The Athena's are supposed to be nice. Haven't heard them, you'll have to post your thoughts once you get them.
Other budget speakers I have heard in my home recently, and liked:
Totem Dreamcatcher ($400)--really impressive for the size, beautifully built as are all totem's. Communicative midrange, very musical, bass is phenomenal for the size... They will impress there. Treble can be a little grainy or harsh at times, compared to the best speakers. But overall a killer bargain, and although I feel they are not entirely neutral, they do get the musical message across. The Arro's are everything the Dreamcatchers are but with refinement and better tonality, but waaay more expensive. If you're on a tight budget, you could do much worse than these itty bitty Totem's.
Focal/JM Lab Chorus 705S ($400): the treble's the thing with these. Ueber smooth and refined; perhaps missing a tad bit of air, but this tweeter is phenomenal for the price. Mids and bass are good, but not as communicative as the Totem. Way refined, though. I listened to this one both at home, and against the very expensive JM Lab Micro Utopia, and I can say wholeheartedly the JM Lab sound boils down to a low price point very well. Toss some killer electronics in front of these and watch out--they are so darn refined it's like they OWN the finishing school. If the Totem's too rough around the edges for you, these will soothe your soul.
Another budget tip: if I had $400 to spend on amplification, a HT Receiver would be my last choice. Go used, audiogon, and buy a little tube amp (Sophia Baby, Almarro A205A, ASL MG-SI 15DT, Jolida 102 or 202)--if you shop wisely real buys can be had there. Way more musical and enjoyable than any HT Receiver. If you don't like tubes, check out gainclones and chip amps.
A little late, in your case, but something to consider if you're not thrilled with the sound of the receiver, you can always return it of course!