I'd agree with Stagea.
I certainly feel that the performance of affordable equipment has improved significantly. Being brand specific again, there is a clear line of improvement through NAD's C32x series of amps from the C320 through to the latest C326BEE, and the improvement from the C325BEE to the new model is perhaps the biggest of all. NAD, Cambridge Audio, Marantz, Q Acoustics, Wharfedale, B&W, MA and Rotel have all done a great deal to move the performance of budget hi-fi on.
However, there is also some very over-achieving older equipment out there from the higher end of product ranges. Amps such as Record Spot's AU-717, or dim_span's Pioneer SA-9800 for example.