My son has used a 7700 Mask with straight bar cage for 3 months now. He used a 7700 mask with certified cateye cage for one year before that.
The vision ahead in this mask is really good. The bars seem to line up perfectly for his eyes, and some of the bars are flat and oriented so the narrow part faces the eye to reduce the cross section. My son had complaints about the vision out of his 7700 mask which had certified cateye - but no problems with this straight bar cage. Visibility down and to the sides seems good as well.
The durability seems good so far as well. Summer 4 on 4 hockey, 3 different week long camps, tryouts, etc. and no loose screws, frayed straps, paintchips, etc. Also had no durability problems with his other 7700 mask that he used for one year previously. I like the mechanically attached foams, as opposed to glued in.
Protection has been good for my son so far. Please be aware that this mask fits him better than any others, and that is probably the biggest reason protection has been good - fit. He has used his two 7700 masks for peewee and bantam minor travel as well as occasional midget practices, summer camps, etc. The shell seems to be more stiff than other injection molded masks we looked at, especially in chin area. The cage is rock solid - several pucks directly to cage shot by coaches and better players and still no dents. No complaints for my son about pain or ringing when he gets hit in the head (and he doesn't wince or duck, so he trusts the mask).
Comfort is primarily a function of how well the mask fits your particular face, but it has good quality foams and the extra vent holes keep it cool.