Looking for a DAC w/ balanced XLR line out, budget $1k

TEAC NT-505 if you add another $500. It is awesome, differential drives for each channel. Eats PCM up to 786KHz and 22.5Mhz DSD streams for breakfast. Spotify 384kHz streams also sound awesome.

I grossly underutilize it at my computer home office system.

Streamer, pretty decent dac the AKM4490, Balanced out, it also has Dirac room correction if that's something you're interested in but not sure you could hang this on a wall. It runs $1200
https://www.minidsp.com/products/streaming-hd-series/shd

Actually there is one I can think of very close to 1k used.
Auralic Altair.

Not heard one but checks all the right boxes and seen a few of late around the $1100 to $1200 price right here and eBay.

Unfortunately, balanced line out players don't come cheap.
I recommend an Aurender A10- way above your budget, but after getting a N100 after my Bluesound Node, I can honestly say it is superior.
Bob

If there's a network player with balanced line out and a decent built-in DAC I'd consider something like that as well.

That would be a Lumin D2.... But more like 2k, possibly a little lower but not much.

Of course moving on up you have the Ayre QB-9 but that is USB only.
OP, what input do you need?

I'm probably going to use a network player compatible with Roon, something like a Bluesound Node 2i, so optical or coax. If there's a network player with balanced line out and a decent built-in DAC I'd consider something like that as well.

Of course moving on up you have the Ayre QB-9 but that is USB only.
OP, what input do you need?

A used Ayre Codex or a Schiit Gungnir Multibit. The former might be a bit more, but I have seen a few just under $1k. The Gungnir should be under $1K.
To be honest, the Codex is the better of the two.
Bob

https://apos.audio/
Topping D90 for about $700 or something cheaper the SMSL-SU 8 for about $250 they both have balanced out.

PS Audio NuWave DAC.
It's a half size component and it does full 24/192 on coax, toslink and USB.
No display so not missing much by it being hidden.
However a front button is how you select the different inputs so you might still need to be able to access it.
Fully balanced XLR outputs as well as single ended RCA outputs.
Available used for $500 or less.
I paid $400 for mine.

Mytek Brooklyn's are the right size, but not $1k.

If you didn't want balanced, the Toppings are the darlings of ASR, include built in Blutooth