[MENTION=79826]absalom[/MENTION] I just got home from a couple day trip, and apparently your PM was the last one I could have and now despite deleting all of them I can't reply or send any--for explanation of no reply haha. Hopefully I can get that figured out soon, regardless do your questions still apply?
As far as FOAs, I'm running multiple of their products. In my opinion, shock manufacturers you get what you pay for but at some point it plateaus and the cost per quality/performance becomes very marginal. I don't have anything to back this idea up, but I've had zero performance issues with my FOAs though small little quality control issues--but I also paid $300 per shock versus $700 for a similar King. My FOA stuff--this is NOT what anyone is ordering, but for some reference.
10" travel 2.5 resi shocks, black anodized, viton seals, fine threaded body, etc. "all the options" (before they came out with the compression adjusters at least)
Just got some 2.5 bumps in the other day too (yet to be installed). The 2.0 bumps are FOAs as well and have had zero issues and work great.
I've also bought 3 sets of their Viper springs in various spring rates and lengths with no issues with them either. My biggest hang up is the "un-boxing". Which has no performance issue, but as everyone knows that's a big thing when opening new toys. They never have a receipt or any explanation or instructions or stickers. They are packaged fine and decently wrapped, but they are in a bland white box that just says FOA on the outside and that's it--for comparative reference my Eibachs (that cost $20 more than a comparative Viper spring) came in custom sized boxes (one per spring) that was labeled with Eibach and cool pictures all over it and had stickers in each box, etc. To each their own, this might matter to some people and others it won't--I don't really care a lot, but obviously you get what you pay for and you get better presentation and some quality control with other brands and that comes at a cost. Again, I have limited experience with other brands and a decent amount of usage and testing on my personal setup.