In full disclosure, I am an authorized dealer for T+A, but I would encourage you to look into the T+A Talis S 300. They fall right into your budget and fit your parameters sonically, but perhaps in an unconventional way. They are made with aluminum cabinets, which enable T+A to machine them into the perfect shape around their drivers’ needs. This results in a widely open and transparent sound mixed with a decent amount of warmth. Think the Borresen/Raidho signature, but warmer and a tad more relaxed. The footprint of the speakers are very small (9x14 maybe). I’ve tried a lot of speakers, but for the price point these really wow me.
There is a great review on The Absolute Sound here.
People will often say “T+A makes speakers?” What’s funny is speakers is how they got into business over 40 years ago, and they’ve been making them ever since.
Other speaker brands I respect that I am not a dealer for but may have an option to consider: Verity Audio, Legacy Audio, Vivid.