What brand was better than it is today?

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.

Infinity was once made great speakers. Not any more.

The early Marantz tube gear before 1965!
http://audiohistory.com/files/documents/marantzhistory.pdf

Sansui is out of the game and only makes televisions so they technically do not count.  Altec Lansing comes to mind.