CHANGING FROM AUDIO RESEARCH TO AUDIO NOTE SYSTEM 

@fredgolds,

I am located in Porto, Portugal.

My system is quite good and gives great musical moments.  But it is true that with the hearing I had with AN I got more emerged into the music and it was easier to listen. I believe my taste lies on the AN side, even tough I love the ARC sound, specially it’s truly outstanding and enormous soundstage. Wilson has the ability to disappear and is a truly great speaker. AN has a great tone and rhythm, an impressive bass for the size, although I am afraid it might get a little boomy. As   @jond said, I’m having great fun in this and it’s great to hear all you guys experiences and opinions.  
The main issue with AN, besides the price, is the absence of a Mono switch, which I value when listening to Mono LP’s and my turntable only allows for one arm. 

AN UK  or Japan?

personally stop researching while back who is who ? made the SET move long ago, Contacted Robyatt listened his Tektron gear I've got smitten by it, never go back to SS, HYBRID, PP , Whatsoever, 6J5 Preamplifier truly remarkable value, suck it and see .

I'm across the pond in the UK. Firstly, I do love ANUK systems and they are hard to fault depending on which level you buy into. But, I have another recommendation for you to consider, a company that came out of the principles of Audio Note UK but developed their own signature sound and now based in the USA.  

I've had Snell speakers J's & K's which Peter Quortrup would recommend with his Audio Innovation Valve amps back in the 1980's. I've had Audio Note J's & K's speakers, but never feel in love with E's.   

A ANUK dealer back in the day was Gary Dews from Border Patrol Valve amps, know running his operation out of Maryland USA. He created 300B SET amps to improve what he believed was the initial principles set out by ANUK but to drive the newly emerging Living Voice speakers by Kevin Scott. I auditioned the first Meishu and Border Patrol 300B and ended up with buying the BP300b, and have been on a Border Patrol Valve amp journey ever since.

I would recommend auditioning a Border Patrol system with either Living Voice Auditorium speakers or Volt Audio to compare against a pure ANUK system and let your ears be the judge.

I still use ANUK Cables and AN Dac, plus a BP Dac in my system but eventually built my own speakers.     

@ethereal_beats  +1  Also great to see Living Voice in the discussion!

@david_ten I have immense respect for your postings, which are typically quite mindful. Are you and @ethereal_beats merely stating that Living Voice speakers generally deserve a look? If that's what you are saying, then I agree. They are wonderful speakers worthy of consideration and Gary is a gentleman's gentleman. If you are saying the OP should consider these for his/her application, I vehemently disagree with suggesting a rear ported speaker such as Living Voice for corner placement (unless they were designed for such ala Audio Note).