RE: Axle to axle length, brace height, and cams
By your description, it sounds like you could be quite happy with one of the shorter bows, especially a higher brace height one. They do have advantages when in tight situations, like treestands, ground blinds and stalking in heavy cover.
Like PABowhunter said, on average, single cams are a bit quieter. Many hunters like them because they're quiet, don't require cam synchronization, and are very easy to tune. In my opinion, it pays to put a premium string on a single cam. Eliminating string creep will make them a very stable, shootable system.