> There are speakers from the 1960s and 70s that are worth owning and using; there are lots from the 80s and 90s that are not.
There is so much to expand on there, too. Commoditization, while democratizing in some senses, loses the plot often.
On the other hand, we now live in a time where, if you know what you are doing, you can have better sound playback than 98% of the systems ever sold for under $200.
(Say, a Fiio X3duoo player ($75), a 128GB microSD card ($25), and one of N different Chinese IEMs depending on preference, all under $100 and most under $50. TRN V90 is about $40 and does a respectable job.)
Replacing ear cushions is even easier than that: you order replacements, pull off the old ones and tug the new ones into position. It takes slightly longer than changing the batteries in a remote control, but much less time.
I have a 60W stereo amplifier from the 1970s that works and sounds great. I have an FM tuner from the 1960s of excellent quality.
I no longer have cassette tape decks, but I have a reel-to-reel machine from 1962.
There are speakers from the 1960s and 70s that are worth owning and using; there are lots from the 80s and 90s that are not.