I've had a Brother (XL-3010), a Kenmore (16231), and a Bernina (430). Hands down, the Bernina out-performs the others. But it isn't really a fair comparison, the Bernina cost 10 times more than the Kenmore and probably 20 times more than the Brother. I haven't had a higher end machine in other brands so I don't know what I'd truly prefer. When I tested a similarly priced Brother (Laura Ashley model) it seemed nice but didn't do embroidery and I just overall like the Bernina better for FMQing. I also LOVED the Janome (7700) I tested, though it was another thousand more than the Bernina, so out of my price range and didn't do embroidery.
So the best I can say is I am TOTALLY thrilled with Bernina, but I'd bet any major brand produces a great machine if you hit this price range.