Thank you for all of your responses. I sifted through them and here's what I've been able to discern:
- Class A amps produce more heat than typical amps. Placement may need to be considered depending on wattage and style.
- The additional heat may reduce tube life by as much as half.
- Operating costs will be higher due to more frequent tube replacement.
- Class A tube amps have desirable sonic qualities, but other current tube or solid state amps can produce equally good sound quality without the drawbacks listed above.