I've ran the gambit of most brands, and not going to bash any particular brand because everyone has their own flaws, you just need to figure out which flaws you want to overcome and will fit your needs the best.
I currently run HB and have been extremely pleased with it, here's my review thread:
I have another review thread on TEKNO which was what I ran before switching to HB:
I have also ran AE, TLR and XRAY in the past, any of these brands are going to be safe bets, but no single brand stands out as a "unicorn" above all others. I do feel HB does a great job of delivering an extremely competitive platform right out of the box, perfect springs and blank pistons, both standard and tall wing mounts... not a single upgrade is necessary other than aluminum servo horn.
Many other brands will nickle and dime you on necessary upgrades for either performance or durability, and that alone is why HB has won my heart by saving me money both up front and over the long haul, it's been the most durable brand I've owned yet, my only non electrical break over 18 months of racing was tangling mid air on a large triple with another aggressive driver which forced my car into a cartwheel into a steel pole which bent a rear shock shaft... I was still able to finish the race, but it was ugly with 1 arm locked in the up position....shrug. HB uses captured pill inserts on the blocks so you never risk a DNF from a bent suspension arm pin which pretty much every other brand is plagued with. HB also secures their battery with a carbon strap which provides proper support, most other brands use velcro straps which tend to cause damage to internal wiring of battery packs. I've saved more money switching to HB just on not having to replace batteries from internal wiring issues alone!
So what's the bad with HB? They don't use universals on the center drive shafts so you have to replace a total of two M3x11.5 pins on the center dog bones every 3 race days as they tend to develop flat spots fairly quick, fortunately pins are dirt cheap and only add a few minutes to a rebuild. The front/rear diff cases require 2 extra nuts to remove because the pill inserts are captured, this adds a couple extra minutes to service the front/rear diffs but totally worth it to me for peace of mind not having a DNF in the rare event I bend an arm pin.
Good luck with your choice!