After six years with the Breville Infuser, I felt ready for a more capable espresso machine. The Synchronika has delivered in every regard. It's beautiful, well-built, and easy to maintain. Steaming milk is a breeze--very fast and very easy, compared to the Breville. The coffee is the best I've ever made, and the ease of adjusting the temperature, along with the flow control, definitely help. Being able to steam milk and make coffee at the same time really speeds things up as well. Plumbing it in makes life easier and increases the power of the machine even more.
For the record, I'm not interested in using phone apps, complicated programming, or big displays, when it comes to coffee machines. So the more high-tech espresso machines never appealed to me, and having actually gotten my hands on the Synchronika, I have zero regrets about not getting one of those.
I really can't think of any ways to improve the machine. However, I do have one small complaint. I've found the single-shot basket that comes with the machine pretty much unusable. Given its wedge-like shape, it's very difficult to get an even extraction with it, unlike the double-shot basket. This is a shame, since I like the occasional single espresso shot, and I wish that ECM had included a small basket with a flatter bottom. Fortunately, replacement baskets in other shapes are easy to buy.