What was the first system you heard that made you think the high end made sense


I am sure I cannot be the only person here who can recall the day, and indeed the very system that made them think 'oooohhhhh yesssss - I get it - I understand - and I absolutely love it!'

In my case I attended a HiFi Show in Heathrow at the Renaissance Hotel. It was the GT Audio room hosted by Graham Tricker. The parts comprised:

DPS turntable- Schroeder arm - jan allaerts cartridge
Tron Pre-amp
Avante Garde Uno's

In all honesty I still remember the day now. It was so musical and had the ability to connect me to the music. When I went for a full demo at Grahams home I came to understand the magic of horns, valves and imaging. 

lohanimal
Klipschorns at Hal's Hi Fi in Trenton, NJ around 1976. I don't know what the rest of the system was. I bought them.
I guess, besides having been addicted to car audio upgrades, it was when I first heard the Spica TC-50s from an AR tt, listening to "Let's Dance" lp.

I still have a pair of TC-50is in my closet.
1974 my first system a Lafayette receiver,, Klipsch Heresey 
That came bare wood I hand stained and French waxed 
Nakamichi 3 head cassette deck ,and AQ  wire .I was stoked.
It was great mostly  Made in U.S.A.,The Nackamichi cassette deck 
From Japan- great quality their Dragon deck still a classic.
It was when I finished my first summer job and decided to splurge and buy ATH-M50Xs. I'd only listened to cheap earbuds all my life, but when I could actually pick out where instruments and voices were, it got me ~very~ interested.
September 1973, Palo Alto. Goodness, but as a group we do seem to be getting on, don't we?

Magnepan Tympani 1a's with ARC electronics and SP10, playing Cat Steven's Tea for the Tillerman (Wild World).