How is the Atomic a big waste of money? Is it "bad"? Does it not perform well?
BTW, the Atomic B2 is retailed for around $699 US in the USA (don't know what international prices are), so how is it that your buddy spent over $1000 on it? And if he were to have spent more than MSRP on his B2, whose fault is that?
To the OP, the only issue with Atomic regulator is that you may or may not have a local source for services. However, if you do, then go for it. Atomic regulators are easily the best of the breed. They are not cheap, just like Ferraris and Ducatis are not cheap. And unlike other manufacturers, when you call Atomic for problems, issues, or just information, there's a real person that picks up the phone (usually Darcy) and that person actually has intimate knowledge about the product lines.