Firstly, I would strongly recommend that you do not buy anything w/o a rite of return or that can easily be re-sold.
I have tried a bunch of different transports (unfortunately nothing on your shortlist) and have found that many can add midrange glare, lack prat, etc. Some of these are transports that others have raved about and I thought they did not sound very good. There are two transports I have tried that sounded great only they had other baggage like excessive RFI radiation.
Every transport I have owned or tried has benefitted to some degree from a good jitter reduction device.
If you can't find anyone around here that has heard a Northstar transport, just think of what it will be like to try and sell it if it stinks.
Also, I have tried a tube dac, thinking it would have a warm sound and found it to be brighter and grainier than my all ss dac. Therefore, I would not scrimp on a transport, thinking you can compensate for it with the dac.
I have tried a bunch of different transports (unfortunately nothing on your shortlist) and have found that many can add midrange glare, lack prat, etc. Some of these are transports that others have raved about and I thought they did not sound very good. There are two transports I have tried that sounded great only they had other baggage like excessive RFI radiation.
Every transport I have owned or tried has benefitted to some degree from a good jitter reduction device.
If you can't find anyone around here that has heard a Northstar transport, just think of what it will be like to try and sell it if it stinks.
Also, I have tried a tube dac, thinking it would have a warm sound and found it to be brighter and grainier than my all ss dac. Therefore, I would not scrimp on a transport, thinking you can compensate for it with the dac.