Tractorman, the fact that you were shopping small in the first place leads me to believe you may have limited space for your equipment. (Perhaps I extrapolate too much??)
If that is true then a Sat/Sub combo makes sense.
"Smaller speakers usually equate to lower quality."Tract: When sometimes "snooty" publications like Stereophile begin fawning over products like the Acarian Alón Petites and NHT SuperZeros the question of quality is no longer a question. Note that these products were reviewed with the caveat of "(Restricted LF)".
When you choose a Satellite/Subwoofer combo you go into the deal KNOWING you are making some compromises for the sake of space and/or aesthetics. I won't bore you with the particulars of proper setup - you can search the web yourself and find enough diatribe on that subject to confuse you for a week. In the end you'll realize that the room you put the equipment in may dictate where that equipment goes, often contradicting "proper setup". Get the LCR correct, do your best on the sub placement, and see what the room "allows" you to do with the surrounds. ("Blend" is the watchword.)
Even if you don't buy there, go to a place with NICE display rooms and audition a couple properly setup Sat/Sub combos. (Audition bigger stuff too!) You can't experience a decent audition at most "one size fits all" mega-stores. Most mid-fi/high-end dealers will set up your stuff for next to nothing. (Or nothing.) Any responsible salesperson should ask for details on your room BEFORE they start suggesting equipment.
"the larger the speaker, the "better" the sound reproduced."Okay Tract: Nix all I've said and go with the Wilson Grand SLAMM's. They'll look great in your room.