Wow, got a lot of thoughts here... I'll try to keep it fairly short and civil! Ha! I am brand new to the Fractal world and have been "living" and lurking on the forum for the past month or so.
I think that when a company forum moderator takes the time to put out about a dozen paragraphs addressing concerns from the customers that it signals a tremendous amount of passion and care for the products, fellow employees and customers. The generosity and level of transparency I've seen so far has been nothing short of astounding.
The willingness of Fractal owners to help other owners through forum interaction is also unprecedented in any other product line that I've ever seen. 99.9% of the forum traffic is glowingly positive and inspiring. My experience so far has been magical. Although I am new to Fractal, I've been playing for over 30 years and have a great deal of "other" experience and have been excited to share and hopefully contribute my little something to such a hidden treasure that I did not realize even existed until a month ago.
I bought the XL+ because the price drop brought it so close to what I was about to pay for a new Line 6 Helix. There's a lot of "self-psychology" that goes into a major gear purchase (I'm a bedroom musician) and when I turned on the XL+ and played through the presets on my headphones, my first thought was, "Why did I wait so long to buy one of these?" My second thought was about all of the money I had spent on other gear that would have been better spent on a Fractal product.
Because I am new to your world and bought the XL+, I don't really know one Axe-Fx from another. BUT, from what I read about free firmware updates, free IR packages, the addition of "scenes", cabs, pedals, amps and the rest - Fractal Audio is a crazy-amazing company. The customers feel comfortable calling the CEO by his first name and he apparently responds personally in the forums.
Maybe it's because I am new and haven't gotten used to the Fractal owner "experience" that I feel a little disappointed that a number of people have openly complained about what the Axe-Fx III release means to their older models. Personally, I am so thrilled with the XL+ as it was delivered (Quantum 9.04) that I am not the least bit concerned about future updates, new cabs, amps, pedals, etc. Any new additions from here on out will be "sprinkles on the already-delicious cupcake of tone." Again, I'm new here, so my opinion probably doesn't count for much with the multiple-Axe owners. For me, what initially seemed like an excessive purchase quickly became a "bargain of epic proportions" once I actually had the chance to experience it.
I only write this because I feel like the Fractal team has been coming "under fire" simply for creating a bigger and meaner product. They don't deserve the distain that has been thrown their way. If a company makes a crappy product or pulls a few dodgy stunts, then by all means, it's a free-fire zone. But, these guys have been saints from Day One.
So, to the Fractal Team, I say: Thank you for everything I've seen in the last 30 days. You are all so open, generous and amazing (and patient). The XL+ has made tones so beautiful and rich that it has actually brought a tear to my eye. You've managed to create a metal box that has a soul, and that cannot be overstated.
To the Forum users, I say: Thank you for the lightning-quick speed in helping me and the other users on the forum. I have learned so much from you already that it feels like a college course in Fractal (the mid-term exam will kick my butt!) Everything has been so overwhelmingly positive here that it has often felt like an alternate universe, given the state of today's culture. The user-generated sound clips and videos have been a refreshing source of inspiration for my meager playing, song-writing and Fractal operation skills. You have created something really unique and special here and I am grateful for being exposed to it. Thank you all.