Offroading’s just got one, but he never actually rides, so I’d take anything he says about longevity with a pinch of salt 😉
The Recon ones are now cheaper than XTR! Opinion seems divdided, I’d be fairly certain it won’t shift as well as XTR, but they weigh less.
I’m tempted to try a Soul Kozak alu one, as they’re much lighter and about half the price of the Recon ones, although I’m sure longevity will be rubbish!
General consensus is that nothing works as well as Shimano, so if that’s a top priority then don’t buy anything else.
As for more opinions, try the Weight Weenies forum, they love that sort of stuff and have obscene amounts of money to spend on it.