DaveInNZI have admittedly been prone to strong dislikes over things that are rather trivial and for less than legitimate reasons. This has certainly defined my attitude towards certain Sonor lines over the years.
In the wake of the (not so) "square lugs" of the "link era" drums; I was really turned off by the (faux) tube lugs on the Force 2000 series. Add to that the seemingly Devo (Whip It Good) inspired mounts and really clunky looking floor tom leg brackets, and the Force 1000/2000/2000 and Maple was a huge turnoff for me.
The HiLite and HiLite Exclusive series were subject to my distaste for the tube lug look, by default. This, admittedly, was shortsightedness on my part.
I remember getting my first Designer Series catalog. Any excitement I may have had for such a state of the art and customizable line of drums was countered or even overshadowed by such a jarring departure from anything normal about Sonor drums. But, at least the rods were still slotted. 
I let aesthetics rule over sound and functionality and was really pleased when Hohner/HSS released the Force and Force Custom series, which was the brainchild of Buz King and used to replace the Taiwanese built Slingerland stuff that Buz had also designed, when Fred Gretsch sold Slingerland to Gibson.
Quick side note: The higher end Slingerland gear was made in the Gretsch factory and can still be seen for sale online. The Ridgeland South Carolina made Slingerland Lite was a Maple shelled counter to the Birch Sonor Lite. 
Hohner/HSS had enjoyed great success with the budget Slingerland imports and with a mix of the look of established Sonor fittings and some more generic stuff, the Force satisfied my desire for that look, and the Force Custom drums were very appealing to the Jazz market, which had been the target for a decent chunk of what Buz had designer for the Slingerland moniker.
NOTE: The Sonor brand was nowhere on the drums themselves. The Sonor logo would appear on the bass drum reso head in production and also "Sonor" appeared on the advertisement materials.
Moving along... I eventually got with the program and moved away from most of my silly prejudice to most modern Sonor designs. My reluctant change was letting go of the slotted rod fixation. I am not criticizing anyone for preferring slotted rods over square. In fact, for a number of years I felt that Sonor had conceded their identity by making square rods standard equipment other than on SQ2. But, along the way, my tastes have changed and while I used to hold fast to my slotted rods convictions; I now have learned to embrace the fact that almost every drum key on the planet can be used for tuning and adjusting memory locks.
And speaking of moving along, I have done just that. I have arrived at a point that I really like what the company is doing, and currently have all current production gear on my rig. I am a quirky person when it comes to such things, and it makes it more fun for me to wonder what is next than to look back at what has already been done to select my next piece of gear.
For the record: I know that we all have different outlooks, perspectives and preferences and I in no way have any criticism for anyone who prefers older gear, certain models, slotted rods, or anything of the sort. I am posting this in hopes of provoking hearty discussion.