This is a debate that has been discussed ad nauseam on these forums, but it is a valid question. You are going to get the guys that are strictly loyal to one brand, reps for one brand or another, or those that have bought something that they paid top dollar for and now it's the best thing since sliced bread. As stated above Futaba is doing well and is not going anywhere anytime soon. So let me give you my opinion and it is strictly my opinion. I started with Kraft radios in japan back in the late 80's and then moved to Futaba in the early 90's. When I look at a radio I look at the functions and things that really make it stand out for what I am doing. When it came time to buy my 14mz when it came out I looked at the main competition and decided that for the features that I wanted futaba was the radio for me. When it came time to retire my 14mz I looked at the JR, spectrum, jeti, and futaba. I really loved the Jeti line of radios and they were really doing some stuff that I wanted for my giant scale and jets, but to be honest I really disliked the REP for them at the time and the way he/they came off on the forums. When buying a product the person you are buying from can be just as important as the product itself, so I ended up with an 18mz. Now a friend of mine has a Jeti radio and the features and the telemetry are awesome, which is something futaba has been lacking in for awhile and he says the reps have gotten so much better for them. So now I am seriously looking at switching to a DS-16 or 24, going to try their test drive program to see if I really want to buy one. So my opinion is go to your local field and talk to the guys there and see what they fly, ask if you can hold it in your hands, do the research online, read the manual, watch the videos on youtube and make a really informed decision. This is what I do and every time I have had to change radios I have been happy with my selection. I can get the telemetry on my 18mz, but the implementation of telemetry on the Jeti is just done so much better and cleaner. I also am a computer scientist and love the fact that I can use the LUA programming language and add things to the radio that I need or want.
FYI...I am not a rep for anyone but myself. I don't get a discount on anything I buy so my opinions are my own.
Patrick