Have had many machines and my favorite has always been Janome until I got my Babylock Ellisimo. What a dream! It is the most user friendly machine I have ever seen. I have friends who have the Bernina 830 (new one), Viking Diamond and Janome 11000, all of which I have used (I am the go to sewing machine guru around here) and none of them compare in my opinion. This is my first Babylock and I am so happy that every time I sew on it, I tell it how much I love it!
Of course, everyone has different tastes so before you jump on the bandwagon, I agree you should try to spend some time on all the machines you are contemplating. I made up some kits with different types of fabric and took them to the dealers and played around with as many as I could. I then made notes of the pros and cons of each. I spent about six months before I chose the Ellisimo. These machines cost a great deal of money and if you are like me and have to watch your pennies, it is worth the wait to ensure a good investment.
Sorry for rambling. Wish you the best of luck in your search and keep us posted!