thejetsunss:
My opinion (and I suspect that of most people) is that of the three most popular types of filters (sand, DE, and cartridge) the sand filter is the one with the lowest overall maintenance. The tradeoff is that the specs for sand filters typically do not filter down to as low a micron level as DE or cartridge. However, a sand filter will work absolutely fine in most cases. We just had a big Super Bowl party and I received numerous comments that my pool was the cleanest one they had ever seen and I use a sand filter. Both sand and DE filters do require periodic backwashing which does consume water. IMHO, I view that as a plus since periodically replacing 100-200 gallons or so of pool water with fresh water after a good backwash helps mitigate (albeit to a small degree) any rise in CYA from my occasional use of pucks when the pool is unattended for more than a few days.
Regardless of what type of filter you choose, I would focus primarily on basic pool maintenance such as maintaining the FC, pH, TA, CH, and CYA within the recommended parameters. This goes a long way towards obtaining crystal clear water. If these basics are not managed properly, problems will result no matter which type of filter you use.
Another consideration is that DE is hazardous to breathe and several municipalities prohibit or regulate its disposal (including into the sewer system from backwashing). I would check into that as well.