Linn vs Audio Research

Wow! You're talking about a totally different sound and presentation. If you're basically happy with your present system, I'd do the Linn upgrade. A friend of mine has a complete Linn system except the speakers which are Nautilus 802's and it sounds good, he replaced a Threshold 400 with a pair of Klout amps and his system improved, warmer, better bass and less glare through the treble. I'm more interested in the harmonics and soundstaging than the PRaT that Linn is promoting so I prefer my Audio Research tube preamp and VAC amp driving my Nautilus 802's. Our two systems don't sound anything alike even though we use the same speakers and partial cd players, his is a Karik and mine is the Karik/Numeric combo. To me, my system sounds better and for him, he thinks his sounds better, so I hope this helps you out. My music preferences are 60's jazz and 70's rock and my Linn buddy prefers 80's-90's pop and some "world" type music.

Thank you for your answers,
I listened today a totally different system composed with a EAR 534 + 834 pre & amp and BW 805 signature speakers.
I found that voices (opera) and violin had a great texture, full of harmonics. The sound was neutral, with strong but not-firm bass.
These are perhaps the characteristics of tubes.
I find also that my system has some other qualities that I can now perhaps qualify with PRaT (that improves again with espek & 2250 !).
If Audio Research gives the quality of EAR harmonics with the minimum PRaT I have in mine, I am interested !
I plan a direct comparison in January between the two configurations. I will post the results.
Marc

I have a similar system with b&w N802s http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vhome&1017001258
I would add a 2250 than consider speakers choices. AR is nice but it a different sound what led you to linn in the first place? That would be the question and how you want your system to sound different than it already does.