It is, yes. But you have to be a little careful when you simply crank the bias. You can cause more distortion in the crossover region because the total output device transconductance rises there. Generally there is a "right" bias for AB.I am unsure if it really qualifies as a "gimmick" as it was the only viable option to reduce power consumption for many years versus Class A while avoiding the obvious problems with a purely Class B design. While the best solution to date is Benchmark's, everything audio is a compromise given the limitations of fundamental components, isn't it?