If you go to the Lane Masters site and check on honor scores there seems to be a trend in the last 25 honor scores ( that's all the further I checked) with the older models of bowling balls being used. I believe I counted 17 honor scores in the last 25 reported that used the older equipment.
I don't know if it is the economy that won't let people purchase this new equipment or if there really is a difference in the old versus new.
I think I will keep my old equipment.