I think its fun to read people discussion and comparing amps and simulations they don't own, mainly based on namedropping.
I invested alot of time into soundfinding in the axefx before I found out, that a simple signal chain: Stompbox -> Amp -> 1 or 2 IRs with different Mics works best FOR ME (currently using VH4 and 5150 into Recabinet Ghandi Box one with SM57 one with U87). I don't have the money (and I don't want to spend that much) to buy every Amp I like to test, to buy every FX Unit and every Stompbox I would like to hear in my chain and I don't have the room to use the real thing. FOR ME, the AxeFX stopped my G.A.S. in a single day. Every other device I used for Guitar (Stompboxes, FX, Amp) was replaced by the 2HE. Is it the maximum possible for Guitar-Tone? Surely not, because I am not that great in playing and I am sure someone like Lasse has those fingers to get some magic out of the amp/cab/mic/room combination, but I am damn near, to what I am searching for years. I am only using this at home, so I have no Idea how it sounds live, but after carrying the stack of my guitarplayer last weekend, I would choose those 2HE over those few % to the real thing ;-P
Some mentioned the controlling and tweeking of the unit. Sure, you have hundrets of parameters you can adjust, but to be honest: I don't have a clue what most of those do and I never touched them, and I don't miss them. Those parameters is for those who soldered and modded their Boxes and Amps. We could diskuss what is more time- and knowledgeintensive
After you got used to the UI (that isn't that bad. More complicated than a 3knop-Amp, less complicated than my POD x3) setting up "your amp" is fast. Choose a Stompbox, choose an Amp, choose a Cab, tune the EQ and Gain of the Amp, done. That is done in a few seconds. After that, the finetuning starts. Finetuning is something you can spend years in, no matter if you are using sims or the real thing. If you want your sim to be that plug and play, to sound instantly as good as a recorded Guitar of your favorite Producer, this (well, and any other device, from sims to tubeamps) is not the correct device four you
For me plug and play is, that it needs under a minute to get the device running (Connecting 2 SPDif Cables, Power and the Guitar).
I would buy the AxeFX again, but I know some, that like it (as I like their amps) but won't switch.