I own the TH-F6a, and it has a clever way around this problem. There are two separate receivers. The "B" receiver is DC to daylight, while the "A" receiver only works on the ham band regions. So the B receiver might be subject to interference, but the A side is much better.

Your other points are very valid, though. I tend to mostly listen, so the heat does not bother me at all (but the VX-7 has a metal chassis, so it should dissipate heat well). Audio is a bit small, but good enough most of the time. The AA pack options do indeed give lower power, but this is mostly due to the relative inability of the AA cells to deliver high current. I am actually toying with the idea of making an external battery pack that runs off of 123 batteries.

I currently own a Yaesu VX-150 (single-band 2M) and a Kenwood TH-F6a. I like them both, and the VX-150 seems a little more bullet-proof. But the Kenwood is easier to use, and does a whole lot more. That is what I carry with me.