Your first component that was "special"

I second mizike, it was Knowledge.  Which led to better speaker placement, then a multibit external dac for digital, a tube stage in the chain with the right tubes, an amp that was a good match for my speakers, the right interconnects, proper settings on my pre, and impedance matching for system synergy.  It finally all came together for addictive sound.

Croft Micro in 1987. My first taste of tubes. I rewired it with Holco resistors, doubled up the power supply for each channel and swapped  the ECC82 for a black plate CV5042, it was so much better than anything I'd heard like Naim, Classe etc.

Pair of Mcintosh MC 275s in 1972. 

Nakamichi 682ZX cassette deck. It cannot take everything from my Nottingham Spacedeck table but it sounds great for a cassette player. Nottingham is also quite special for me.

It was the late 80's.  My system consisted of a decent turntable and integrated amp driving marginal speakers.  The latter seemed like the weak link, so after auditioning a number of possible replacements, I placed an order for the Snell E. 

The day I arrived to pick them up, the dealer was in the process of setting up a pair of Magnepan MG1Cs that had just arrived.  Although I had read about Maggies, I had never heard them, so asked if I could take a listen.  I was blown away.  Compared to the Snells, the bass and highs were severely lacking, but the soundstage...  Oh the soundstage.  I had never experienced anything like it, and was hooked.  The Maggies were more expensive than the Snells, which were already over my meager budget, but it didn't matter.  I had to have them.  It's been an expensive and slippery slope ever since.

-John