I have personal experience with both K&N filters and engine dusting.
I have seen a K&N cone filter with tiny dust trails in the intake hoses and signs of light dust throughout the intake. This intake was well cleaned before the K&N filter install and the filter was only installed for about 6 months before we inspected it. I also had a camaro years ago with the K&N, it also was dusted.
My powerstroke engine got dusted by the crappy factory air box leaking and cracks in the intake hoses. It was already dusted when I bought the truck but I didn’t know to look for it. It cost me $4,000 to rebuild my engine and that was doing all of the work myself and shopping around for parts and machine work. I got quotes from &7,000-$12,000 for a new engine.
If you look at it from a logical, physical standpoint a smaller or same size filter that flows lots more air would most likely have to be less dense therefore less restrictive, therefore more dirt could get through. The only way I can see that a filter could flow lots more air and still maintain as good or better filtration is for that filter to be much larger. Also any filter that has to be cleaned, oiled, maintained needs to be owned by a very meticulous and disciplined person.
You folks can do whatever you want but I learned my lesson the hard way, I’ll be using the large $40 DIY filter setup and inspecting my intake regularly from now on.
Be smart, don’t risk it, why risk it?