Hi - you seem to reviewed your selection well. The Vixen would certainly be toward the top of my list.
The one other alternative I could suggest would be the 'new' F/7 ED102 which has been released by numerous manufactures inc. Orion and Stellarvue etc. The reviews on them are very positive. It does have the FPL-51 glass but by all accounts CA is minimal. It remains reasonably portable. It has the 2 speed Crayford focuser. It is available in the States for under a grand.
I have no personal experience with it, however I know that when I went from my Orion ED80 to ED100 the difference in brightness and detail was noticeable esp. on planetary observations as well as DSO's.
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthrea.../o/o/fpart/all