Krell Kav 300il or Arcam FMJ A32

I have owned the Arcam and the Krell. Subjectively the Arcam makes music flow, whereas the Krell makes "sound".
I am sure the Krell lovers will kill this comment, but for my taste it was no contest really.
Arcam is one of those small companies that simply make musical sounding "whatever that means" gear.
Good luck,
Larry

I am also having the SF Grand Pianos but it's the older model. My first amp was the Arcam Alpha 10 and now I've moved up to Classe CAP-100 that is so much better than the Arcam in many areas. Although the Alpha range was long time replaced by Diva and FMJ series, they have the same old typical Arcam sound, polite and uninvolving. One of my friend has the FMJ A32 very much earlier and sold it late last year. He has moved up to Tag Mclaren AV32R-5R combo.

Anyway it is a matter of preference as some like it laid-back while some would prefer a more upfront sound and grunt. Nevertheless, I would advice you to go for a more powerful amp to drive your Grand Pianos. In my system, there is no denying that my Classe integrated cannot drive the GP's to its optimum. The GP's need huge power. I have tried the Krell KAV-300i to drive the GP's and it sounded little better with more authority and control. I believe the GP's will benefit more with more powerful amps. I am not biased towards ARcam but I strongly think that they wouldn't be able to drive your speakers too efficiently.

Sorry. I've forgot to add that I'm now looking at a used Bryston 4B-ST for my Grand Pianos but that wouldn't be too soon. Maybe in a couple of months time in June or July.

Two very different sonic signatures here. Fine--the Krell is flawless and really doesn't do anything wrong. I used to work in retail and have sold both and home-auditioned both(using those persnickety Logans)--the Arcam wins--and not merely by the shrug of the shoulders. TC

Yup. This is going to be a matter of personal preference. Personally, I am quite smitten with the Arcam sound, particularly with my ProAc speakers. My office system consists of the FMJ CD23T, FMJ T21, FMJ A22 and Tablette Reference 8 Signatures. Of course, in this setting, I do like my music a bit more laid back. At home, I have Theta Digital amps driving Thiels.

But that Krell is also a fine piece, and might float your boat moreso than the Arcam. Only your own ears (and brain) will tell you which is best for you...