You know, Jeff makes a really good point. At your price point, you are going to find many different speakers from many different brands. While all these speakers sound good in their own right, and while they will also sound different than your current Paradigms, they aren't going to be the end all to your "uprgradeitis." Don't get me wrong, I still think the biggest change you can make is a speaker swap, but Jeff's point is completely on the mark.

That said, here are some other options that you can do for under your price limit.

1) Look into the Benchmark DAC1. It's a pro-quality DAC that may help you hear what you are "missing" in your current system. It's also very easy to fit into your current system as you can use your current player as a transport.

www. benchmarkmedia.com
look under "digital products"

2) Pick up a pair of really sweet headphones and a seperate headphone amp. I picked up a pair of Grado SR-80 headphones last year and they provide a great 2-channel option to my main system. Look into the higher-end Grado and Sennheiser headphones. You'll be amazed at what kind of sound and image they can produce.

With your price range, you can also add a headphone amp that will truly let your "cans" open up.

www.headphone.com