Okay, if I'm understanding this correctly, OP has a budget of +~$16-1800 given that he's taking $1000 speakers (1150 $MSRP) and adding a 1000 MSRP amp. Am I correct?
To the OP, I recommend considering KEF Q900, Philharmonic Audio 1, Soundfield Audio M1, and Ascend Acoustics Sierra Tower. Each of these speakers, even with your "lowly" Onkyo, will be a significant improvement, plain and simple.