recommendations for buying used balanced integrated or power amp 2k range?

You will get more with a dedicated power amp for $2K than you will with a full integrated, almost exponentially. And if you can swing for just a bit more at $2500, you’ll start to find some excellent options, such as:

Modwright KWA series (there is a KWA 150 SE selling on TMR for $2679, I’ve never seen it that low)

Benchmark AHB2

Parasound A21+
 

Try the original Parasound A21. Great value. I recently tried a nearly 20-year-old A21 against the new A21+. The original is clearly better. Even from the listening chair the old design is audibly lower in noise and distortion, despite what the specs would have us believe. Independent measurements back this up too.

Don’t bother with newer designs unless you want something very efficient and lightweight, such that would necessitate Class D, Class G/H or THXAAA. All other amplifier topologies reached full maturity decades ago.

An older Krell or Threshold amp mated to a good preamp will produce better sound than most integrateds under 4 or $5K.

If your only sources are a Node and a D2 why do you need a balanced integrated?

See if you can find an older Ayre V1xe

trying to move to a place where all my components are balanced

trying to move to a place where all my components are balanced

Try to make sure all balanced components are AES48 compliant. See articles below:

Mike

https://www.ranecommercial.com/kb_article.php?article=2107

http://www.atma-sphere.com/en/mp-3.html

Benchmark AHB2  (clear neutral)

D-Sonic M3a 800s (Class D)

Parasound A21+ (warm and fairly detailed)

LSA Voyager 350 GAN (somewhat like the AHB2)

NAD M22 V2 

Balanced vs. Unbalanced Analog Interfaces - Benchmark Media Systems

Audiocanada,

I have a Denafrips Thallo amp that I truly adore, 120W inro 8 ohms, 220W inro 4 ohms. True balanced design, and in fact only accepts balanced XLR inputs......$2,100 US, (S$2,900 Singapore dollars). Definitely worth reading up on

Hello Audio Canada!  For LESS than $2000 you can have Starke Sound's latest version of their 200 wpc (four channels, bridgeable to stereo for huge power) named the Fiera 4.  It sounds better to me than the well reviewed Puri-Fi Audio modules that NAD and others use. (I have four cnannels of them and like them very much. The Starke is smoother.) I have six of original model AD4-320. I have five systems in my home (and a very tolerant wife) and have heard nothing better. They are the best bargain in the biz. You can return it if you don't like it. But I think you will love it. Happy Listening.

@ditusa The two articles you cited cleared up some significant points of confusion I have had about balanced connections. Turns out I’ve had it all wrong about the signal ground all these years. Thank you for sharing. 

@oldrooney,

You're welcome!

Mike