Welcome!
Another question: does that budget include remodeling or furniture?
My feeling is that if the speakers are all sounding alike, you're not listening to the right speakers. The right speakers will stand out. Don't go to Best Buy. Find a stereo shop, and look there. Paradigm makes some nice stuff, but you have to be looking at the high end of the line. I'm also partial to Magnepans, but they can be hard to find. Back when they were around, Hales stood out for me. When I first heard Axiom M22s, they stood out. They still do! B&W's 704 series is said to sound similar to the Axiom M60s (I've not heard them).
