Bryaton, I went through the same conundrum as you a couple of months ago. I was replacing my La Spaziale which was a push the button and let it go process. I heard the argument to go with a MP if you want to be involved int he process like driving a manual transmission car. Both my wife and I grew up loving manual vehicles, so we took that to heart and went with the MP. I can tell you that I really enjoy the tactile feel of turning the paddle, and the overall aesthetic of the machine. I like it a whole lot more than pushing the button the button on our old Vivaldi!!

With respect to moving the paddle and profiling, it isn't easy to hit the right spot every time, but I'm getting better. I've come to use some visual clues on how far to push the paddle to the left. After I get everything dialed in, my wife just pushes it all the way to the left for her milk drinks, and I haven't heard her complain any about the MP over the button.

I wish I could get better at profiling, but with the single origin beans costing $15 - $20, it was getting expensive "playing" with it. When shops start offering classes again, I'm going to look into them. I may possibly go to Seattle and have LM (where I bought the machine) run me through the process they use for profiling.

I can say that the cost of the LM wasn't easy to swallow, but I don't regret it. I enjoy looking at the machine in the morning, and also the fact that I can be a part of the process. BTW: something else to consider when looking at machines is the ability to regulate the temperature for the hot water on the LM. We eat instant noodles and the ability to program the volume of water, and temperature, has been a pleasant surprise. The steam pressure has also been phenomenal.

I wish I could compare/contrast against other machines, but compared to our Vivaldi, they are in different leagues. The price is too though . Good luck with your choice!

If you're still contemplating, I went through the same thought process as you. Ultimately, I ended up with a GS3 AV since the volumetrics would be more valuable to me in the long run (convenience for my wife, anyone else who may use it, ability to make a lot of milk drinks quickly while entertaining without hovering over the shot watching the scale) and if I really wanted to fiddle with some flow profiling I could do so via the needle valve mod found here on the forums. It's been 9 months and while I've considered doing the mod, still haven't done it and I haven't felt like I've missed out on much. Then again, I don't find myself longing for super light roasts either so that may be a contributing factor.

I don't regret getting the GS3 at all, nor do I regret the AV at all.