Well, two things - they MAY be the same or MAY be very different. I've seen both and had many people argue I"m wrong on both accounts..
First, walmart (and other big retailers) have the buying power to get things made to their specifications or price point. Ther are over 6300 walmarts in the us, and if htey buy your headlihts (or whatever) and get just a case of 12 for each store (likely they'll order more than that) you just sold 75,000 headlights to them. So yea, you can cut your price to them on that quantity of a sale OR build it to their specs.
My first job was in a tv repair shop and Zentih indie retailer. Big Box didn't exist then, but Sears, Monkey Ward and others did, and they'd order enough from zenith (and other brands) and demand a price point where they could sell them 'cheap' - so speakers or other items in the unit would be cheaper to make that price point.
One might ask how Ollies and Harbor Frieght and other 'outlet' stores can sell stuff sooo cheaply..it's can't ALL be overrun/over stock.
Speaker A sounds like 'this' when new, when in 'this' room, at 'this' volume.
Now lets go work it for a year, run it for 4 hours an max in a varity of rooms and see how it sounds.
And how do you compare that to anything similar?
They are all very similar - buy a name brand and use it. Check reviews to be sure it's not a lemon model with issues.
How it sounds to YOU isn't really that important...you're playing to 100, 200, 500 people - and only a small percentage will hear it they way you do - so the other 80% may not like it...and you'll never know.
Also, you're what, a 50's something guy that's been around loud music for years, perahps high end audio as well. Great.
Your AUDIENCE, which pays you so they're opinion is the only one that counts in the end, today is rarely around high end audio, mostly earbuds from i've seen, and are younger and hence probably hear better, certainly a wider range of sounds, than you.
Hell, with all the ear buds do we even need to use subs? they don't listen to their music that way so it will sound very different to them when we play it...no matter how good our speakers may be.
Oh I DISPISE wearing ear buds. Using them have been proven to damage your hearing over time. Also, even the more expensive ones only sound "OK". The cheap ones are horrible. ...I just came back from the GYM. I use my "AUVIO" red head phones that I bought at Radioshack at 50% off when they were going out of business. They cost $40 after the discount. Supposidly $80 head phones. They sound "good". I need to wear them when I work out. I couldn't do ear buds. I have to have head phones on.
....Off my soapbox on that.
LET'S GO BACK TO 2006! In 2006 I purchased 2 JBL JRX115 speakers. That pair of speakers cost regular price at the time $659/pair. I paid a bit under $600 because one of the speakers I got through winning a ebay auction. The other 1 I got paying regular price at Musiciansfriend.
So back in 2006, I thought that the JBL JRX speakers sounded "AWESOME" I was very satisfied with those speakers. They had a clear sound to them. They were not as honky as Yamaha BR or Club Series. They had good bass to them. My Dad who had lots of different speakers over the years thought that had a great sound to them.
Now JRX series needed a amplifier to power them...They did not hagve a amplifier built in, so I am assuming JBL used at least "OK" quality parts in those speakers. When I performed with them, at least the first 2 years I received compliments on the sound quality from guests.
I am sure a pair of JBL JRX speakers TODAY would sound absolutely fine to 99% of guests at an event today assuming they are powered with a good amplifier, and not some cheap one that creates poor sound.
A speaker that sound GOOD to people back in 2006 would still be acceptable today.
Now MOST of the powered speakers that can be found at Guitar Center are going to sound EVEN BETTER than a pair of JBL JRX115 speakers can produce. ...Alto, EV, Yamaha, QSC, Mackie, Turbo Sound, ALL of those will produce a higher quality sound than the JBL JRX were capable of doing.
...Gemeni, and Harbinger are probably the only brands that GC carries today that may not sound quite as good as an older pair of JBL JRX did, but they are probably close on their newer higher end models.
My point is that $250+ speakers are ALL acceptable for DJs to use, and guests will be fine with the quality as long as the DJ is using the speakers correctly, and not blaring them like crazy.
Something cheap like Gemeni or Harbingers MIGHT have a discernible sound quality difference to the audience, BUT most likely the audience will be fine with those speakers as well.
Go back even further. I use to use a pair of Yamaha SE12 speakers that were built in like '97 or '98. They were 300 watts cont. Those speakers had a "ok" sound to them, but could be a bit boomy. ...In fact, my sister STILL USES those speakers today in her set up.
Those were a $650 pair of speakers 20 years ago. ....Her clients and guests seem to be satisfied with the sound quality on those old speakers, AND I would defenitely say that a brand new pair of Harbinger Vari Speakers produce better sound quality than those 20 year old Yamaha speakers.
So I believe that in reality, just about ANY loud speaker currently being sold at Guitar Center would be acceptable for typical DJ work to the masses.