Well, I joined this party a little late, but I am curious as to how you feel now, Jonesey. Which series?
I had a Mackie 1642vlz PRO on my "gotta get one" list and am now waiting to see-read-hear how the new vlz4 series compares. I have owned 2 -1202s, a 24-4, 2-1604vlz Pros and a 24-8, over the past 15 years and feel fairly safe about Mackie. I did wonder about the Chinese built vlz 3, and this new vlz4 series, too. I am glad I have to wait a bit to make my choice, as I haven't seen much about the 4, yet.
I do want the 4 buss option and the 4 stereo channels makes more sense for my small set up, too.
Michael