When did good gear start getting your attention?

Same as me.

Those were the days. I bought Koss headphones rebranded as Realistic at Radio shack. Loved them- had them many years. Lafayette as fun too. Tech Hifi was a wonder. Saw my first Infiniti black widow arm then. For me the late 70's were the days of my eyes opening to what was possible. I had essentially no money then, but it as fun to wish. A Philips GA212 was a holy grail. As was just about any Thorens. My first piece of equipment I bought that I truly thought was incredible was a V15 Type 3 

I reemeber going to the pharmacy as a 5 or 6 year old with my dad to test tubes!

In 1971, as a college freshman, I had a part time job working the high speed duplicator at a recording studio which had the contract for the Budweiser radio spots.  My job was pretty mundane, but after I finished the batch of duplicating work for the day, I'd ease up to the main control room, sit in the back and watch as the engineers mixed Chuck Berry's "My Dingaling", and was just smitten.

I'll never forget one night, when some engineers from Soundstream (who I believe were the first to deliver a functioning digital tape recorder) were visiting, discussing the work they had underway to develop an early prototype.  Bill, the engineer I knew turned to me and said "when they get this worked out, digital will change everything".  I didn't really know enough to understand what he meant at the time.