It may be a little late to introduce a new preamp into this mix but the Audio Horizons TP 2.0 has all of the features you seek (balanced in/out etc), costs less than $3K, and is available for home demonstration. Several Audiogoners are using this preamp and love it (including me). You can see other comments if you search these discussion forums using the key words "audio horizons."
This preamp is a wonderful performer.
This preamp is a wonderful performer.