is good or bad now has anyone actually gave these LEDS a fair chance?
I own four Chinese epi-whatever fixtures, and three Area 51. Also a few Cree "lightbulbs" from Home Depot for a more DIY experience (without going all the way to building my own COB).
There's definitely a problem with Chinese epi-whatever lights. The Chinese government is requiring higher standards in 2015 due to the bad reputation these lights have earned. That wouldn't be happening if there wasn't a problem. (OTOH: Hopefully these lights will be better soon.).
I think what's "good" or "bad" depends on each individual's circumstances. I think anyone considering LED should state why. Also whether they're in a tall or short space, which affects the choices. Also, the level of DIY they're comfortable with.
I'm somewhere in the middle. I don't think $200 is a lot to lose if someone buys an inefficient epi-whatever fixture.
A much greater risk exists when someone gets drawn into the predatory rebranded imports (Kind, Lush, HydroGrowLED, GrowBlu, Blackdog, et. al.). The big complaint about Chinese epi-whatever fixtures is that you don't know the properties of the diodes you're buying. When it only costs $150 for 150w actual, it's not as important as when you're asked to spend $400 for those same watts -- with the same lack of information. Why not spend $400 on a fixture that tells you what you're getting, and has an upgrade path (so your long-term investment won't be disposable as technology advances)? I'm not "somewhere in the middle" on this. I see no reason to buy one of these "secret sauce" brands.
I think if people just talked about the pros/cons of any light (with details about space, electricity cost, heat tolerance, abilities to DIY, short-term vs long-term goals, budget) there would be more objective discussion, less polarizing subjectivity "my cheap light produces great bud!" or "that's junk!"