I was wondering, so I emailed support, and I figured I'd post their answer here for all to see.
QuoteWhile the PRO and non-PRO items look and function exactly the same, PRO items are "burned-in" for extra reliability and subject to higher manufacturing standards. They also come with a 2 year manufacturer’s repair/replace warranty â€" where the non-PRO items come with a 120 day repair/replace warranty.
It seems very strange that a company would have two different levels of quality control, let alone use two separate model numbers to denote it, but there it is...
The PRO models also had a longer warranty. Two years. On the ones I looked at tonight.
The X10 models where less time. 120 Days on the ones I looked at tonight.
There may also now be a few PRO models with added features not in the X10 line.
IMO, they are likely the same exact parts. I seriously doubt they are "burning in" the modules. My guess would be that they simply put a longer warranty on it which is funded by the larger price tag.
Unless there were some feature difference the warranty itself makes little difference. I've had very few module failures in the 40 years I've been using X10 and none were within the first few years. I still use 40+ year old brown BSR modules!
I am still using some of the modules I purchased in 1986, other than the controllers. Most of the controllers had moving parts that were not up for constant use and abuse by pets and friends "trying stuff out". RPi and android cured that.
Still have some BSR original ultrasonic controllers and remotes in the X10 bin. They just won't die!
Anyone have any experience with the redesigned modules?
The ones with surface mounted parts and different power supply design.
Made while X10WTI was still in business.
FWIW A long time ago the then "Technology VP" at the original X10 told me the Pro line was 100% tested, while the standard line was only sampled. He did not say whether there were component quality differences, but I think the components are the same between both lines. At the volumes they were making back then, I don't see X10 having different quality components just for the Pro line. $0.02.
That's exactly what I would have expected. There are other manufacturers (tools for example but can't remember the brand I saw recently) that have the same model. There's nothing wrong with the consumer line, they simply test 1 out of 1000 whereas the pro line every unit gets a thorough test.
Testing is important to deliver a quality product. I just finished another batch of XTB-523's. I check the transmitter waveform and peak-to-peak output voltage. Then I check the input sensitivity and verify the bandpass amplifier is centered at 120KHz. Then injecting 120KHz noise just below saturating the amplifier, I verify it will still decode stronger X10 commands. After that I install the cover and plug it in one last time to make sure the LED had slipped into the lens.
The LED didn't light on one of them, so I assumed it had not gone into the lens. I took it apart and made sure it went into the lens when I reinstalled the cover. Still dead. Hmmm...
I took the cover off and it worked fine. Back on, dead again. After verifying all solder joints were fine, I discovered the LED dimmed and went out when there was any pressure on the transformer bobbin. The cover just touches the bobbin, which was causing it to open circuit. It works fine after the transformer was replaced.
With thousands shipped, that's the first one to behave like that. If I didn't bother to re-check the LED after the cover is installed, it would have been dead when the customer who received it plugged it in.
Testing is important...
Jeff