First of all you know my stance on receivers. I seriously doubt if you talk to AUDIOPHILES that any of them would take a two channel output from a Denon, Sony or Yammie seriously as high end 2 channel sound or high end sound period. Which doesn't mean they're junk it means they are selling to people with different goals than two channel audio enthusiasts or very deep pocketed multi-channel enthusiasts who would be builting those big Bryston/Krell monoblock set-ups.

You made the point about the speakers not I and I just said that these guys are not producing marquee gear across the board. None of them produces a high end amplifier though Marantz in Britain did bring out their STATEMENT amplifier which not surprisingly is a 25 watt class A amplifer with a switch to bring it into class A/B for more power if speakers demand. That is a nice intelligent feature to cover several speaker demands. This amplifier interests me if they ever sell it in North America.

Artisans can go into business with a different approach than pure businessmen...some make this stuff because they have a passion for it. I would like to sell audio that I like but I don't want to have to depend on making a living off it because then my store would have shift to meet external demands on not my own. The interest that we both share is obvious since we discuss this stuff on audio forums...it's a hobby. Sony is a conglomorate (wrong word mogul too much Baseball Mogul playing lately). Companies like Rolls Royce(before the takeover) and Audio Note are building cost no object items. The statement products from Dynaudio and B&W etc are similar too of course.

Think of it this way. Audio Note makes the entre chain...I'm not saying anyone has to agree with them...but everytihng is designed to work with each other. Another forum and someone didn't believe The AN K could have the sensitivity being a sealed infinite baffle design that can still produce bass with very little distorion at high volume levels with little power required...it can and is so someone has gotten around this issue.

HTIB well this of course is a nice comparison of the conglemorate's approach to system matching...do many of them test their amplifiers with real world speakers or do they just build off a computer...do they listen to their amplifiers. $12.00 total worth of material, shipping packaging (which is probably $9.00 worthof the $12) for $199.00.

Because AN designs complete systems they have more control over what you hear - you want to hear Audio note then HEAR Audio Note. If their 'opinion' and it's just their opinion that SS amplifiers compromise the signal then they would PREFER you not listen to their cd player and speakers on your "initial" listen because they feel SS ruins the sound...or ruins it compared to their amplifier.

And as much as it pains me to say it, my speakers sound a helluva lot better on their system than it does with my Sugden - whcih I already liked better than costlier amps.

Audio Note is not the best, perhaps, at each and every componant they make, but what they have successfully done IMO is take the strengths and weakness and play off of those WITHIN the system so the end result is really quite exceptional.

UHF recently reviewed the AN DAC/Transport and really liked it but said it was hard at times in passages...for all we know though if you place that transport/Dac with an AN SET amp that hardness may be brought down and with more sensitive speaker than UHF uses that dynamics may be brought up.

Quad and Linn both did this and it makes sense...if people are going to say your stuff is Overrated or just plain bad at least make sure it wasn't the Rega Brio Amp or Nad Turntable or Bose speakers that wrecked your possible customer's view of your products. That's one reason why I was listening to my speakers with SET amp for about an hour and the dealer told me it was not only a tube amp but a SET amp???? But how, it has loads of deep bass prestine highs LOUD levels - nothing like I was expecting TUBES to sound like except non fatigue. You take that amp and run a set of 4ohm 85db Totems and that might be horrible.

Best is subjective...Right now I'm sure you have a best system you've ever heard and in 5 years that might shift to something else. Right now the best SYSTEM I have heard was the AN system at soundhounds. Individual componants may not be of course. And it was far from Audio Note's best system probably only clocking in at $40-50kUS. Their best adds another zero.