I’m 61, and back in the 70s and 80s, there were good and bad components. Today with digital audio, everything I find sounds great. Price differences are because of features, not sound. Sometimes because of build quality. But I really don’t mind buying a cheaper amp and having it burn out in five or six years. By then, there’s new technology that makes replacing it worthwhile. My brother bought a McIntosh system back on the 70s. It still works great, but no HDMI or digital inputs, no TV integration, no multichannel, it’s just an amp and receiver. He set it up in the corner and uses a modern AVR most of the time.