I have the Janome 6600 and when I purchased "her", my budget was $1700. I did research online and through consumer reports and decided it was the most dependable machine with the most sought after features for the money. So far I've been pretty satisfied. However, all the complaints about the thread jumping off the take up lever (?) unexpectedly now and then is true. Also, fabric does sometimes get sucked down into the plate hole.
If I could simplify the foot changing screw into a one handed mechanism or put the screw in a more accessible location, I would. Berninas feet are SO much easier to change.
All machines have their "bugs" I'm sure, so I'm not dissatisfied with the 6600. I would recommend you test drive one and see what you think. I also would consider buying a used Bernina 440. It seems lots of quilters on this board love theirs and if you aren't interested in a wider throat for FMQ, that may be the way to go.
Let us know what you choose and Merry Christmas!