Adcom pre amp versus Van Alstine

apples (Gala) and apples (Heirloom)? 

rick_n: I agree with your post regarding old audio gear.  All electronics have a life span.  Does one really save $ buying old/used components when you consider how much life is left on that product?  Been there done that many times. I now prefer to stick with new.    

You could call Frank at AVA and ask him if he has any used units coming in that he could go through and check out for ya. imo, pick the one tested with the lowest noise, and the fewest number of bits/parts inside if you care about sound quality. 

Doing some searching around just now on Hifishark, there are a few nice ones out there. Between the two, for sound quality I'd take a Van Alstine preamp every time.

Why just these two brands?  Many more options out there.  Also, the Adcom has well-documented reliability issues so I’d definitely avoid that as there are many, many other great options out there.  You should really start with what sound characteristics you’re looking for because AVA and Adcom can sound quite different.

Of the two, I’d pick the Van Alstine, in case I was too long winded. I might check out this one from a list of possibles:

There's also an ARC SP-6 out there for an under $1k price, and an Aric.