Yamaha receivers
Yamaha receiver have been found (through scientific measurements) to be very transparent and not color the sound. Thus, there is no reason why they would work well for music. They are also some of the best receivers for multichannel movies and music. Finally, their large scale production and distribution allows you to get more for your money compared to some of the smaller "botique" manufacturers.
I would keep the Yamaha RX-V1600 and RX-V2500 on your short list of receivers under $1K.