I've been wanting to pull the trigger on the AXE I/O for quite some time, and I only wish I had done it sooner. I'd been using a couple of other interfaces, two specifically for guitar, and although my guitar tones were very good, I was never fully satisfied with them. That all changed last night when I setup the AXE I/O with Logic Pro. Everything worked seamlessly, and I was up and running in no time. For me, the differences are worth the price ($299 on sale from an authorized 3rd party seller).
More realistic tones for sure, and I'm enjoying the JFET and Z-Tone options. These are very subtle, but they do make a difference. No more high end nastiness and unwanted sizzle to deal with; it's just gone.
The expression pedal inputs and midi in and out are welcomed additions, and I don't hear any difference between the AXE I/O mic preamps and the mic pres in the Focusrite Scarlett I was using (which I was very happy with).
Finally, the headphone out has plenty of nice, clean gain.
I wish I could take advantage of the software giveaways, but I already have all of it. Maybe I can talk sales support into letting me get the new Mesa Boogie bundle.
Thanks to the IK team for another great product.