The big issue with Cyclop balls when they came out was the cue ball, more accurately the logo on the ball. It stood proud of the surface.
When this was first going on, I went to the local brick and mortar and checked a bunch of cueballs myself. Rolling them on a glass case/counter, making sure they rolled over the logo made the issue abundantly clear. Every ball tested hopped/jumped a bit when it rolled over the logo.
With reports from all over, and me testing a box of replacement balls, I would say the issue was big. Especially considering the way they fixed the issue was to make the single measle ball.
Speaking of consistency, here is 12 out of that box that all had a slightly different color to them. If the batch cant even be made the same chemically, you think the surface shape etc would be consistent? I doubt it.
And before someone says that its just my opinion, nsafellow from the forum was the guy working there, and conducted the testing with me.