In my experience, pro marks last a long time. Personally, I really liked the Matt Halpern signature sticks (feels like a 2B but plays like a 5B). At the end of the day, it's how you hit the cymbals. If you hit with a sweeping motion away from the blade of the cymbal, then your sticks will last a lot longer and your cymbals will be less prone to cracking as well.

If you're interested in more unique sounds from cymbals, Meinl makes some great stuff.