best class a amp for a grand?

For $1k and under amps I've owned the Aleph 3, Coda 10.5, Forte 4a, Aleph5. Hands down the Forte 4a was heads above the rest in musicality, operation. It was a giant killer then and it's still the best amp available anywhere for under $1500 IMHO. It will drive demanding loads with ease, and for all intents and purposes the 4a acts as if it's a 200 watt AB amplifier but with all the musicality one would associate with a class A design. It's little wonder they're so hard to find used for owners tend to keep them because they're so good.

If you want an NP design and 30 watts of pure single ended class A is enough power I would look for a used Aleph 3 or Aleph 30. I've not heard the Forte 4A, but there are those that love it. I'm not sure NP had much to do with its design, as it uses IGBT transistors that he felt were not appropriate for audio use - I have no idea why he felt that way. If you are willing to buy something 15+ years old (like the Forte 4/4As) you might then also want to consider the BEL 1001s, which is arguably Class A and some to swear it is the best sounding SS amp ever made.

Exactly what I was thinking, pre is an ocm 55 which is belles so I thought if I could hook up a belles amp would be perfect synery.

BEL and Belles are two different companies. Unfortunately, the designer of the BEL passed away a year or two ago. The Belles amps I heard sounded very good, but they were not the new Class amps they have come out with recently, but I imagine they would be considerably over budget. Belles are very easy to drive as I think they are 100kohm input impedance and should work with just about any preamp, including tube preamps:)