well...speaking for myself, i initiated this thread back in 2019. at the time, was just looking for high end rentals and the stockli experience. in '19 i did demo the SR88 and truly enjoyed it (have been on fischer RC4 world cup GS cheaters with plates for years), but was not looking to purchase.
BUT i have an update - went to Beaver Creek a few weeks ago and demoed both the AR and newer SR88. to be fair, i didn't give the AR the best out-of-the-gate shot (it was my first day skiing this year). i used it 90% of the first day in a mix of new snow and chopped up crud. i did like it, and i'm sure i'm in the minority on this board, but the SR88 was just lighter and more lively in all conditions. sure, it didn't rail quite as nicely as the AR, but it more than held it's own and i never felt it's speed limit. i guess given my nearly 10 years on the RC4's, i was looking for a fairly dramatic change in terms of width underfoot, light weight, and just over all "fun-ness". so, i bought the 88's.