I have the PFX.. had it for over 500 hours in loud pistons.
I don't find the control box too cumbersome, as I am not holding it and it sits nicely in one of the map pockets.
Noise cancelling is amazing! Gap in the seal can be annoying at times, but all ANR sets seem to experience this. 8 hour days don't leave me with a headache and the kevlar cable is second to none.
I get around 25 hours from a set of batteries, with the usual bluetooth and music streaming while flying.
I don't have the issue with batteries being costly. I have a few sets of rechargeables.. Emailed lightspeed and they said they are safe to use, just wont get the low battery warning. But given the predictable 25 hours of use, it isn't an issue.
Invest in a decent charging station and some high quality batteries and you will break even at the 400-500 hour mark.
Keep an eye out for secondhand units. I picked mine up for $800 within only 3 months worth of use on it. Lightspeed said they were more than happy to carry the warranty (5 years) over to me.