My biggest problem with this whole thing is the claim that ScubaPro is the best and, therefore, justifies the ridiculously high price. The simple fact is, there is no one brand, or even model, that can truthfully make that claim. When you are talking about the "best" of anything, that claim must be qualified subjectively. Every diver out there in the world has his or her own idea of what is best. We each have our own criteria as to what constitutes the best regulator for us as individuals.
To base the conception of quality entirely on the basis of retail price of any product is dishonest. ScubaPro is not the best. It is just one of the most expensive. If one could delve into SP's manufacturing costs, it would probably come to light that SP spends little, if any, more to produce their products than any other brand. Including HOG. What you are paying for is the name.
When I was a kid, my parents bought me a brand new Huffy Galaxy bicycle for my ninth birthday. Soon after, a boy from up the street got a new Schwinn that cost more than three times as much. It was a three speed with caliper hand brakes, a horn, headlight and a bunch of other fancy stuff. My Huffy had a built-in headlight but was otherwise a rather ordinary bike. My neighbor never lost any opportunity to brag that his Schwinn was three times better than my Huffy because it cost three times as much. He was plagued with brake problems and his brakes needed replacing frequently. I had coaster brakes that lasted the entire ten years that I rode that bike. In any race between us, I always outran his three-speed Schwinn, especially if the route was twisty because my Huffy had superior handling. Who had the best bike? We both did, for different reasons.
What do I think is the best regulator? The Conshelf, hands down. It's based on a proven, well-honed technology; the build quality is excellent; they are utterly dependable and bulletproof; parts are readily available and it is simple to service. I am intimately familiar with the workings of the Conshelf (same as the Titan) and can service one in a couple of ours. I've never had one fail me or give me any problems. They breathe as well as any other reg and the metal second stages don't cause dry mouth like the newer, cheaper plastic ones do. In my eyes, ScubaPro can't touch the Conshelf in meeting my needs. For me, Aqua-Lung is best, but you won't catch me falling for "The Legend is better because it costs more" line of faulty reasoning. The so-called "High End" regulators are marketed toward that portion of the public who enjoy, and can afford, conspicuous consumption. I see a Legend, ScubaPro or other pricey regulator and the first thing that comes to mind is "More money than brains."
Conshelfs are inexpensive to buy on the used market and fiendishly simple to rebuild.
The Edge shares many of the same characteristics of the Conshelf and this is why I chose the Edge Epic for my oldest son. My only complaint with the Edge/HOG regs concerns the plastic seconds. All metal is better. SP makes a metal second but, as usual, the price is inflated.
What this all boils down to is that ScubaPro is not the best. Neither is any other brand. Which one is best is purely subjective and this is why the Beav has been unable to quantify and prove his assertion that SP is the best. On a purely objective level, it isn't the best. It just costs more.
