Ayre amps - cool running?

I think that your experience is in line with diff btwn amps that are Class A (run hot) and A/B, although some A/B amps are biased heavily into class A and will run warm-hot most of the time.

When I was using the Ayre V5Xe, it ran on the low side of moderately warm. My tube preamp generated a lot more heat. I never drove it hard so I can't speak to its temperature if it was really stressed.
Swampwalker is correct. It has to do with how the amp is biased. A TRUE class A amp runs extremely warm where a class B amp runs cool. AB fits in between and how much it runs into class A. Of course the newer Digi amps run cool.

I know the MXRs are only slightly warm when playing Watt Puppy 8s at high volume.

Arthur

I had an Ayre V3 which ran hotter than any amp I've had - even at idle. I even called Ayre to ask if this was normal - their reply was "hot is good".