The "Magazines" seem to indicate that the "New" version is better than the "Old" version, but I'm not sure if I'm buying it.
That is their job, pushing new merchandise. Audio magazines are part of the audio industry, just another arm of marketing.
That said, older amps are probably just as good, if not abetter value for the $$$ than newer amps. As long as you realize that there is a little bit of maintenance that comes with older amps. Generally speaking, the main power supply capacitors should be checked and/or replaced every 15-30 years, depending on how hot the amp runs and usage.
As stated above, tubes will also need to be replaced as needed.