Class A amplifiers - which are considered the best

Another vote for Pass as well as Threshold;also these 2 but I don't know if pure class A might be worth checking out Jeff Roland older model amps and Boulder also.

Your electric company loves you!! I have a 'Class A' 50 watt baby (Forte 4a) and can say it adds ten bucks a month to my electric bill. Your 200 watt/ channel class A can add $50 a month, just left on, not doing anything except wasting energy.
Anyway, Rant over, I love my little class A heater, and have had it since new, and would buy another anytime. Just hate the heat, and the wasted $$. Can't leave it one all Summer.. Then it's blasting heat while the Air is trying to cool the place down at the same time. Double wasted electricity $$

I've always liked Nelson Pass's designs. He has been doing this for a long time. I have his latest XA30.5 and 100.5. They give me every indication they will last for decades. I have great respect for the Accuphase A50 also.

Gryphon Colosseum is unforgetable 2x160watt pure class A amp.
Listen once and you'll forget everything!

I have the Pass XA60.5 monos, absolutely love them, described them in enough messages on this board, thus won't bore you again.

As to electricity cost, letting them warm up for about 4 hours before using would get you 95% of their performance. The next level up would be 4 days, and that just does not seem worth the cost, needless to say being wasteful. But really, a 4-hour wait on the XA60.5 easily blows away most class A/B amplifiers out there. Now if you are in a rush, playing immediately after power on would already get you into the better end of class A/B amplifier selection. Nevertheless that's not the point when you purchase a class A amp.