At your price point, I second the recommendation of Infinity. Top pick for value are the used Prelude series, then the newer series with the Ceramic Metal Matrix Diaphragms, followed by the older Kappa series.
The cabinets definitely need beefing up and you should replace the series caps with something "softer" sounding such as the Kimbers, but this is a very cost-effective way to go. They move air, are efficient, and are pretty clean for mass-produced stuff (once modified). If you prefer the grunge sound of rock at full-tilt volume the CMMD drivers will give more detail of that raw rock "edginess" than the PSB or Paradigm goods. A friend of mine owned the Kappa 9.1 and now owns Klipsch for playing his Metallica. He wishes he still had his Kappas. His only complaint was they were too power hungry (they dip down to around 1 ohm in the mid bass).
I suggest the PSB or Paradigms for overall nuetrality, and the Infinitys for all-out rock histrionics. The cabinets, as always, are a major weak point of any mass produced speaker.