Vintage Power Amp vs new age power amp

>Modern amps on average have wider bandwidth, faster rise
>times, higher current, higher damping factor, lower
>distortion, and audibly better signal-to-noise ratio.

Not necessarily true.

Compare Nelson Pass's Threshold amps from the 80s, and 90s with his Pass Lab's amps from the 90s to date. They generally have the same specs. Just different implementation, which is why many gravitate towards his older stuff because price-per-amp, vintage is hard to beat even including replacing the supply caps. This is also true for old Krell and McIntosh gear.

In any event, the specs are one thing but not always indicative of better performance.

>Electronic parts (capacitors, resistors, printed circuit
>boards, etc.) are better as time moves on...there are new
>materials, or construction techniques, etc. that makes these
>black boxes perform better. Even though there is excellent
>older stuff, the excellent newer stuff is better.

I would agree that better manufacturing techniques now can lead to tighter tolerances. However, I would not necessarily agree that that results in modern amps sounding better than vintage amps.

They sound different, but one (modern or vintage) is not better than the other.

As for banana plugs, I actually don't like the ordinary ones. Over time, they can use tension (and thus a solid connection). One option is the locking bananas. Somewhat costly, but a solid connection.