Building the Audio Note Kit 1 SET amp...

Reb, I think you have all the relevant info available to decide. Some more detailed impedance/phase info on specific Tektons would be useful but not needed to save some money perhaps. Or go with what seems best on paper for more. Or try something else. The balls in your court to decide at this point I think. What you have ain't so bad for now it seems so take your time.

One other thing that might be useful to know is the output impedance of the AN amp. I'm asuming it is fairly high being a SET but do not know for sure. The higher that is the greater the chance that impedance swings in the speaker, even if not problematic, will affect the tonality of the results. Impedance curve info would then provide a clue in regards to how that tonality is likely to balance out prior to actual hearing. its at least a systematic approach to help predict the results beforehand. Flat impedance curve > 8ohm definitley suggests a design intended for SET. But of course a robust design alone does not assure one will like the sound, but it is at minimum an indicator of good performance together which is a good starting point.

Rebbi-

The problem is that it is very hard to find somewhere where you can listen to speakers, without a salesman obnoxious presence...

What I would suggest is to get to a show where you can hear some/most of these speakers. Israel was at the show in Manhattan in 2014 and is likely to be there/RMAF/Capitol Audiofest in 2015. Most of the time, if you're patient you can get the music you feel is most critical cued up for a listen. If you're recognized as really serious, you might even get an extended demo before or after hours, with the possibility of a show special price. In the meantime, since you are very happy w the amp/speaker sound you now have for 90% of what you listen to, you can enjoy that, let the stuff break in more, and get used to how different things affect the sound. I know how hard patience can be, but short of buying, comparing, and selling the loser, there are not too many options these days, esp. w boutique products. Unless of course, you can find a B&M store who stocks Coincident, Ref 3A, Tekton and who knows what else.

There is always the proven option of waiting to buy used and not overpaying and selling if needed to move on. It might be nice to keep two pair around at a time to compare at home, even for just a short period if financially feasible.