Ha, yes, but of couse, you can't compare. Even though the prices are similar to Pearl high end, the manufacturing environment is totally different. Dean micro inspects every detail of every part of every drum. Just not practical in a big manufacturing environment.
As for your exports, I have to agree. Must be one of the best budget lines ever. Never seen a bad one, & superb value for money. For the price, without peers in their day. The Visions however, are a bit on the nasty side. But I do have issues with some of the high end Pearl stuff too. I don't expect to see chunky ply overlaps on the inside of the shell. I've seen that on many examples in stores. Same goes for wrap overlaps, not good enough at that price point.