You might want to check out the Revel Concerta F12 speakers.(I believe new will cost you between 1200 and 1500) Very, very nice speakers; I had Magnepan MMGs and then won these in a contest. They will satisfy you within your budget. The only downside is if you are going for a HT setup then you will definitely need to pick up the Center (C12, I believe) which will push you over the 1500 budget.
They can be biamped too.
They can be biamped too.