Thinking of going lipo...
 

I want to make sure I get everything I need, and make sure I'm getting good quality items:

Balancer:
Hyperion LBA10 Balancer
Do I need an adapter set for the LBA10?

Charger:
MRC Super Brain 989 8-Cell Lithium Polymer Charger (built in power supply)

Lipos:
Lipo 8000HV 2S2P 7.4V Pack
Lipo 8000HV 3S2P 11.1V Pack

LVC:
LiSaver

My setup:
8xl / 9920, e-maxx (stock chassis), I run 2 fans, one for the motor and one for the ESC. I have an external BEC already.

This is new to me, so I'm not sure about the details, like which taps, if I'm missing anything, if the balancer is a good brand, etc.

Any thoughts would be great, thanks!!

I would stick with 5S, go with the LBA10, and a LiSaver.

thanks, I will get the LiSaver and the LBA10.

You said that you wanted good quality items, but didn't specify what your budget was.

I don't have a 989, but I do have the LBA 10 balancer. My charging setup right now is a Thunder Power 1010C charger with a Thunder Power balancer. What is nice about this is that the balancer can communicate with the charger and work in tandem, rather than independent of each other. The LBA10 will work in this way with the Hyperion Charger as well.

One good thing about the 1010C is that the software is upgradeable via computer link. I don't think that the super brain is. The 989, from what I understand, is a good budget charger, as is the Duratrax Ice; but neither could be considered the best at what they do.

What ever you get, just be sure that it is capable of charging the largest pack that you will get at 1C, otherwise you will be waiting longer than necessary for your batteries to charge.

I have a 989 and I just picked up a hyperion 1210i because I liked how the balancer worked with it. I really like that now I can see exactly what each cells voltage is while its charging. no more looking at blinking lights for me.

as for the 989 its a good charger and should be more then enough if you are just getting into lipos. it comes with the power supply and will charge up to 10amps all for around $140.