Did you talk to a dealer about this Model and if so, did you sew on it??
I have 3 Janomes and love them. I shopped all brands of machines and Janome impressed me from the get go...never a regret for purchasing. and they are quiet too. I went to the Janome website to compare the DC 2012 with my Janome Decor 3050. They are very comparable to each othe feature wise. I went to AllBrands to check the price on the DC 2012 and is it retails $499 which is what I paid for mine. i love my Decor 3050. The 2012 is a limited edition...not that it is worrisome. The mfgrs. Are always bringing out new models to confuse us. As a Janome lover, I would not be concerned about the quality of the DC 2012 if it appeals to you.
Sandy