Made my decision....it seemed to take forever for my LBS shop to get both of these bikes in so i could ride them for a while and compare side by side. Going with the FX 7.5. loved both bikes, but the fx just felt way nicer. of course the ds rode smooth also, but cant have both. As i tested and loved both rides (although they were different) i forgot about the ride so to speak and gave more thought to my wants and riding habits. im on the road all the time except for hunting...then it hit me, whichever i get im not going to be throwing it in the back of my truck with treestands ladders etc...i have an "older go to schwin MTB" that i take hunting. this new one will be my work out partner...fx fit better, lighter, and the carbon fork absorbed alot w/o the wierd feel of the ds shock.
It was definitely strange how riding each bike separately at different times really played with me as they are both great...but testing them together i could really feel how different they both are and which one fit me best. This is what really helped me choose.
After all the research, web sites, questions, posts, and feedback. it really came down to having both available at the same time to make a good comparison. the fx 7.5 will be orderd on my next day off (next week) from my LBS .
Thanks guys and gals for all the feedback.