Which purchase tipped you into nirvana.

No Nirvana here yet.

My first stereo system. Purchased with my earned savings when I was in 8th grade. Yea, my equipment got better and better over the years but my first stereo components blew me away (sans any drugs).

It got a work out with albums the likes of Jeff Beck-Truth, Stills, Kooper, Bloomfield - Super Session, James Gang - Rides Again, Traffic I, Genesis, Hendrix - Are You Experienced, Jethro Tull - Benefit, Pink Floyd - Meddle, King Crimson - Court of the Crimson King, Led Zeppelin I & II, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Yardbirds, and on and on.

Hyperion HPS-938 speakers. Open, vivid but natural and relaxed/musical sound (with class D amp) - just opposite to Hi-Fiish sounding speakers. Incredible midrange. Uses speakers without suspension (spiderweb). Midrange 6 1/2" is damped with ferrofluid. Very tuneful bass with very low distortion and natural sounding string attack and decay.
First class imaging. Crossover integrates speakers so well that it is difficult to hear transition between them. I can hear extended and natural highs but cannot pinpoint tweeter alone. The only thing is that the are ugly - I mean UGLYYYYY... (but slowly growing on me).

Picture here: http://hyperionsound.com/Images/HPS-938.jpg

Awards it got here: http://hyperionsound.com/awards.htm

Hyperions are indeed very good speakers! Very natural.

Sonus Faber Extrema and later Avalon Eidolon's.