Probably.^^
I Know the generic K&Ns i tried were less flexible right out of the box, and the material just felt "cheaper". The neck area that is. The filter media also seemed less consistent and seemed harder to clean the old oil out of. But maybe i just got a bad set (not from FAST,but generic ones none the less)
For me, it just means more peace of mind for me to have a Genuine K&N VS a knock-off Generic ( taiwan?? )