@MPC HOLLAND
Dam l go away and chaos breaks out wtf? LOL
YEAH we are MPC family especially those who have the machine. Not trolls!
As everyone and myself said the Live combined with my i7 laptop is just as powerful as the X. But the Live cannot on its own f*** with the X. The X is the flagship the Live is not its just sporty affordable machine that has power also. I am freakin loving this machine but lm not stupid enough to compare it to the X.
I come from a MPC 2000XL so having a 7 inch touch screen is way better than the 2000XL 2 inch screen. Smaller and mote compact than the 2000XL and has a rechargeable battery. I had to record out my 2000XL , on my live l dont have to. I can go on and on. For ME the Live is a huge stepup and modernized into the future.
Original question is the X justified by its price? I say yes. One has got to understand the manufacturers side of things if you dont then you make an opinion instead of facts. I like facts better.
We have to understand Akai been doing research for 3 years. Labor of time spent cost money! They are watching other companies like NI, Ableton live, Propeller heads etc to see what they could implement and add on to the flagship X and Live. Do people know how much it cost to do research ? Its not cheap. That cost more than to freakin get the parts and put it together. Research in touch screen, the prototype structure , adding a computer to it basically. Akai redesigned (not starting from the ground up) the software also that takes time. Akai had to revamp their internal effects also plus pay a portion of their moner to Air Music Technology for all the FREE effects and instruments!
Air stuff is top notch! From the New Hybrid 3 to the Mini Grand piano you're getting ever instrument from the Air company except 3 of their products which don't break you for the amount of hot joints you get for free! Plus Akai has to pay Capsun, mvp loops ect a portion to put their sounds in that 10 gig hard drive space we have out of 16 gigs.
Putting a 48+ pre amp on the X had research which definitely justify the cost. I can go on.
The FUNCTIONS the X has sre impeccable !
What we are looking at are two bad ass machines!
The X is a computer/drum machine /and something else all wrapped up into one.
You can rock the X without the computer period! You can take a midi keyboard attach it to the X, a condenser or tube mic and use the phantom 48+ on that thing and go to work. This is a fact. You can do a dope mix using the QLink knobs then export it as an Aiff, Wav or MP3 file. You can take all your midi notes and EXPLODE them into individual tracks. Track one is muted. Now tell me what standalone machine does that? I use to have to break up my drums manually because l don't finger my drums one by one and l did that on the mpc 2000XL. On the X and Live exploding is freakin effortlessly done! Then there's explode 2! When you export and chose that function the X/live will break your tracks up for you in wav,aiff or mp3 format. Chopping samples is so easy its ridiculous! Way better than we use to do it. What machine on this planet right now has offered 3 usb ports, 8 cv/gates/ extra slot for a hard drive, 10.1 responsive touch screen, pro fat pads, 16 QLink knobs, pads can turn into notes and scales, etc like the X or even the Live? And running all this simultaneously ! The X is a gawt dam Beast! Don't compare the X with the Live they are not the same. You don't deal with latency issues like that of a computer!
The little if what l said justify the cost of the X. If ypu like the battery option then get the live if not get the or both! If one doesn't see from my experience and not listen to Ill Green and Eyaic on coupons and the tacticle way to bargain and think you have to pay $2,199 then one is not paying attetion to these threads closely! You can get the X from 1,789 to 1,899 with the right coupon stores are offering and bargaining negotiating!
Short story. So Eyaic tells me hit up Musicians Friend csuse they had them in stock. I call MF and asked about the item the lady said its a hot item. Im like cut the chatter! I asked about the coupon they were giving and it was 15% l asked her could l get it it for 20% off and she said no. I thought quickly. I said "what if l bought 2 MPC Lives?" She didn't hesitate to give me 20% off. You think she was going to let that sale go? Hell no! $959 for the Live!
1799 to 1899 the X ain't worth it? 2,199 ain't worth it? If you sell music you can make that money back!
Bro l don't see you understanding the insides like those who have the machines. Not every youtube vid is going to explain everything there is in the X. Hell people just getting them.
As l have shown a dam MPC 3000 USED is over $3,000 and that's old technology , l ask is that a justified price for that?
Having a three year board is not so far behind as to having a 15 year board.

I just gave you the facts why the X is justified in its price. Its up to you and whst suit your needs. Both machines are dope.
Remember the stores have to make a profit also!
MPC Holland here's my vid if you haven't seen it on the Live.
Peace!