Well I appreciate the effort ! I do already have the amps, and everything else. This would be my first foray into tube equipment. I like the idea of the Schiit Freya+, because I could so easily ABx the stages and definitively know what I'm hearing.
I hadn't heard of Rogue before, so that's definitely something for me to look at.
I ordered a Freya + a couple of days ago, (they are out of stock 'till August 7th).
Whether you should try tubes or not depends on what you want. If you want the
utmost fidelity to what's on the recording, the most detail, clarity, and the like, get a preamp with the minimum distortion that you can afford: a Benchmark LA4, or for much less a Gustard P26 or Schiit Freya S -- or if you're plutocrat, an MBL N11. If you want (a) euphonic sound, (b) smoothing of a bright or harsh downstream power amp, and/or (c) easing of the harshness or brightness of some recordings, then a tube preamp might be the right course.
Beware that tube preamps can sound very different from each other. I've had two so far the sounded very different from each other.
- Sonic Frontiers Line 1 that was pretty solid state-like though it could produce that tube "holographic" soundstage depending on the tubes used
- GlassWare Aikido DIY 12VDC that was very pleasant but thoroughly unnaturals in sound as well as less resolving, IMO.
Now I'm about to try a third tube preamp that will be a better balance.