Krell Kav 300il or Arcam FMJ A32

After months of not reading this thread, I visit only to find a vast majority, (vast with three people) well, a majority, likeing the musicality of the Arcam.
Have you listened to the DK MKII? For $3000. It sets a new standard, better than my Gryphon, and some separates which cost in excess of $30K. THAT's impressive.
Best,

I have owned the Krell 300i for 7yrs driving Dunlavy SCIII's. I have always liked and enjoyed it. I just recently switched to the PrimaLuna Prologue One. In a nutshell the primaluna makes the Krell sound broken. I am floored at the difference. Much larger soundstage, more musical, more natural,incredible mids, much easier to listen to. This was an educational experience for me. I thought I might use the Krell for rock and the PrimaLuna for classical etc. I haven't hooked up the Krell since I got PrimaLuna. I know this wasn't exactly your question but I thought I'd add the experience of a longtime Krell 300i owner.

The FMJ A32 won't be able to drive the SF GP Homes efficiently. The A32 is very similiar to the earlier model Alpha 10 which I have owned earlier but with a cosmetic makeover which explains the derivation of the FMJ tag(Full Metal Jacket). The Krell KAV-300il will be able to do a better job driving the GP's. As the previous poster has pointed out, 2 very different sonic signatures. The smooth and laidback character of the Arcam vs the grunt and dynamics of the Krell. The choice is dependent on your musical preference but given your speakers, I would definitely go with the Krell.

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...

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

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.

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.

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

This really depends on your tastes and the type of music you listen. If you can borrow either one and then go to a resaler that has the other model, try to compare them to each other by swapping the units in the system. Bring some of your favorite CD's. My personal taste would go for the Krell, but like I said it's my taste. Trust your ears and go for the one that moves you.
Hifipete.