Speakers free of grain, glare and steel?

I've had Harbeth's and think they are great. I've been impressed with hearing Spendors and the Adagios too (very impressed with them).

Vandersteen 1Cs or 2CE Sigs.

I second what Mapman said. In your price range, look at the Ohm Walsh 1000. Make sure your room is not too big for them. IME with the 2000s (all the Ohm Walsh speakers are voiced identically), there is no etch, no listening fatigue. Simply fantastic detail with consistent smoothness. IMHO, I think the absence of a crossover below 8kHz is largely responsible. They come with a 120-day in-home trial, so you can hear for yourself, in your room, with your gear, before you commit.

Given your stated priorities, I would also recommend Spendor; the SP100 with Sound Anchor stands in particular. Another poster here mentions the 9/1. I owned both for years each, but not at the same time, and although the 9/1 wins the beauty contest, in the end, I found the SP100 more endearing. It will never hurt your ears, and the coherence is very good. A classic speaker that gives a lot of enjoyment, and doesn't distract you from the music's message .

The closet suggestion I can think of is the Vandersteens.