So, the VKB STECS Standard just arrived yesterday and I used it on a couple of flights. I was using a Thrustmaster TWCS, and the STECS is many grades nicer in my opinion. (Actually, my wife walked into the room and said, "Wow, you got a real throttle?" Also, the TWCS (my second in two years) was starting to act up, with inputs jumping all over the place, so the timing was perfect. The throttles on the STECS are on a pivot axis, which takes some getting used to after years with a slide throttle. I haven't set up the detents yet, but I have fiddled with them a bit, and they are very fiddly. There is also a learning curve with the detents as they need to be adjusted in the VKB Config software, so this could take me some time to totally figure out. One of the nicest features is the ability to easily swap out buttons for hat switches, and vice versa.
I purchased the Standard, which also has an additional large button module, because it also comes with the full set of detents and additional button/switches. However, I wonder if I will ever assign functions to the button module--it is just way too many buttons for what I need. Maybe I should have gotten the much cheaper STECS Mini and added the ala carte detent/button/switch set? Oh well...