More Guitar Center Frustration

Classic. :)

I have similar when I order oatmeal in Starbucks and they say do you want the brown sugar with that and I say no thanks just the nuts will be fine and they say why would you not have the brown sugar it's delicious and I say please can I just have the nuts please.

Mike,  I just recently bought the Line 6 UX-2 Guitar Interface which can be used standalone or in any DAW, and it sounds FANTASTIC!!  Granted, I do like the F/X, but the amp models seem very realistic to me when I listen to it on my computer monitors.  (I have never tried to hook it up to a guitar amp.)  It comes with their POD Farm 2.5 software, and there are expansion paks you can get for it.  I ordered POD Farm Platinum upgrade, and it has every sound available in it.  I heard the HD500 on YouTube, but my vote goes to the UX devices.  (My brother has the UX-1).  You can find them on eBay for quite a discount (I got my UX-2 for the price of a UX-1).
 
There is some very cool stuff in it which I hope to use in a couple of new tunes in the near future, so stay tuned.....

I get frustrated every time I go into GC... because I don't have the money to buy everything.

Funny.... and typical....
 
Next time, bring your own headphones with you....and don't ask permission.... just do it.

 That's a pretty lame explanation from the GC guys ,and one that certainly doesn't make sense.I don't think you got a very good playing example of what the unit can do in that setting.If you used one of their guitars that makes it even worse.  The POD sounds best through a full range amp which is why it sounds better on a good set of cans or from a decent PA or keyboard amp on stage. In the studio it sounds great on a decent monitoring setup. I never got a good sound from a POD through a guitar amp. I'm not saying it isn't possible but for me I bought a POD so I wouldn't need an amp. Yes I know you can hook one through a guitar amp which is usually hyped midrange and then you get whatever coloring is happening in the amp, not to mention the increased noise. For me it kind of defeats the whole purpose.One day I might consider something like the DT25 just as a tuned adaptable tube section made specifically for the purpose.
 
  I can get some nice amp tones through the PA I play through when I play it out,speakers firing from ceiling not speakers on sticks and that was using a really cheap DI box. I plan to look for a decent radial box,they are tough to beat. I think stereo/mono also can make a huge difference. Only taking left mono out into a guitar amp probably kills at least half the joy right off the bat.
 
 Youtube is a great place to hear what some have done with the HD500. There are a lot of these things on the market . Like you say a whole lot of gassers are going to want the HD500x and will try and sell their HD500 to get it. 
 
  You could take one home from GC .They have a 100% money back guarantee if you're not satisfied. You could play and tweak for up to 30 days at home.If no like..no buy. I have done this on a few occasions where really taking the time to try something out was almost impossible at GC.

We always ran our POD gear through either a Peavey Classic 50/50 or a VHT 2/50/2.  It added just a little coloring, but pretty much just what the gear needed to sound awesome.  In the studio, it went through active JBL EON's for exactly the same reasons Starise mentioned.

 The HD 500 just came down 100.00 new. You could get the zoom and the HD500 ;)
 
 Since I have the HD500 and some effects I have no need for the HD500x or whatever it is. I am quite happy with the HD500 when it's tweaked a little here and there. For me it was a no brainer because I had the Variax which talks to the HD500 in good ways. 
 
 I might change up when line 6  comes out with something a little more ground breaking than simply effects. Heck most of these kinds of units have an effect loop in the back including mine. If they ever come out with something like a chameleon copycat modeler, IOW something that I can take to a Marshall of my choice and simply copy that amp and store it and do it for a good price, I might pee myself. I know at least one company makes one now but it's way out of range for what I would be willing to pay.
 
 If you want good tone for not a lot of clams and have an ipad try Jamup pro. You will need something like their input device or the iRig to play it but MAN, some of those tones are nice. I haven't tried to record them yet, can't vouch for the quality there yet. Jamup has a similar thing to the pack idea that IK uses. They sell additional packs only they don't bug you to death to buy them like some others.

Starise
If you want good tone for not a lot of clams and have an ipad try Jamup pro.

The only clams I have now happen when I play - lol!