Having worked for a manufacturing company for 16 years, I'll tell you first off that cheaply priced and high quality aren't necessarily contradiction in terms - but when it comes to something as complex as a saxophone, attention to detail is EVERYTHING, so you generally have to pay a little more to get a little more horn (for new equipment). Try to find "Accent" brand. They are Taiwan made, (which gets my panties in a bunch) but they play very warmly - better than the Yamaha YSS-475 in my opinion. They sell around $1,000. Also, you could look for an older Vito/Yanagisawa horn which would be in your price range and retain it's value - even appreciate over time.

Yanagisawa seems to be the standard bearer in modern Sopranos. However, Antigua Winds makes low-cost horns based on Yanagisawa's creations that are reputed to be quite good and can be had new starting around $1000