Paying for or using higher-end gear doesnt mean a person will like it any more than gear that costs less. I have NRX, GLX, Croix Elite, LTB, Fenwick World Class, Helium3 all $300+ rods. Not one of those is a favorite of mine. My Quantum Smoke gen 1 is my favorite rod it cost me $100 I use it more than any other rod I have. Ive tried and tried to find a rod I like better but havent found one. All those $300+ rods came after I purchased the Smoke but its the one I come back to. If I were to enter a tx it would be in my hand over the others.