I have the new Shimano cantis, and I like them. I won't say they're the best, but of the cantis I've used (Avid Shorty 4 and Avid Shorty 6), I like the Shimanos the best. They're easy to set up and seem less squeal-prone than the Avids.
Koolstop pads made a big difference over the Shimano pads, but I ran Koolstops on the Avids too when I had them.
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San Francisco, California