Good FM tuner for around $1K

You will have to buy used. Not many making tuners anymore. McIntosh and Magnum are the few that are still around, and their tuners go for a lot more than your budget!

You should be able to pick up a really nice used tuner for $300-$500. 

The fmtunerinfo web site has (subjective) rankings of what the best tuners are and information about typical sale prices.

While the tuner itself is important, even more important is getting a good signal to it.  Use some of your budget on a good roof mounted antenna. 

I have an Onkyo T9090 II that I enjoy every day and with a good signal it comes close to CD in terms of sound quality.  I paid $200 for it.

Some good suggestions here, thank you. 
Which used Mcintosh tuners are the most desirable ?

For selectivity and sensitivity, the MR78. If your reception situation is difficult, that's THE tuner. For the sound quality of the amplification circuits, some prefer the MR77.