yer A/B comparison is the only way to really tell the difference...
but from clips ive heard... and from personal use of 'em.. i think the POD and BOSS are just different rather than better/worse...
like i said though i think i wanna try the vox more though...
if it helps anyone at all basically my point is.... with the POD XT live and GT-8, its really personal preference... they are so similar that its really just which one does it more for a person...
ive scoured the web for reviews+comparisons e.t.c. which all have different conclusion- some people love gt-8 and hate pod, some people love pod and hate gt-8.......
this is basically telling most people what they already know... but yer know.... BASICALLY.... i dont think theres any particular feature that stands out from either of the units.... and if you a read comparison or review with loads of hype in favour of a particular unit (GT-8 or POD XT live) that has loads of technical reasons for one being better than the other.... its all bollocks..... they are so similar (in sound and features) that you just have to try em and you will know pretty much instantly which one you want....
hope that helps someone in some way lol....