$1,000 - What amp?

Even if you found out from Michael Green himself, you still won't know what sounds the best to you, with your gear, and your cables, in your room, for your tastes, until you try some different amps!! YOu'll STILL have to experiment with amps...that's part of the process I'm affraid. No easy lunch for the audiophile quest! You must walk it out yourself.
The one's with the best sounding systems, ALWAYS ALWAYS try different gear, tinker with their set ups, rooms, etc. You'll have to do the same if you REALLY want to know what's best for you! Try one amp you think might work, then sell it for another if you're not satisfied...no big deal really. Good luck

Well, I have had both the Aragon 8008, 8002 and the a3cr..
driving mirage speakers.. om9s... the A3cr was a nice amp and very musical.. compact size , nice to look at, great binding posts, supposedly class a... but something about it was a little difficult to listen too... I could not put my finger on it. I then bought an Aragon 8002 dual mono for around 700.. What a difference.. Much more airy, better bass by far, tighter, more accurate, gobs of power... needless to say, I know own 2 8002 dual monos, and a pair of Aragon Palladiums.. I was sold.
If you go with the 8002, upgrade the binding posts to a nice pair from cardas... very easy upgrade and cost effective! The 8008 will set you back a little more.. frankly , I like the 8002 better!
Good luck,
Joe
Custom Audio LLC

I am a big fan of the Conrad Johnson MF-2250. Used it can be had for right at $1000 and has all the qualities you require above.

If you can get by with 30 watts the Pass Aleph 3 is an amazing amp at around 900.00 used, one of the biggest bang for the buck out there.