I don't EVER expect a system, much less any specific component, to be so radically special that I would have such a reaction. Also, when one has heard a lot of different systems, it is particularly rare that any one system would be that dramatically different. But, I have been, on a few occasions, astonished by how good certain systems sound. I heard a giant, horn-based system that cost well north of $1 million in a home system that was really quite special; the dedicated room was quite large (I would guess at least 25 by 60 ft). Another great system I heard at a show featured three Wilson (Alexandria?) speakers as front channels and two MAXX speakers as back channels playing in a large conference room.
I have also been quite surprised by something new that I did not expect to hear and like so much. One that comes to mind is an open baffle system using a full-range Jensen M-10 fieldcoil driver (13") as a mid/bass driver and a tweeter that covered only the very highest frequencies. I had never heard what is essentially a full-range driver that sounded so good (no rough or peaky sound like Lowthers). I am also amazed by the tiny (and expensive) Raidho speakers--they sound very good at modest volume levels.
