What brand was better than it is today?

Acoustic Research from the mid 50s to mid 70s.  Very influential products - acoustic suspension bookshelf speakers which set the stage for all others.  Tough to stay above the competition for 60 years.


I think a more positive thread would be brands that are way better today than they were in years past. ;-)

Mark Levinson comes to mind.  Its modern offerings ain't as listenable, relatively speaking.

Wadia were legendary then.  

I'd feel Krell fits into this category too, but my limited experience can't speak for it.

Don't take my words.  Just Google.

Koss - I remember the days in the early 1970s, driving my ESP-9 electrostatic headphones with a Crown DC-300 amp. I don't know if I've ever heard sound quite like that since. Certainly not from the current offerings of Koss.

Also I remember wandering the city streets playing cassettes on a (large!) Nakamichi 550 portable cassette deck. Before Walkmans existed, it was a surreal and novel sensation.

Quad, when they were make in England. In contrast,, the London cartridges are better in every way than the Deccas were.