I have seen Echos used extensively on very big fish... The best Ross IMO&E does not come close. let alone the FlyStart. I have seen the Ross Vexsis fail repeatedly, brand new out of the box...

The Allen is not a brand I have any experience with, so I cannot offer anything there.

The local fly shop I hang out in has been selling a bunch of Echos to salmon and large-trout fishermen for quite a while and they have been virtually issue-free.

These days when I buy a reel for myself it is a Lamson... so I consider them a great choice.

I friend just bought a huge Hardy today for tropical saltwater use and it looks like a tremendous reel for the money...