u/patolikepotato

I've been going back and forth on this for weeks and I've done a ton of reading already, so I'm hoping people who actually own one of these can help me fill in the gaps that spec sheets don't cover.

How I'll actually use it:

Daily driver, mostly just for me. Usually two coffees a day, mainly americano and straight espresso. I don't drink milk myself, but my partner does occasionally, maybe once on a weekend, not a regular thing and definitely not back to back drinks. Sometimes friends come over and I'll pull a few shots in a row, usually black. I'll experiment across roast levels but I lean toward lighter, floral, acidic roasts, so pre-infusion quality actually matters to me. That said I also love a thick, creamy espresso when I'm in that mood, so I'd like something that handles both well. I'm pairing this with a DF64 grinder. The grinder is going to be my next upgrade down the line, not the machine, so whatever I pick now needs to last me a long time. Both machines are roughly the same price where I am, with the Go 2.0 being slightly cheaper.

What I understand so far, correct me if I'm wrong:

MaraX has the classic E61 group with mechanical pre-infusion (piston and spring, always on, not adjustable), plus an HX boiler with dual PID assist. Go 2.0 uses a saturated/ring brew group instead of E61, single boiler, with fully programmable electronic pre-infusion (pulse, pause, then full pressure). Heats up faster than the MaraX. It shares a lot of its design with the Profitec Move, and I haven't really seen complaints about the Move's core mechanism, which makes me feel better about the Go 2.0 by extension.

The one thing giving me pause on the MaraX:

I've come across some accounts of MaraX units running hotter than they should after a few shots in a row, but I've also found reviewers who tested their own units and got stable results, plus long-term owners who say they've had zero issues. So I honestly can't tell if this is a real widespread thing or just a few loud complaints getting more visibility than the quiet happy owners. If you've owned a MaraX for a while, especially V2, I'd love to know if this is something you've actually run into.

On longevity and repairability:

From what I can tell the MaraX's boiler and group are solid, the main long term risk seems to be the electronic board and temperature probes if those ever fail. The Go 2.0 seems mechanically simpler overall since there's no HX flush ritual and no brew/steam switching logic, but it's also a newer design so there's less of a track record compared to E61, which has been around forever with parts and service knowledge everywhere.

Where I'm torn:

E61 in steel looks amazing and I like the idea of the classic ritual, but I don't want to fall for the aesthetic if there's a real temperature question mark behind it. The Go 2.0's colorways would fit my apartment really well too, and the no-flush, fast heat up, programmable pre-infusion combo sounds like a good match for how I actually drink coffee day to day. I know the Go 2.0 itself is too new for much direct feedback, but the pulse, pause, then full pressure pre-infusion style isn't new, it's been used on other machines before (Move included). For light, floral, acidic roasts specifically, has anyone compared that style of pre-infusion against a classic E61 mechanical one on the same beans? Curious if one actually makes a noticeably better cup or if it's basically a wash. Since milk is rare for me (occasional weekend drink for my partner, nothing regular), I'm guessing the single boiler on the Go 2.0 isn't a big downside for my use case, but let me know if I'm wrong about that.

I like to dig deep before buying something this expensive, so please don't hold back on detail. Real ownership experience, how your machine has held up over time, anything at all is appreciated. I'm in the EU if that matters for parts or service.

Also open to being told I'm looking at the wrong machines entirely, if there's something else in this price range I should be considering I'm all ears. Only exception is the Lelit Victoria, not a fan of the looks on that one haha.

Trying to pick something I'll still be happy with in year three, not just year one.