This sounds to me like a perfect excuse to build a set of Voigt Pipes.
Fostex drivers, and DIY construction will fit the budget.
Lowther drivers, and DIY construction will push the budget up some, but will sound like $10k speakers.
Crossoverless, active(direct-driven) system "totally rules" for low power systems. I prefer the Lowther over the Fostex, but there is no doubt that the Fostex is nice for the lower money.
You can't know what immediacy is until you try something like this. Not the last word in bass response, but it is very tough to beat in the rest of the spectrum. Not a perfecly "ruler-flat" response curve, or anything that can be described by any specs. Just really good sounding, quick, and natural. You can add a sub if you have to, but I'd try it without first, just to see how you like it.
BTW, I am aware of at least one member of Audiogon that has replaced his Merlin VSM-M with a set of Lowther Voigt Pipes, and it's not me. Also, another member has replaced his Triangle Antal speakers with Lowther Voigt Pipes, and another member replaced his Silverline Sonatas with Lowther Voigt Pipes, and they all said the same thing,"Never going back again to what I had before". One other member had a tough time deciding between a set of Lowther Voigt Pipes, and a pair of JM Labs Mini-Utopias, and finally decided on the JM Labs, because of the large size of the Voigts taking up too much of his bedroom.