I had seperates of various makes and models for about 15 years. Pretty good stuff, EAD, Sonic Frontiers, VAC, MUSE, etc. etc. My latest stereo is built around the McIntsoh MA 6900 integrated amplifier. I love it. I feel like I get a ton of performace for the money, and feel it is as musical and amplification device as I have owned. I bought it here on Audiogon for 3K used, which is in your price range. The MA 6500 is good too but different sounding than the 6900.
For the record, I also used to have a seperate transport and DAC. Now I have two different integrated CD players. Seperates are great, but I think you can integrate without compromising sound quality.
For the record, I also used to have a seperate transport and DAC. Now I have two different integrated CD players. Seperates are great, but I think you can integrate without compromising sound quality.