The Soma cogs are CNC'd and then chrome plated. They're a little stiff mating with the chain out of the box, but so are DX cogs that are stamped and chromed.

All Soma frames have lifetime guarantees against defects. I guess you could call me a Soma fanboy, but they have a good reputation with many of the riders in my area. I saw a full Ultegra Smoothie the other day, so that frame's brake bridges must have been straight.