Searching for the best diode laser between $2000 and $3000

If you’re going to spend that much, get a decent (not K40-ish) CO₂ laser

If you wish to stick with diodes, take a hard look at the Sculpfun S70 MAX for larger projects and the SF-A9 40w/20w machine for smaller work. I have 3 different Sculpfun machines and can testify they are all 100% compatible with Lightburn.

For the budget you stated, I would get the S30 10w for fine detail work and one of those listed above for the heavy duty stuff.