This is almost turning into a modern vs vintage audio discussion.
I agree with other posts here about how people cared about audio more in the past than they do now. Hell, look at what some of that vintage audio cost new. Not exactly chump change. People were willing to pay for the best. Because of that high demand, competition was up, and there were higher quality offerings back then as far as build quality and aesthetics. This is certainly one subject where "they don't make 'em like they used to" applies.
All of my setups are powered by vintage equipment. I listen to them nearly every day. The look, touch, feel, reliability, and sound are unmatched by all but the highest end (and very very expensive) audio today. I'd rather play with a beautiful sounding sub-$300 vintage silver face than a $2,000 black plastic modern unit.
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