Here is a good rule of thumb with quality.
- Only buy from manufacturers who can give you a constant C rating and a burst C. Many times, those companies who only list a high C rating are only giving you the burst. NOT what it really is capable of in sustained runs.
- Don't buy one without a balancing lead.
From my experience in the micro/mini world.
A#1: Thunder Power. They have the years of experience and use high quality cells. I only had to replace one pack of theirs since using them, and that was because the wires silicone started splitting at the battery exit so it could potentially short circuit. They took it back and let me purchase a new one of the newer C rating at half price.
B: Apogee. I have seen one puff, and another get "soft" while running. However, these were the regular lipo versus limn.
C: MaxAmps. First weekend, one persons wouldn't recharge. Then of course there is that BS they have about charging you more to have a pack last longer. That and they take forever to fill orders.
D: Venom. Friends failed. However I do have to give Venom credit in that they are replacing it for him for free. They do not list the constant and burst C ratings however.
Orion does not offer any cells except through their Avionics line that have any dimensions that can fit our cars closely. As it is, micros have so many configurations that making a plastic case would lower the potential market for us. Also racers in our scale get smaller size lipo packs than what the cell area can fit. We still get plenty of runtime for races, and it allows us to play with weight and CG balance by moving the pack and putting electronics (which are usually out of scale) behind/aft of the pack.