I have an Epson Stylus C84 that stinks. Everything about it screams "cheap."
This printer sold for less than $100 in many places when it was available. Making a judgement about Epson (or any printer manufacturer) based on the low end of their product line doesn't make much sense. I have one. It is "cheap" and it was "cheap" when I bought it. It's completely different from the other two Epson printers I have, neither of which was "cheap".
Jeff Spirer
Photos: http://www.spirer.com
One People: http://www.onepeople.com/
Surfaces and Marks: http://www.withoutgrass.com