This may not sound very "audiophile", but give some thought to a tube integrated like Line Magnetic, Rogue, ARC, etc. and some Heritage Klipsch speakers - some older Heresy or Quartets or Fortes. You can often find the 1 and 2 versions of these well under $1K then put the rest into the integrated.
Most people think of Klipsch speakers as "rock speakers" and that they are bright and unrefined. That's true (IMO) when they are played loud with rock, but they can be quite special when played at reasonable volumes with female vocals and acoustic instruments, especially guitars.
I second the recommendation for a small subwoofer. Something like a Rythmik L12 or a SVS SB-2000 will add presence to the music.