Anyone heard outstanding sub/sat combinations?

Its funny you should mention this. I just heard this awesome Sub Sat combo at the CES show. Its by Angstrom. Here's a pic of it. http://www.shows.soundstagelive.com/shows/ces2003/dly_jan11.shtml

SF Guarneri Homage and a pair of REL Strata subs. Good on their own, better with something like a Tact to ensure seamless integration

The last issue of $ensible Sound has a review of an Ascend CBM 170 w/Hsu VTF-2 set up that came in around $800-900 that comparabled well with some $5000 Dunlavy Cantatas full range speakers when played at moderate levels.

SF Guarneri with the bigger SF sub; AP Step with Luna sub. I liked the sound -- but I'd shy away from the word "outstanding"...
Main electronics are important though, to get a seamless/coherent sound.

The January issue of HiFi+ gave rave reviews to the Pen Audio system from Finland. I first heard them in Finland in September and then again in October. The company is four years aold and the owner/designer has been making speakers for 10 years.

You can use them as a sat/sub system or just use the monitors which are great.

The review is understated. The silver model reviewed is sweet and liquid, and might be thin on certain recordings, but not as the review stated. The normal (copper) Charisma is fantastic. The speaker disappears. The soundstage is wide and deep. You are drawn into the music as it engulfs you. If the silver is sweet and liquid then the normal Charisma is silky smooth, dynamic, accurate, musical and transparent. They are a must have!

The Charm subwoofer is very flexible and does what it is suppose to. It crosses over at 70hz, has a 150 amp feeding a pair of 8" customer woofers in push-pull configuration. You can run it from preamp or balanced off the power amp. It features, both hi and low pass filters, subsonic filter, phase control and gain.

The company was at CES and US distribution is near. I turned in my Meadowlarks and ProAcs for the Charisma. I did not buy the subwoofer yet. I am waiting to hear their new woofer system first. In the meantime, the Charisma's go down to a realistic 60-65 hz and in my 14x16 room they are just fine.

They truly challenge other monitors and floorstanders in the 5-8K range. Charisma is about 3k and the sub about 3500. The new woofer system should be about 2500.