Hey Chris, I got some maracas in Venezuela that sound so good. Apparently there is a region of Venezuela that is famous for their maracas. They are all wood handmade and have a very clear crisp sound. I don't know how you could get them unless you have a friend going to Venezuela or maybe Aruba on vacation. There are some maracas they make for tourists that are not the same thing and are not real instruments. I have seen some of those on ebay but don't buy them. They look real touristy so you can identify them easily. Other than that I think JCR is selling maracas on their website now, check those out.
I have a pair of lp matador I use them every week I love them I also use shekere and caxixi as well it's nice to have a multiple of sounds at your disposal yours chris