I totally agree with your final statement, the Hankook RF10's are up there with the rest, except for the price! So far I've put just over 5,000 miles on them, and I couldn't be happier. Everything is smooth, no shaking or pulling. I'm actually shocked at how still the steering wheel is, I've never had one with this little movement. No need for re-balancing as of yet, we'll see what the future holds. Around 25-35 mph you can hear them if you're trying, but at other speeds they are still very quite (big deal for me, I didn't want something noisy). With the radio on at listening volume, you can't hear them. Until October when hunting season comes back in, all my driving will be on road. I'm very pleased with the on road performance (both wet and dry). Off road performance is still unknown, but I'm sure they'll live up to my expectations based on the reviews I've read. They're suppose to be great in snow, but we typically only get maybe 2-3 inches a year, so still waiting for that as well.
Let me follow that by saying all I have to compare to are stock Bridgestones and Firestone Destination A/T's. The Destination A/T's are quiter, but that's about the only benefit I see from them. Again, the Hankooks aren't loud, you can just slightly hear them if you're trying at certain speeds.
In my opinion, they're the best bang for the buck tire made. I started running Hankooks two years ago and have yet to be disappointed (car tires), so I'm fully confident these A/T's will get the job done.
To sum it up: smooth, quite (for the most part), seem to be wearing good (no signs of wear at all), and I'd choose them again in a heartbeat.