china manufacturing gave the low end market access to build systems so they don,t need to buy a system. The demand of cheaper parts was high and now low since the low end market now buys a complete system rather then take the effort in building things because the sum of parts in usd is more then buying a complete system. The Low end market got huge because everyone can afford a system now and fights over every gig they can. They lower their prices wich means the money they make is not enough to make the jump to the higher power market.
The average hobbyist will try to compete with his next door neighbour by offering more Power even though its way to much for a small venue. The competition now between china manufactures is who can deliver the most mw/usd wich will eventually lead to accidents. Every hobbyist that orders a china box will help the china manufactures to do things cheaper and more power. Its great to be able to buy a scanset for next to nothing but it also has downsides like the danger when power becomes so cheap.
The "gap" between low end and high end will stay forever since the average hobbyist that owns a few 5W projectors doesn,t make enough on a saterday evening to buy a 30W. If a red 1 watt diode with good beamspecs come on the market Arctos, kvant and others stack more wich means power goes up in the high end but the chinese also can deliver more power. The eventguys don,t care if its dangerous or if its too much power they just rent who ever deliver the most mw. Eventually when more accidents happen regulations will come and then most hobbyists will not want to pay the license fee and then the low end market will be given back to the real companies that are registrated and do what is safe. Fingers crossed there will be a license with a safety course sooner then later because it is getting dangerous already.....
The bennifit from "cheap" is a lower step in level to doing lasershows wich is great for everyone. But the huge downside is that it also will lead to more competition, lower prices and higher power wich eventually will cause accidents. Oh and buying from china will make you next door neighbour unemproyed when we all buy from china. To much disadvantages in my book. Pangolin came with the 506 but even if they are better and produced in the USA the hobbyist will buy an eightonlight because its cheaper and they need that because they don,t make enough on that saterday evening to buy the USA manufactured one......