You could pick up a new Parasound 2125 V2 for right at the top of your budget, or a used V1 for $500 or less. I bought a V1 about a year ago and no regrets.
A friend of mine had a Wollensak 8-track player/recorder back in the day, and I remember it being considered one of the better units available.
WHAT'S THAT WOLLENSAK?
Replaced the battery in a 5 year old Eufy robovac. Run time was down to under 20 minutes and the poor thing went flat so fast it couldn't find its way back to it charger. With the new battery it now runs for 1 hr & 45 min. The old models don't have a door on the bottom for easy access to the...
Bought a new PC with Windows 11. Not having any problems. Very fast boot up.
Tip: Right click on lower left window icon for quick access to admin tools. This was in Win 10 also but I wasn't aware of it.
All my other hardware is too old to upgrade without using some of the hacks out there...
Add some fresh solder to the joint. It seems to help lower the melting point and the solder flows better.
Also only pull on components when you are desoldering. Never push as that's how traces get lifted or broken.
Something I just remembered. Those Main / Remote speaker push buttons can be problematic. Spray some deoxit in those and work them a few dozen times.
The headphone jack is before the switches so try a pair of headphones.