All of the brakes I’ve done in the last 4 years got raybestos Element3 pads. However, I had to redo both of the most recent installs due to squeaks and squeals. Whether it was a pad slap or new rotors, they both squealed badly. The fix has been to rough up both sides of all rotors with a belt sander while spinning the rotor. The stopping power and pedal feel are top notch, but these at least required every trick in my book (yes, all contact surfaces were greased, anti-squeal goop applied, etc.).
Agree with deposits and pulsation tendencies, and general “appliance feel” for akebono brakes, while also having high quality parts, materials and kits. Certainly not bad for a DD.