Much deleted about assembly in USA vs. other, 
I wish to focus on the subject of warm-running amplifiers:


There is a correclation between warm-running amps and good sound,
or in your words, "it DOES have a bearing on....".

Now, I don't suggest that everyone run out and create combination
stove/amplifiers that will degrade lifespan,
but a cold-running circuit is much more suceptible to temperature
variation with varrying current than is a warm-running one.  And since
junction resistance is a function of temperature, this has a detrimental
effect on linearity.  

a few facts:
-bias points vary with temperature
-junction resist varrie with temp
-Adcom products do NOT run class-A

If you still don't beleive this assertion, consider the warm-up requirements
for most good test equipment, or better yet, just listen to an amplifier
warm-up.  On many designs its quite audible, on mine, about 20 minutes for
the output stage, many hours for the drivers.  Fortunately the drivers
are not switched.

In any experiment, or when drawing conclusions from listening,
betcareful to seperate the effect of device temperature from bias
(idle current) level.  Both have a positive correlation with low
distortion and "good" sound quality, and high bias results in
warmer operation, all other factors being equal.