I downloaded the Nik filters, and I did find the plug-ins interesting. This was my first experience with HDR, and the resulting images were impressive, at least at first sight. I haven't printed any HDR images yet, or done side-by side comparisons, but it certainly has my attention.
I will continue playing around with the Nik plug-ins for a while. I looked at the CaptureOne Pro processor, and although its a bit more than I want to spend right now ($299, single-user), it looks very nice. In fact, I recommended it to a close friend who uses Nikon pro-level equipment, and I think he may invest in it. If he does, I will be interested in his evaluation. He started with LR6, and was so unhappy with it, he uninstalled it from his Mac. He was tired of it crashing, and he found Adobe's customer service completely unhelpful.