When was the first time that you heard great sounding speakers?

That's easy! Linaeum Model 10 at Corner Audio in Portland back around 1993. Joe had them with some integrated tube amp, ashamed to say I never noted the name, because it was the best I heard. The sound was so good that as we were leaving my wife asked if we could buy them!  

Probably 25 years ago or so, at a high-end shop I checked out while I was visiting Nashville.  They had a Wilson WATT/Puppy/WHOW setup, driven by Audio Research tube gear.

They also had some Vandersteen 2Ce's.  I don't remember what was driving those.  It may have been Jadis.  I remember looking at Jadis equipment (the Defy line, I believe, at the time).  I just don't remember if that's what was hooked up to the Vandy's.

I heard why the Wilsons were considered better.  But I liked the Vandy's more.

First off, I have to say I've always preferred tone quality and imaging over ear-bleed treble and kick-me-in-the-guts bass.  In any case, I've been gobsmacked several times during the decades of my audio-nut existence. AR-3's and then Tannoys in the 1960's.  Magnaplaners had me enthralled at the store...until I deigned to move my head a fraction of an inch to tell the salesman how good they were.  Quads killed me with their imaging and string tone but they made the Maggies seem omni-directional.  No bass, either.  Gobsmacking led to a purchase when I bought a pair of KEF Corellis.  String tone!  The Corellis' penchant for blowing tweeters, though, eventually got me to purchase a set of Celestion SL-600's. Yes, I killed a couple of those tweeters, too, but the imaging and cleanliness of the sound kept 'em around for a dozen years.  Now I'm just some dumb old audiophile, loving the heck out of my NOLA Boxers.

Dynaudio Special One.

(Still prowling the Internet for a near-mint pair in that same finish.)

Klipsch and Magnepan 1976 at Groove N Tube Lancaster, Pa.