The Single Piece That Started Today's HIGH END ?

Linn SONDEK LP12

The early McIntosh and Marantz tube amplifiers, as well as the Klipsch and Altec Lansing horn speakers. How about Quad ESL Loudspeakers?

No doubt Mark Levinson JC-2. It cost about $1000. The AR SP3a which was
considered the best at the time was $350. People thought I was insane
when I bought one.
Drjoe

I was around, and geeked on audio in in early 1970's. I think you have to separate the US, European and Japanese markets as very distinct from each other at that time. In the US, there was an 'old school' consisting of Marantz tube equipment (7c preamp, 9 amp, 10b tuner), some electrostats like the KLH 9 and a few other pieces that, while 'old,' were still considered legendary in the US- by then, horn speakers had pretty much fallen out of fashion for consumer audio.
Levinson's introduction of a very expensive solid state preamp which, if memory served, had a john curl phono section, ARC's introduction of the SP-3, the entry of the Linn, starting the revival of belt drive and, a little later, the dahquist DQ10, which emulated the appearance of the Quad electostat- I remember double-Advents, a cheap speaker but used in combination with the Phase Linear 700 (there was no 'A' at that time) making waves, literally and figuratively. Maggie's came into play at around that time, too- big Typami panels- played louder than the competing electrostats.
My dream in those days was to find a Dukane Ionovac. :)Of course, I was always a little strange. Still had my Phase Linear when I bought my first set of Quads. No, not a synergistic match, but the Dyna Stereo 70 was.

I suggest that "High End" is a design and manufacturing philosophy, more than any particular piece of electronics. Back in the 1930s Stromberg Carlson, among others, built console radio/phonographs that were sonicly greatly superior to most, cosmetically styled, made with the finest workmanship, and, of course, priced accordingly.

Keep it coming guys this is interesting. I own some of the vintage pieces mentioned the classic horns, 46 y.o JBLs, an SP6 ARC preamp, but I think the preamp I was looking for is the one that Dr.Joe mentioned which was the JC-2- more than 3 times the price of the ARC sp-3 and insanely priced for its day.
I also have a great deal of resoect for the pioneers. Believe me I was raised with a system like that, my Father's REK O KUT and then Empire console had the JBLs I now own, a Sherwood amp and tuner -all tube of course- Got those as well, and at the last a cabinet for one of the earliest Sony reel to reel tape recorders/Players (you could occasionally buy recordings on tape in those days.) This console was built buy a master cabinet maker and was at least 18 feet long.
I really appreciate the vintage stuff. But I Like Ferrari's answer the best so far, the question isn't simply cost, although that clearly helps define whatever high end really is, after all some really inexpensive stuff can sound pretty darned good. But the emphasis on cost no object get the best sound you can no matter what the market. Which is why I appreciate Elizabeths answer as well suddenly there was this enormous price increase and a market for it. Now called called High End.
Not that I can afford it. I have a simple tube modern tube amp aside from the vintage amps.
I also own a transition period piece when Accuphse was born from the Kensonic group although that name is not anywhere on this preamp, its a fabulous piece in my view with limitations. Don't know the defining piece was it the Mark levinson, was it the first Krells, was it the Infinity IRS V which I have had the privilige to hear,the actual pair Arnie Nudell demoed for New Tork Magazine I believe, not a Hi Fi magazine, that he called the worlds ultimate speaker then put into storage for about 20 years and now owned by a friend. was it when Accuphase was born?

Another real question is was it the advent of the moderm tube amp movement and the return of analog. Etc.