I had a Gen 3 STX up until a couple of weeks ago. I have had a couple of Curado I's for few months now. Although the STX served me well for a few years, the Curado I imho, outshines the STX. The Curado is much smoother and quieter during operation. The STX even after having it professionally stripped down and serviced still had a subtle geary sound and feel to it. It did not effect the performance of the reel I don't think, however it bugged me to no end. The Curado, completely different. Very smooth, very quiet, and a overall very nice reel at the $180 price point. My vote would be the Curado. Good luck.