I can't tell you how happy I am with my Kala Elites. It's the only tenor I have kept. It plays the snot out of all the K brand tenors I have owned, including newer and vintage Kamaka, Koaloha, Kanile'a tenors both basic and high end.
I would say the only better one was a Kanile'a KSTP, which was in all ways a spectacular instrument. I guess Koaloha was louder but the Elite to my ears is much more complex and beautiful in tone, and the build is WAY more sophisticated.
The reverse fill Cuban hog MHG versions are what really light my fire, and I have both the tenor and soprano. They were wonderful deals, and I do believe that was due to the badmouthing of the brand by people who have not played these California made instruments.
That said, I do think that Kala was not picky enough on the koa they used on many Elite ukes, and the bookmatching on the front was at times lousy IMO. But some other koa Elite ukes turned out spectacular, so go figure...