I finally saw one of the Performance kits in person and I really liked the looks of it.
The finish was real nice, the lug looked great too.
The different shell make up is cool, but they kinda just sounded like regular Maple drums to me.
Tuning, heads, playing style is going to be different for everyone, so the drums will sound a little different between anyone who plays them.
I'd sound like ME playing a Collectors, a Performance or any other brand...(weather that's good or bad...ha!).
I look at it as you're getting a DW maple shell, you're getting a DW edge, the suspension mount is the same, the tuning rods are the same, spurs etc...
The shells are not timber matched, the shells only come in a few colors, and you aren't paying for a specialized paint job....
I'd think MANY people will like the smaller lug, and personally, I could take or leave the re-ring shell. I like their straight shells better.
If I was looking for a DW kit in the sizes the Performance comes in, and I wanted/liked one of the colors, I'd get one over a Collectors. The price would be better, but I like this lug a lot more than the standard DW lug--everything else being basically equal in things that matter..new kit vs. new kit, I'd go for a Performance kit.