@kavakat1, several features have changed/evolved(!) over the years.
Tone controls were common into the '70s but became rare after that, except on receivers which were more of a consumer product rather than audio hobbyist.
Speakers once commonly had bass and/or treble switches to adjust other than flat.
And yes, into the '70s automatic turntables (start up and shut off) were common.
But about that time reviewers (led by J Gordon Holt, then Harry Pearson) became more critical of component performance and recommended those with fewer features which were considered detrimental to "pure sonics". Manufacturers of higher quality components followed this criticism.
This is not to say all hobbyists wanted to eliminate these features. Some continue to call for their return, you included.