Any audiophiles in Israel or Europe here?

You probably don't want to hear this but I would sell everything and start from scratch.  What's Best Audio Forum puts Audiogon to shame.  It is a great place to research products and is heavily influenced by Europeans.  Poland has some some great Speaker makers, UK - DAC's and Music Servers, Greece - amplifiers just to name a few.  It sounds like this is a once in a lifetime move.  The gear in Europe is outstanding.  It could be fun building your system.  The only thing I might keep would be your turntable due to all of the albums you have.  Good Luck!  You may want to post this same thread on WBF.

Well, sure it could be an approach as well - sell everything and buy new in Israel or Europe. Might cost a lot, besides the man may want to keep the equipment that he likes or/and just got used to.

@lou_setriodes I live in the EU and I can assure you that electronics (amps, dacs, etc), TTs, etc, are reasonably priced here by hi-end standards -- surprisingly so. Better still, dealers & manufacturers can be very accommodating when it comes to discounts & payment terms.

The market for used items is also quite good.

But of course, setting up a hi-end system is expensive and, for sure, you have other costs to worry about as well! Good luck

You are going, and planning to come back.

It is a dusty, dry, hard climate.

I worked through the region many years ago as a HD mechanic on mobile support and drilling equipment. Foundational ground support, tunnel building, all kinds of stuff.

If I had THEN what I have today. EVERYTHING would be on 3 or 4 memory sticks and EVERYTHING would stay here.. No albums of any type would go there, UNLES I was going to sell it once I got there and use the few I took with me.. 10-12 LPs, everything else on memory sticks and BACKUPS X 2 at least.. MARK them as archived music for BU only, not for resale.. Abide by the LAW....

A great place to buy THEN was Iran, the Shaw was still in power, a whole different place all together. I liked Belgium, they had Mac and Marantz at the time. Great machine shops there too. Kinda like the Finns and Swedes when it comes to machine work (just a lot better climate). There were no CDs. 4 and 8 track and a LOT of cassette, that didn't catch on here but did in that part of the world.. 10 years later it caught on in the states. 

LPs were easy to find. The question was always quality..

When you prefer a 4 or 8 or cassette tape over vinyl, that is telling you something.. :-)

You need to understand mobility is VERY important, I had to bug out more than one time..  100s of LPs and cassetts and la tea da!

THINK my friend. Figure as much WATER and food you can carry for 3-5 days and THEN protection, flack jackets are not light... Bible, carry a small one. But that can get you hurt, just so you know...

NOW carry or haul all the stereo gear you want.  Don't be showing the bottoms of your feet and HOLD YOU NOSE.. It's nothing like the states AT ALL. It Stinks... Extreme body odor, to Extreme PERFUMES, to heavenly floral sent to sewage... all in the same block.

Travel safe but don't wind up like Jonah, let the good spirit guide you my friend.. Father Abraham was everyone's forefather after all.. I kept the Sabbath. Still try too..

Regards

oldhvymec - I’ll be in Israel, not Iran.  Same here, I kept the Sabbath & still try to as well :)

willgolf - definitely going to check out WBF, thanks!  But I’m not ready to start over at this time.  Maybe in a while though.

gregm - once settled in & if and when I get the itch, I’ll check it out.  VAT is 17% and have to see what import fees are too.

They say, bring what makes you happy.  It helps to have familiar things when you are trying to acclimate to a new country and culture and I’ll have a lot on my plate, so I don’t want to start over and be spending time researching & buying new used audio gear.  Ive been changing gear a lot over the past few years, especially with the pandemic, and I’m trying to be over it.  
Sure, do I love trying different flavors of sound from different audio gear - yes!  Do I get bored looking at the same audio objects and want different looking ones?  Yes!  But with all that’s going on, I’m trying not have the bug.  
A friend offered to allow me to audition a bunch of gear in my home for an extended time.  Normally, I’d jump at the chance too... but too much going on now & don’t want to be spending time on this now.

Another friend recently acquired Krell MDA300s, a ML 26S, Theta digital and Wilson Watt/Puppies, soon to be all sold and passed up the opportunity to hear it all last week, just because I don’t want to be enticed, same reason the recovering alcoholic stays away from bars :)

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions though.  
Any recommendations on Step Up Transformers?  The one I got with the 220V Meridian 504 tuner hums and gets quite warm.  It’s a Phlimore ST-500.  I know very little about them.  Thanks!