I think the "golden age" is now since well designed new stuff sounds a LOT better than most older designs, and is generally much less expensive now relative to quality...and I do remember the 70's gear well.
Mc Intosh vs other brands
I read a thread recently that a guy was looking for an amp for his Magico speakers. He said he tried out a Mc Intosh amp, Audio Research, Pass and Spectral. He said that the Mc Intosh sounded slow and muddy compared to the others. He went on to say that Mc Intosh is behind the times and is just living on their reputation.