Jo,
Aerus still makes the combination/flip-over floor tool for all current canisters, it just isn't standard on the Classic and Legacy. I purchased two black flip-over floor tools for my black legacy one or two years ago... one for weekly use, one as a spare in case the regular one gets messed up. I'm glad they still make them available (you just have to order it).
I agree with the others, the black filter piece inside the motor housing under the after-filter is indeed supposed to be there. It's on my black Legacy, which was purchased brand new, and on my while Guardian Ultra, which I purchased slightly used. It was also on my previous all-white Legacy, so they've clearly been inserting that piece since the 2010s. I didn't realize it was for sound-deadening! How fascinating! The Legacy is noticeably quieter than the Ultra, but I believe the Ultra (which also has the sound-deadening piece) has a strong motor. It had a 20-year warranty (vs 10 on the Legacy) and seems to push more air.
