I am very close to making a purchase and I thought I had everything picked out, I was going with a Profitec Pro 700 with flow control. But then... I was showing my wife some of the accessories and she saw a picture of the ECM with the black panels. Now she definitely wants them and is willing to upgrade to the ecm to get them, as she says that not only does she like the look better with the contrast of shiny and black, but also will be easier to keep clean and looking nice. So on to my questions to anybody that has one or at least seen one in person

How does it look in person, is the coating the quality you would expect from ECM?

What is the texture of the coating, I know it won't be silk smooth but is it fairly smooth or closer to rough?

For those that own it, are you happy with the purchase and if not why?

Are they durable and easy to keep looking nice?

I am no where close to any dealers so I can't see this in person before the purchase. I don't see many people talk about the anthracite specifically just that they have them. I have sent a few private messages to people on this board that have said they own it but most of them don't show to be recently active. Thanks to all who share

I've seen both. Yes, it's very nice looking, although I opted for the stainless, as I got a better deal on that in a lightly used one. The base of mine is anthracite, and the panels stainless. If you happen to know someone who has a Synchronika like mine, the panels match the base exactly. The coating is anything but smooth; the texture is kind of like 100 grit sandpaper, but all the little grains are roundish, so the feel is much smoother than sandpaper. It shows as a matte black finish. But in the light, it's slightly metallic, like some car finishes, as there are either tiny shiny bits embedded or the little bits possibly have facets that reflect light. It's harder to clean than the stainless, which easily wipes off with a damp cloth. It's very durable, really hard feeling, as it's a powder coat like they do on some fancy car wheels. I get the feeling that it might chip if it got a severe whack, but I have no chips (nor have I smacked it around).

If you're looking to change the panels, I'd explore cannonfodder's ongoing thread with pics of his work. Anthracite is cool looking, but I'd venture to say your wife might like the wood panels more, which skew toward warmer colors, a more natural look, and less industrial feel.

I have a Sync with the stainless, and if I were to ever upgrade, a custom wood job with matching joysticks and handles would be my approach.

Agreed with Nunas on the Anthracite. It's cold to touch, slightly rough, and matte. Doesn't quite match the black portafilters and joysticks (which are shiny). Does match the rubber in the tap and steam wand, and matches the feet. I really like it as a foundation or base, and the slight amount of black I think is a great contrast to the overall stainless finish.

Nunas, thanks for the input

Auctor, I have shown my wife the different wood panels and she wasnt really impressed. Said everything, knobs lever and portafilters, all need to match and then at that point its to much wood on a steel machine.

Auctor wrote:I really like it as a foundation or base, and the slight amount of black, I think is a great contrast to the overall stainless finish.

Auctor, Agreed. I really like it too. Compared to other stainless finish machines, the Synchronika does not look heavy/clunky, despite being one of the heavier DB prosumer machines. It seems to float above the matte black base.

I should get my Sync with Anthracite next week. I will share some pictures of it.

That would be awesome, thank you. I am hoping to order my new machine mid June, so would love to hear your first impressions and thoughts on your new purchase.

Nunas wrote:Auctor, Agreed. I really like it too. Compared to other stainless finish machines, the Synchronika does not look heavy/clunky, despite being one of the heavier DB prosumer machines. It seems to float above the matte black base.

Yes, totally. And I think the feet as well make a big difference in the appearance of float. In another thread I mentioned this to John (from Decent). Feet play a big factor in both elegance and utility.

Castillo2001 wrote: Auctor, I have shown my wife the different wood panels and she wasnt really impressed. Said everything, knobs lever and portafilters, all need to match and then at that point its to much wood on a steel machine.

I completely agree, and not just because she's your wife!

I'm really happy with the anthracite version. It's much easier to take a photo or shoot a video of it .

Yup, think that's my choice. About to head out for a backpacking trip, but will be putting an order in shorty after. What flow control is that? Definitely not the ECM made one.