Talking of which...its probably still the best machine at that price point, especially because there are possibilities for relatively easy modding (eg PID)
I'm dead 'appy with mine (with PID), I can see that more money might provide more consistency and better plumbing, but I'm not tempted in the slightest.
A little research and I see that Rancilio now offer the Silvia as a PID option...although they charge quite a whack for it.
I couldn't go back to one in all honesty, in fact I couldn't go back to any of my previous machines or grinders because the current kit just makes it so easy to smash out really good shots and milk every time. Takes me two to three goes to dial in new beans, then the merest tweakage of the grind as the beans age and I'm all good. Taste and eye does it, no need for me to follow weight and ratio recipes because I'm not using challenging beans. The huge Mazzer Major grinder is the only one that has never resulted in channelling. I did have an enormous and very complicated Eureka 75mm burred thing once but I got rid of it after a month or so because the coffee just tasted flat. Weird how a grinder can do that.
The biggest issue for me on the Rancilio (once PID'd) would be the steam power for milk. In fact my previous machine (a nice chrome steel E61 dual boiler beast) didn't have the required steam power for perfect flat whites.
Like I say, you can go forward. But you can't go back.