Audio Research make a very good sound,the problem is on its sales channel. 

They go the dealers and make the final sale price very high,way higher than the factory price. Look at Tesla cars! The cars must be complicated than the amplifier,as the cars include the hifi system,and much more. But Tesla let you order online as a retailer client. Why Audio Research can't??? Bring the retail price down is the first job,they need do. Get the direct channel instead of dealer way. Audio Research will make profit soon in the future.

Re the point about asymmetry in market presence between European & US brands: I live in Scotland and spent the last several months trying to audition (and hopefully buy) an ARC amplifier. I approached all the listed dealers within several hours drive - few responded, and all who did simply tried to sell me other brands.

I approached the UK distributor directly - no response. I’ve no bought an Octave (German) and am very pleased with it. The self-inflicted idiocy of Brexit shouldn’t have impacted shipping from the US, so I’m going to just guess at a combo of the factory being unable to ship product, plus the lazy arrogance of much of the UK’s ‘high end’ dealers and distributors.

From The Absolute Sound: Audio Research Corporation Is Dead! Long Live the New Restructured Audio Research Corporation!

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/audio-research-corporation-is-dead-long-live-the-new-restructured-audio-research-corporation/?mc_cid=57e827209c&mc_eid=dbc9896170

I totally agree with @4afsanakhan . This isn't 45 years ago. There are many tempting foreign and domestic brands, and only so many buyers.

Business is business, brand is brand,and owner is owner. As long as the brand is on the market, it is ok for most of us. The word " Dead"  at this moment is really their opinions and I don't agree with.