Somewhat tangental, but I don't know there's a good definition of "LR". My opinion on that is perhaps skewed because I started out on a 510, and "standard" there is 2.2. So I think of 1.8 as LR, but not 2.2. Really, it's all relative to the voltage of your batt.
I can only say that my expectations were set with my original experience. And if that's actually exceptional, that's fine, and I'll change my expectations accordingly. And I am sympathetic to the tribulations of vendors -- I have worked retail, not to mention importation issues, which is a headache I wouldn't want. But I also want the stuff I buy to work, and I'd actually rather pay more and not have to deal with returns, etc.