Maybe take a look at the Dynaudio budget line (like the DM 2/6). I listened to many similarly sized/priced speakers (including B&W 685, Elac BS182, Dali Ikon 1, Monitor Audio RX1, Focal Chorus 706V and 806V, KEF Q100 and Q300, and a bunch of others) and came away with the Dynaudios. Not as pretty as some of the others, but outstanding audio and a great price/quality ratio. Detailed, balanced, and (for lack of a better word) lively. They are about 575 a pair.
A few months after I bought them, I met the Dynaudio chief at a a product launch and mentioned how great they DM 2/6s sounded. He told me that they pursued a different strategy than most of the other manufacturers in designing a budget speaker. Most of the companies get the manufacturing done in China, using cheaper components, to keep costs low. By contrast, Dynaudio does the manufacturing in Denmark using higher grade components and cuts costs by skimping on the appearance a bit...
In the end, though, getting others' opinions on speakers is like asking for others' opinions on mics. All in the ear of the beholder and all...