[Shhhh! I'm Listening to Reason!]

I'm curious what speakers people would recommend under $1000/pair.

These don't have to be current. If JBL L-100s are your thing they'd
qualify (I'm no fan of most JBL products, I'm just saying A/D/S or
other vintage designs qualify).

My personal take is that any good designer should be able to get good
sound on a "cost is no object" basis. What's interesting is the
compromises made to get the best sound possible for a reasonable cost.