I have a Big Island concert that I love. The word is great, and the assembly work they did (in Vietnam, I believe) is outstanding, I can't see a spec of glue. Based on that what else I've seen, I feel like Big Island provides tremendous bang for the buck.
That said, theres no comparison to my Kanile'a—just totally different league. Kanile'a is a true innovator in my opinion, from their unique bracing to their body designs. The wood is awfully pretty, too. But the sound, that's the real thing....