My mom used to always say "don't buy that cheap thread, buy good quality C&C" and it was more expensive than other brands way back when. Well about 10 years ago I bought a huge box of threads at a garage sale and it was a mix of the 'expensive' C&C and the 'cheap' threads as my mother called them. Today, I'm still using all of those threads in every machine that I have including my LA. I have had NO PROBLEMS!
C&C are not all the same. If you look at each spool you will see them marked T2, T4, T6 etc. Each is a different weight of thread, the store should have a little chart to tell you how it relates in thickness to other brands. I find that many people do not understand the sizing on the needles that they purchase and are often using thread that is too thick for their particular needle (and often fabric) which is for sure going to cause shredding and lint. I also find that the lint factor is more of an issue of what kind of fabric you are sewing (fabrics are not all the same either). As long as you match your needles, threads and fabrics to the proper size I find that most any thread will act as it is intended. I think with all of the expensive threads that are available today it's pretty much like my mom saying "don't buy that cheap thread". C&C works just fine as long as I match my fabric and thread to the proper needle. The other thing that I find a lot is that people just don't change their needles often enough. That causes further stress on the thread as it is being dragged through the fabric rather than being inserted. If you can HEAR your needle going through the fabric, it's too dull in most cases. JMHO.