Having flown for 35yrs now, I have had my issues on occaision with all the major brand stuff, and the occaisional Cheapie HK stuff. I have had a Futaba 9CAP quit talking to a PCM receiver, I have had a Hitech 7ch transmitter loose the rudder channel, and lost a pattern plan to a brown out on a Airtronics RDS8000, and I have had switches go bad and batteries fail in flight due to bad welds on the tabs.
I have had brand new Spektrum Digital servos jitter like they just pounded a Monster drink, and I have had a Hitec High Torgue Digital fail on my Turbines flaps. I just lost my Sig Sundancer using a Specktrum AR500 receiver, when it had dozens of flights on my 10X FM gear previous to that. Yet the $6 orange HK receiver in my glider hasnt had a single problem.
I think all companies have their problems, and what some of the folks a have said, you do tend to get what you pay for! I am not willing to trust my $3000 turbine to a $10 servo or receiver. It runs a JR 12X MV with a 1221 receiver and 4 satillite receivers, and medium priced $40-$50 Hitec digital servos.

Bottom line, you have to make the educated decsion, if your going to dump a grand into that next plane, why on earth wouldn't you trust that the best equipment you can afford is in it?
I have yet to see a Top gun competitor running cheap gear! I have never run across anyone running their new BVM KingKat with Bluebirds. Food for thought.