RE: Beginner speed?
Sorry to hear that you lost the plane. But as you noted, sometimes it is motivation to move on.
The Evo engines are actaully very good running products. All of them.
Point is, yes, you might have had an engine that was sub-par. But that is unlikely. Changing engine brands will typically not correct errors in how engines are setup and operated. Learning about the engines, and what goes wrong/right is something just as important to learn as flying itself. Find a good, trusted, and well respected club member to help as a mentor. It goes a LONG way as time goes on.
Something I preach, and worth repeating here, 90% of all engine related issues can be traced to the fuel system. It is usually the fuel tank, fuel line, vent line, contaminated fuel, or a poor tank installation that causes the engine to run poorly. I think others here can tend to back me up on this experience.
As you move onward, and if you go with the Q-500 or one of the deltas, the Evo 40 you have will work just fine. The TT40pro and TT46pro are two of my favorite sport performance engines. On the q500 airframe, just throttle back, or limit the throttle to about 60% open to start with. Will be pleanty of power.