Agreeing with Fletcher on his post above, I'd start by listening to the Portico 5012, which most people agree is an excellent-sounding bang for buck, and a pair of the TAB/Funkenwerk V78s, which are just a smidgen under $2K the pair, and are bold and warm and tubey. And hating the overuse of the word "warm", I only use it when it's really appropriate.
These are a couple of very different but essential flavors, and certainly a lot of bigness for your budget.
What style of music are you tracking?