The Single Piece That Started Today's HIGH END ?

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.

Agree with you Eldartford it seems to be a philosophy more than virtually anything else.

Not so much a philosophy as a vision of what could be accomoplished. Without question, Nelson Pass has been a visionary in the arena of high end audio since the mid 70s. Few are his peer,period. Remains dedicated to two channel audio and continues to push the audio envelope to loftier heights with each design. His gear sounds the way it does, because in all reality he is a Physicist, not an electrical engineer.

Pressed to mention one piece that started high end,I would have to say the Threshold 400A. Was present at its debut. Few products have a mesmerizing effect on people,but I remember that night very well some 28 years later. All who were present were just stunned by the sonics of this amplifier, beliefs were truly shaken to the core that night.One would had to be there to see the expressions on the audiophile faces that night. That period of time when solid state finally delivered the promise that had been expected. In fact a week later I bailed out of all my tube gear and went with Threshold and haven't looked back since. I was already 20 years into this hobby and was probably getting ready to leave it,when the Threshold debuted. Been firmly entrenched in the Nelson Pass camp ever since.

But no doubt in my opinion of 48 years in this, the debut of the Threshold 400A, was a pivotal moment in audio. With the introduction of Threshold, Nelson Pass not only raised the bar of achievement but clearly redefined the role of audio components. And in doing so created a dimension that was to become as we now know High End Audio.

I'd say somewhere in the 50's with the introduction of the Quad ESL 57's. Next thing to really rock the hifi-world was the introduction of the Philips CD100 in '81 ('82?). The Meridian remake (MCD100) showed that CD wasn't as perfect as everybody claimed it to be. Just my 2 cents though.....

The original Quad brand amp/speaker combination provided a naturalness & clarity for all to emulate.