When did good gear start getting your attention?

It was the first time I walked into Tech-hifi around 74 or 75. I was blown away. I had no Idea this kind of gear existed. I saved my money and about a year later I bought SAE separates which were considered really good at the time. They were made in California. Then a couple of years later I saw Mark Levinson and Audio Research and I was hooked for life. 

I bought a Mac 2300 amp to use as a PA power amp, ca. '74.  I kept going back to the store.  I was a Mac/Tandberg guy for quite a while and then could no longer afford the hobby.  Picked it up again 10 or 12 years ago.  My old system never sounded this good (although it was louder, which seemed important at the time).

Back in the 60's.  My uncle had a JBL Paragon with Mac electronics and a Thorens tt.  I knew back then that this was special.  

My first taste of the high-end was the time I visited my friend in his college dorm, and his roommate had McIntosh tube equipment. It was then that I knew I needed something to replace my old fold-up, GE stereo. When I could finally afford it, I bought a used Fisher X-101-ST (still have it!) at a stereo shop and a Garrard Type A from a friend's father. I still needed speakers so, somehow I ran across some EV Wolverines that needed cabinets. I mounted them in cardboard boxes until I could afford the materials to build the huge cabinets in the plans supplied with the EV's.