If you are trying to get a sound quality of yesteryear then unfortunately it is not possible. All audio nowadays has been put though a computer at some point - even tracks on vinyl will have been processed on a computer.
In simple terms an analog sound wave is smooth and flowing, the same sound wave, once passed through a computer, even with no eq or compression, comes out the other side as a digital copy and becomes pixelated. So that same sound wave will be a series of 'steps'.
Most audio you hear will have been digitally eq'd and compressed too. The music scene wants music loud more than anything else nowadays, so it will have been maximised and compressed to its limits during the mastering steps. Compression works by narrowing audio spectrum of a sound so the volume can be turned up without clipping the part sound. All this, although it has its purposes and sounds good in moderation, makes the sound less dynamic and natural sounding.
With all this in mind, i would choose a set of speakers in your budget by ear - take some of your favourite music to the shop to listen. But keep in mind that the shops acoustics will sound different to the acoustics in your listening environment. And acoustics will be what makes your listening environment sound good or great.
If you're really hardcore about the perfect acoustic treatment then you could spend thousands getting it done properly, but making a few acoustic panel, or buying 20 or sound acoustic foam tiles will make a world a difference. I have foam tiles on the wall facing me that the speakers are positioned in front of, some on the ceiling directly above my sitting position, and some on both side walls in line with my sitting position. I don't worry about bass traps or anything like that as, truth be told, trying to maintain bass is next to impossible.
One final pointer - decouple the speakers. I have my speakers sat on a granite slab with isolation foam between the granite and speaker.
My speakers were only £130, but they sound fantastic with the room treatment. I'm a music producer and have come to these conclusions over a 15 year period.
I hope this helps
