??? Which Would You Buy ???

You’re talking about putting $7,500 of hard-earned cash into this. That’s not just a purchase, that’s a commitment. But when your "85% performer" gives you nearly the same sonic enjoyment and lets you save $5,000, that’s compelling. Especially if the sonic compromise is more in nuances, maybe slightly less "air," a bit narrower soundstage, or a touch less resolution than in core musicality, like tonality, imaging, and balance.

Given that the rest of your setup is mid-level, it might be worth asking "Would your system even let you hear the full difference between Option 3 and the top-tier contenders?" If your existing chain (room, power, source, speakers) doesn’t extract that last 15%, you’re paying a premium for a theoretical gain. Saving $5,000 could fund another significant upgrade, perhaps a killer DAC, room treatment etc. 

If Option 3’s sonic character sings to you, and you’re not just hypnotised by spec sheets or brand sparkle, I’d go for it. Use the leftover budget to upgrade weak links, or save it for when something truly transformational comes along. But if you’re the person who will always wonder “what if,” then you might need to go for the full-fat option just to sleep better.

@1bitsoul excellent response,thanks..

Not an easy question to answer in a vacuum, but the premise of your question seems to be that you have heard these hypothetical components and to your ears you have the budget to buy one that sounds better and is built better than the cheaper one. Since you have the budget, I'd go for the better built, better sounding gear. You are going to be better satisfied and more likely to keep it in your system. 

For me, this would be particularly true if you're talking about speakers. I think speakers make the most difference and the range of performance across speakers is greater than than with electronics, to my ears. So, I'd  get the speakers that most suit you for the money you have to spend.  

 I’m not very prone to accept compromise in sound quality. I would look for other options at the lower price with 100% of the desired performance.  

Go listen to the components. Most often, with questions like these, the OP has made up their mind which option they want to go with and are posting the question to get confirmation. To be honest, I don’t spend $7500 on any component that others picked out for me. It’s completely my decision and I will be listening to the components not Audiogon members. Only I know how important budget will be, only I know how important sound quality will be, only I will know how important build quality and customer service will be, only I know how much time and effort I should give to evaluate a component before I buy it.