I was in the same position as you last July. I researched and compared on line various combo machines. Thought I wanted a brother Quattro or a Babylock....that is until I visited a store and sat down with the various machines and tinkered with the various functions. I spent 4 hours at the store and tried out 6 different machines. I ended up with a Janome horizon 12000 and I love the ease of use. The machine sews beautifully , comes with 20 different feet, and 4 hoops various sizes small to extra large. It is very quiet. The embroidery stitches are superb . I have not had any issues with the machine. You can get a good deal now since the 15000 is out.
My recommendation is to sit down and try out the various machines to determine which one you connect with. You just might be surprised ..as I was.