Speaker companies with a focus on parts quality and measurements

It would be most helpful if you could tell us what speaker characteristics are most important to you and/or what you'd like to improve upon along with your other equipment and room size.

If you like the Maggie sound, then the Vandersteen line should be to your liking. You can definitely score a pair of used VSM's or Bookshelf speakers for your price range, though I would pair them with a decent (Vandy, HSU, REL, JL) sub for optimum reproduction. 
The Zu are a bit more 'direct', so they may not be your 'cuppa'. The nice thing is you can try them for a month and send them back if you don't like them.
Can you tell us what you are using for amp/pre/source? It would help in narrowing down what will work for you.
B

PMC DB1+ here on the 'gon. Two mains and a single for a center. $999

+1 @keithtexas I have currently the PMC DB1i and they are the speakers I enjoy most from everything I owned previously (MA GX50, Neat Motive 3, SA 705, Epos, Quad 11L)

OP have you heard the Ascend Acoustic Sierra 2? if so what do you think of them?