"They simply don't make them like this anymore"

That sounds like the lingo someone uses to describe an older piece / long past its prime--that they are trying to unload.---(For way to much,I might add.)

I am confused. Do you mean to say that these vintage pieces are left behind, or that they can compete with modern designs?

"Back in the day" we referred to Phase linear as "Flame Linear." Not only did it sound like crap but it it went up in smoke on a regular basis. Lots of power for low $$ when it worked, unfortunately it didn't work all that often. At that time, Carver was "brilliant" in marketing unconventional designs that turned out to be either unreliable or sounding like crap or both. Maybe he's gotten better since then.

While Jadis is certainly still current, they were more popular in this country during the era that you mentioned Threshold and Carver in.

I had one in mothballs, and recently sold it to clear out some stuff. I have two other pairs of tube amps that are held in the highest esteem, and after I burned in the new tubes this little Jadis was providing me with the best sound I have ever had in my systems. You can imagine I was not happy to see it go, as I have yet to hear a better amp.

Years ago we had the Shelby Mustang, GTO, AMC Gremlin and the Pinto. In audio we had the Marantz 8B, Fuzz Linear, the original QUADS and the Blose 901. Sometimes it's a classic and sometimes it's a piece of crap. The trick is in knowing the difference. Often this is easy, as in the case of the Marantz 10B tuner, which currently sells for 4-5 times it's original price of $599. That's a good clue.

The thing is: the output transistors that are available now are much more linear and faster than those of past years, not to mention the superior capacitors of all types that you can get now. Some of these end up inside newer amps. Same designs, better parts.