Balanced/Differential tube preamplifier recommendation?

So have you listened to the Freya +? Or your basing that on? 

My son loves my old Freya + with his AGD Tempo Di GaN. Loves the flexibility and that it was inexpensive, he got a smoking deal on the AGD also. 

Good luck in your search. 

 I am looking for something a bit better than the Freya +

I would recommend looking for a used Audio Research, VAC, or Conrad Johnson. I would go back as far as necessary to meet your budget (make sure it is a tube preamp). These are world class preamps and will provide amazingly musical presentations. If you could stretch to $3K this would likely move you up a level.

Real audiophile preamps go beyond simple detail + bass into real musical reproduction. The preamp is the first component to bring up into the audiophile category if you can. It is the wingnut that holds it all together.

I bought my first audiophile preamp about 40 years ago… it was life changing.

mc1969, holy crap that's a heck of a amp. Someday I'd also like a GaN amp. I have heard the Freya+. It is a fine unit. It just seemed a bit lacking to me, all around, especially in the department of dynamics and tonal character 

ghdprentice, that is good advice. Do you happen to know if the listed manufacturers make their preamps fully differential? I know Audio Research in particular is very well regarded, and even their older designs are imitated even today

@thought9

Sorry I can’t tell you whether designs are fully differential or not, I make decisions on sound quality.

If you have five different designers, they can make a particular design sound completely different depending on the sound they want, the components they use, and all the ancillary components.

I know it is tempting to favor a particular design… but a great audio designer crafts the sound using everything from the case construction, the sound quality of each resistor, capacitor, tube, etc. choice. These guys are artists with science and engineering as their pallets.

These great companies have invested decades in research and development to achieve their sonic objectives, using what every technology that can get them there.

What preamp are you using now, and what improvements and sound characteristics are you looking for?  That’s gonna drive the decision more than anything else and get you much better recommendations here.