In my opinion - ALL arguments are correct...
1 - SONOR makes great drums. S Classix can be viewed as a light version of SQ2 hardware. Rob is right - same material, same process, just different hardware and less choice in sizes/finishes. I always consider my set as a birch Designer with a lighter hardware...
2 - If You pay extra for a veneer, it's only logical for the salesman to tell You the truth about the product. It's like buying a set of Gretsch Catalina drums, and the salesman raving for an hour about them NOT being made in China, just to discover they're made in Taiwan...
You pay for Your drums - the seller should present ALL the facts with 100% honesty.
But same thing happen everywhere - no one tells You that the Peugeot 20x cars are made in China. Yet, when You check thoroughly, more than half of the parts have China stamped on them... Today's marketing trick is very simple - we (the company) shout LOUD when the stuff is made in France (for example), and we say French ingenuity, and don't say a word more, when it's made outside of the EU...
I (no matter how unimportant the veneer production is to me, as long as it's consistent and great looking) personally think that as a buyer should get a straight answer to my every question.