Is vintage audio better? I'm starting to look at current (modern) and non-US audio.

So comparing vantage vs modern and then non-U.S. brands - mostly U.K, France, Hungary, German,...   Does U.S. still make the best audio?  Has Europe caught up and passed brands like Audio Research, Mcintosh,...

I think current U.S. standards may be impacting the sound (RoHS) and other compliance standards.  Those modern standards may also give the edge to vintage audio. 

Thoughts?