I agree 100%. I have sewn on Janome for years and have never had a problem with any of them.
Love my 1600p DBX- if there's a thread problem,probably using wrong/cheap/old thread and tension is probably set wrong (easy to adjust).
Also have Janome 6260 for fancy stitches; Janome low end for my grandkids to work on when they visit; and a Janome embroidery machine.
Don't discount the 1600 series, they are really great.