At elevated levels it is likely that both sound nearly indistinguishable.
At low levels Class A is likely to have an advantage.
Crossover distortion is not that "level" dependent. Therefore when the music is very soft then the crossover distortion may become noticeable. As you increase the music in relation to the distortion then it becomes less audible - much in the same way "hiss" when playing loud becomes a non issue but can be a nuisance in very quiet passages in classical.
Of course an extremely precise Class A/B design that has negligible crossover distortion may be just as good as a Class A.
Of course components drift with age - so a Class A amp that is five years old may outperform a Class A/B of the same age ( unless you has the Class A/B serviced). On the flip side the higher operating temperature of a Class A may also mean that it ages faster.
There exist power amps that run Class A to significant power levels before switching to Class A/B. This may be the best compromise (power but also years of reliable quality signal at low levels) depending on your viewpoint. Another user could argue that it is simpler just to service the Class A/B amp regularly to keep crossover distortion low.
Note that designers can deliberately choose parts so that they partially compensate eachother in the component aging process...this is probably what distinguishes high quality designs from cheaper low quality ones.
There is no absolute answer - except that build quality (design, component selection) may ultimately be more important than Class.
At low levels Class A is likely to have an advantage.
Crossover distortion is not that "level" dependent. Therefore when the music is very soft then the crossover distortion may become noticeable. As you increase the music in relation to the distortion then it becomes less audible - much in the same way "hiss" when playing loud becomes a non issue but can be a nuisance in very quiet passages in classical.
Of course an extremely precise Class A/B design that has negligible crossover distortion may be just as good as a Class A.
Of course components drift with age - so a Class A amp that is five years old may outperform a Class A/B of the same age ( unless you has the Class A/B serviced). On the flip side the higher operating temperature of a Class A may also mean that it ages faster.
There exist power amps that run Class A to significant power levels before switching to Class A/B. This may be the best compromise (power but also years of reliable quality signal at low levels) depending on your viewpoint. Another user could argue that it is simpler just to service the Class A/B amp regularly to keep crossover distortion low.
Note that designers can deliberately choose parts so that they partially compensate eachother in the component aging process...this is probably what distinguishes high quality designs from cheaper low quality ones.
There is no absolute answer - except that build quality (design, component selection) may ultimately be more important than Class.