They are not as far off as some make it to be IMHO. They are both modelers so they aren't exactly like playing the real deal. That said I've had both and prefer the AX8 due to other features other than tones.
The AX8 has more of everything so there's more options to pick from to get the tones you want. If you just want to get into the modeling game or just want a simple solution the Atomic is a no brainer though.
The AX8 has more of everything so there's more options to pick from to get the tones you want. If you just want to get into the modeling game or just want a simple solution the Atomic is a no brainer though.