Schiit Freya +

I have owned it for about 1 year and really like it. It replaced a Parasound P3 preamp. I gave away alot of inputs but gained that nice tube sound. The Schiit Freya + is very, very good for the price. The downside of the preamp, IMO, is that... #1 the tube sockets are attached directly to the circuit board. So if you tube roll alot, moving the tubes in and out of the sockets will eventually wear out the board they are attached to. #2 Because the tubes set down inside the chassis, the glass on the older tubes might come unglued as one must grab the glass instead of the base of the tubes (which you cannot reach once the tubes are in the socket). One can get quality socket savers for this, which I have done...These socket savers will raise up the 4 tubes and they can be taken in and out by the base, not the glass.

Did you compare it to any other tube pre-amps?

I've owned one for a couple of months. I bought the socket savers as well. Mine came with Tung-sols. I found them to be too flabby in the bass. I also bought some vintage GE and Sylvanias. It's a good value and very flexible. Not an end game piece for me.

Owned one for a few months, had the same issues as others have brought up and had to use socket savers but in the end I didn't like the sound and sold it.  It's great for the money, there is really nothing quite like it so it's a good intro into tubes.