high quality tubed preamps are very reliable, not producing the heat of tubed amps.

If you care to share your current system, components, and venue there is a place to put photos of your system under your ID. We can be more helpful the more we know. You can get a very good preamp for $10K. Worth a lot of thought.

The Freya+ is NOT noisy. I owned it and I also owned 2 of the quietest preamps in the world, the Topping pre90 and the Benchmark LA4 + HPA4. I currently, only have the LA4 and the CODA 07x in the house.

Both the LA4 and 07x have XLR inputs (2 each) and XLR outputs, The LA4 has 1 XLR and 1 RCA. While the CODA has 2 XLR’s.

The Schitt Freya+ is actually rather quiet, not as quiet as the pre90, LA4, or 07x (not 100% sure on the 07x), but surprisingly quiet for tubes. If I were someone that likes to have a lot of audio gear around, I would have kept the Freya+. I thought it was rather good with a Benchmark AHB2 amp.

BTW - I do not think much about the cost of audio gear. I actually laugh at some of the prices. However, saying all of that, I expect to pair my $2500 LA4 preamp with a $35000 amp when my Livingroom system is done. The LA4 is what to use if you do not want to flavor your sound and also want to hear only the other gear. So that other gear better sound good ’naked’. I would not take any other preamp (at any price) over it for my best system.

BTW2 - I am not someone who dislikes tubes. My RAAL VM-1a tube headphone amp has 7 tubes and is a bit noisy, but it is also the very best sound I have ever had in my home. That is until my future Livingroom system comes together.

@yyzsantabarbara When I mention Freya+ is noisy, it’s not due to audible noise that results in taking any blackness away, but rather the cheap implementation results in incomprehensible hash-like noise that reduces effortless delivery and instead induces some fatigue after long listening. Regarding tube noise, I would agree the Freya+ is fairly quiet ans leagues quieter than its predecessor. 

I can a negative review by ASR a positive.

I have no other knowledge about the Freya.

Please see the Ayre Acoustics web page and look for the Ayre Series 5 preamps and the Ayre Series 8 preamp. These units are balanced and have XLR connections. Please also see the Audiogon for listings for preowned Ayre preamps.

For example, the Ayre Acoustics KX-5 Twenty preamp Silver model is listed for sale (and some others).