I went with Akebono ACT1089 ProACT Ultra-Premium Ceramic Brake Pad Set & Centric Parts 121.40064 C-Tek Standard Brake Rotor. Got everything shipped for $110! My rotors were warped @ 16k miles so I did not want to go OE route. The pads still had a lot of meat left but I replaced them anyways.
With this combination, initial bite is not as grabby as the OE so it is now smoother and feels like less brake fade as it seems to brake much stronger and more consistent than before. No noise whatsoever and no noticeable brake dust as well. So yeah, very happy after 1500 miles or so...