New Axe-Fx III vs used Axe-Fx II?

The_OD said:
Hi guys :)

I have a hard time deciding which unit to buy, and hope you can help me make the right choice.

I found a used Axe-FX II (Mark1) for only 1000€/1200USD, which is a very good price here in Denmark, and nearly 1/3 of what a new Axe-fx III will cost me.
I'm a former Axe-Fx II owner, although that was 5 years ago. it sounded great back then, so I'm guessing it sounds even better now :)

I've read that the II has been upgraded with the Ares firmware. Is it sage to assume that (For now at least) it sounds similar to the III?

I'm a very simple guy, and my presets were mostly just amp and cab, maybe a single effect or two. So I will probably never need all the crazy effects and setups the III can deliver. The new screen, improved UI and more inputs are great, but are they worth all that extra cash?

I know I'm also paying for continued support and updates. But I honestly can't imagine the II becoming obsolete, since it already sounded fantastic and rivaled tube amps 5 years ago.

Any advice? :)
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I would look into buying an Axe III from the US and ship it. You can get a used Axe III for about $1800\€1680, plus shipping

The Axe II for €1000 is a pretty good deal too.
 
There's no wrong answer here, and no bad choice besides.

On one hand the AxeFX III is a new product under continuing development, receiving new amp amp models, modeling improvements, improvements in amp/cab interaction, improved effects algorithms, new effects types, has more I/O, and a more intuitive UI. ...and much more. This is the bleeding edge and, considering its sound and responsiveness, it's a bargain at its regular price and more so at the regularly returning sale price. Plus, purchased new it comes with a warranty.

On the other hand the AxeFX II is a mature product that has proven itself to be a roadworthy piece of kit. Its last firmware update brought the II some of the III's modeling improvements, breathing some new life into a platform whose sound and responsiveness needed no improvement to remain relevant (though it was certainly most welcomed and much appreciated!). It offers well over 200 amp models, a wonderful compliment of on-board speaker/cab IR's, and plenty of storage for presets and user installed IR's. It offers enough I/O for any live or studio application, has an easy to learn/use UI, and enough processing power for very complex presets. It also has a unique advantage over the three: no more development means no rework for user presets (modeling improvements often mean user presets require rework after a firmware update). Best of all AxeFX II units can be regularly found for around $1,100. At this price it's a steel!

Whichever way you go and whatever your reasoning you can't lose with either platform.
 
In your case, I would suggest option C- the FM3. Reason being you will also get a great price, but get more future updates and likely better tones vs. the II. Since you said your needs are simple, the FM3 should be a great choice for you. It offers strong value and a great form factor.
 
Had an AX8 and the Axe FX III. Just couldn’t go back to the AX8 even though I loved the form factor. In fact, changed my entire setup to be rack based just for the Axe FX III.
 
I had the II for several years and was very happy with it. I was surprised how much better the III sounded in a side-by-side comparison and I have zero regrets upgrading. If you can afford to get the III, it is worth it IMO.
 
The 2 is obsolete? That's pretty funny. That's like saying a Marshall stack, a Fender reverb, a Mesa Bookie Mark 4 and many other amps are obsolete. You guys are ridiculous. Had my 2XL for 6 years. No plans to upgrade (if the 3 was 2RU's high I'd consider it), no regrets as far as tones as all. I use it all the time and people comment on my tone constantly. The feel is also 100% there. Is there 3 better? Possibly, but nothing is lacking on the 2XL so why change?

Also, I know 2 people who switched over to the floor unit as mentioned. They miss nothing and it's cheaper. Larry Mitchell is one of them and he's a monster player.
 
I upgraded to the III few months back and while I absolutely love it my II sounded amazing and I"d still be happy with that unit. If you're just doing basic presets and don't need to have the latest and greatest. Hell, go for the II. There's no wrong choice. One just costs more and has hell a lot more options and CPU than you may ever need or use. It's a never ending cycle. A year or three from now there will be the Axe 4 and the III will still be just as amazing then. I feel your pain in choice. Of course everyone here who has the III will endorse it. They'd not be wrong to do so.
 
I had crazy good tones on the original Ultra as well. I did notice an improvement going to the 2XL in the sound of distorted palm mutes, but no complaints on the Ultra. I did half of my album with it and those songs sound spectacular tone-wise.
 
If you can buy the III, I would go for it. If you can't swing it, the II will not disappoint in any way. They're both amazing pieces of gear and sound incredible.
 
jerotas said:
Also, I know 2 people who switched over to the floor unit as mentioned. They miss nothing and it's cheaper. Larry Mitchell is one of them and he's a monster player.
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Larry switched from the AX8, so the comparison isn't quite the same...
 
This is an old thread... the gulf between the quality of the two units has widened considerably. I can’t recommend the II anymore, unless you really can’t afford a III or FM3 and your only alternatives are competitors’ products.
 
giantslayer said:
This is an old thread... the gulf between the quality of the two units has widened considerably. I can’t recommend the II anymore, unless you really can’t afford a III or FM3 and your only alternatives are competitors’ products.
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To me the main thing that makes the FM3 or Axe-Fx III better is the hardware UI. It was a huge pain on the Axe-Fx 2. I would rather buy a Helix over the Axe-Fx 2 for the same reasons.
Tone on Fractal has always been good.
 
giantslayer said:
This is an old thread... the gulf between the quality of the two units has widened considerably. I can’t recommend the II anymore, unless you really can’t afford a III or FM3 and your only alternatives are competitors’ products.
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Just curious what is the most improved according to you or others? In what specific area can you hear the gap between the II and III the most?
 
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Bodde said:
Just curious what is the most improved according to you or others? In what specific area can you hear the gap between the II and III the most?
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When I made the switch, the big difference I noticed was depth of sound. The II sounded flat and two-dimensional next to the III. It’s been a few years and there have been a lot of improvements... more raw, complex, and real sounding, and the feel is a lot better, like the way it responds to your pick (especially when you dial in the new speaker compression).
 
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