Unless you have already used this product and know that you like it, I would advise skipping this one and trying something else.

Sound
I bought this after reading so many good reviews but I sure don't hear what's so great. I owned a 505II years ago and to me the sound of the new version is pretty much unchanged. For a kid going through a small practice amp this unit is pretty cool I guess. I personally think the digitech modelers sound MUCH MUCH better. The effects are not bad at all but the distortions all have that typical Zoom jar of bees sound so for me it was useless. I will stick with digitech or try one of the vox units.

Features
For the price the features are about what you would expect.

Ease of Use
These are not very tweakable. No USB but even the Zoom modles that come with USB dont have any editor software just USB recordability. It takes weeks to remember all the abrevieations for the different amps and effects. Most modeling pedals use abbreviations but most use more than three characters again there are much better units available for the price.

Quality
Well they are heavier than the old 505II and the shell is metal instead of plastic. The only parts that feel vulnerable are the plastic knobs. Most cheaper multi-fx units are made this way. Really when you buy a product for under a hundred dollars that replaces thousands of dollars worth of equipment,… read more what do you expect.

Value
For the price they are not too bad. Begginers playing on small cheap amps might like them. Likewise those that are really really good and dont mind putting in the tweak time will be able to make this unit sound good too. It was certainly not for me. I was looking to find something that sounded just a little better than my Digitech RP250 and this was not it. Maybe I should just get the Digitech RP355.

Manufacturer Support
I have never had to deal with Zoom or Samson. For as cheap as they feel and sound, they accually hold up pretty well. My old 505II sat on a dirty garage floor for a couple of years with no trouble untill I replaced it with a Digitech GNX2 which cost four times more, sounded ten times better' but only lasted two years even though it was taken much better care of.

The Wow Factor
Eh. I dont care what it looks like. Its a tool not a prom date. I am 37 years old and I'm no showman so I am MUCH more interested in the practicality of an item than the asthetics. Why is this section even in the reviews? It sits on the floor of the stage. who cares!?

Musical Background:
Hobbyist

Musical Style:
Rock Metal Blues read less