Quote:I've been reviewing a beta version of the machine for the last three months. The claims are mostly correct: 

This is a very basic, small boiler, HX, vibe pump E61 box with specs mostly identical to the base Mara. What's different are the controls. There is a PID in the steam boiler which switches between two set points, one at around 2 bar, one at 1 bar. The setpoint chosen depends on the the temperature of the water returning from the thermosyphon into the boiler. This approximates the group temperature, and since this is a massive E61 group, it is also close to the same as the shot temperature, whether the boiler is at 2 bar, 1 bar, or somewhere in between. 

The result is that you can make a no flush shot that goes as long as you like without worrying about temperature. But you aren't going to get a whole lot of precision either, roughly 90 to 92 at the low setting, 94 to 96 at the high, and 92 to 94 for the middle setting. This is about the same as you can get with Eric's group head thermometer and a flushing regime. Personally, I much preferred using this control to having to do it myself. But I've been spoiled with the Strega and Bianca, which are no fuss machines when it comes to managing temperature. 

The three position switch is an honest control, since the nature of group makes anything more precise than about a 2C range on shot temperature impossible. For instance, on dual boiler E61s, the precise adjustablilty of the brew boiler is to some extent an illusion, since the shot temperature will also vary up or down in a two degree envelope or so. A three position switch would work just as well on an E61 DB. 

On a historical note: Over the last fifty years, many companies have patented thermosyphon based active controls; and none, as far as I know, have made it into production. They've all been too finicky. Us hobbyists also have not come up with anything stable. What Lelit is doing, switching the boiler between a low and high setting based on the thermosyphon return, may sound really simple, but that is very good engineering in my book, a simple, stable solution to a fairly tricky controls problem.

In addition, Lelit has tweaked the group jet and and expansion valves so that you can use very fine grinds on this machine without choking it. It isn't quite as versatile as having a needle valve kit installed, but it does get close. Note: I have not used the regular Mara, so I don't know if that has the same fine grind tweaks. I am instead comparing it to older E61 boxes I've used.

Steaming is trippy, since you get close to commercial speed performance when the steam is up at 2 bar; and rockaby-baby-HX performance when it's down at 1 bar. There's also an initial warm up accelerator in the controls (similar to the Bianca), so if you catch it just right after start up, you'll see the steam up at 2.75 bar (!), and get a real rush on your cappa. (or a near heart attack the first time you see it, when you expect to get blown across room -- I'm sure the updated manual will clearly note this tweak)

I don't know what the price premium is on this version of the HX, but in terms of stability and no fuss, it gets you to about the same place as a double boiler E61, in a fairly compact, counter space friendly package.

I enjoyed using it. But people should note, this is not a "high tech" machine; it is a basic espresso machine that has been polished so it works like a simple tool, making no fuss shots. It's not a machine for people who want a lot of precise adjustments, or a lot of during-the-shot control.

Quote:But the tweaks that make this a machine that can handle really fine grinds (On 15 grams of Turkish grind you get the first drops in about 15 seconds), I got the same polite disquisition on hydraulic adjustments that you see in the video.

My point in repeating this hydraulic disquisition is that group will work with the needle valve mod, but the machine has already been tweaked for fine grinds, and so has a lot less need of it than most machines.

Quote:

Quote:In the middle temperature position, shots after a long idle run at 93C. If one pulls at 90 seconds to 2 minute intervals, the temperature settles at 92C to 92.5C. If one pulls at 1 minute intervals, the thermosyphon crashes and the group falls to 90C. It will then overshoot to 95C in the recovery. So, provided shots are pulled at 90 second or slower intervals, the temperature is stable within 1C without any flushing or bother. This is as good or perhaps even a hair better than double boiler E61s.

(16-02-2020, 22:26)Lyvyoo Wrote: Domnii programatori, ce a făcut baiatul acesta mai exact?
A conectat MaraX prin cablu USB sau serial si a putut patrunde in maruntaiele reglajului de temperatura?


Cred ca asta ar fi culmea HX-ului, sa ii conectezi centralina la laptop :))

(17-02-2020, 10:02)Vladone Wrote:

(16-02-2020, 22:26)Lyvyoo Wrote: Domnii programatori, ce a făcut baiatul acesta mai exact?
A conectat MaraX prin cablu USB sau serial si a putut patrunde in maruntaiele reglajului de temperatura?


Cred ca asta ar fi culmea HX-ului, sa ii conectezi centralina la laptop :))

Salut,
MaraX a fost conectata la laptop pentru a i se citi temperaturile de la Hx si boiler, din cate scrie Lelit insider pe youtube. Sunt 7 parametri in interfata de citire 4 dintre care am observat ca se schimba pe parcurs. Prima litera este C de la coffee, dar poate fi si V de la Vapore, urmatorul parametru 1.18 dar nu se intelege bine din filmulet ce spune domnul, dupa care doua temperaturi 116 si 116, prima fiind valoarea citita reala a temperaturii din boiler si a doua valoarea minima setata de pid, dupa care avem temperatura 95 care ar fi temperatura Hx-ului , urmat de patru zerouri ce nu se schimba si o ultima valoare care este 0 sau 1 cea ce ar insemna ca rezistenta de incalzire este oprita sau pornita.
Din ce am citit la comentarii din alt filmulet, un oficial Lelit a scris ca vinzarile MaraX vor incepe din 21Martie.

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(20-02-2020, 20:18)Nicodim@Guava Wrote: Eu am facut precomanda. După ce il testez, revin cu un review. A mai făcut cineva precomanda pt el? (sunt doar curios)

(21-02-2020, 08:23)seba.butariu Wrote: Buna!Pe cand este estimata livrarea?