I have an Xbase-999. For all it’s good points, I’m afraid I can’t recommend one given it’s price and especially in comparison to the Analog Rytm.
Now, the AR isn’t out yet, so take this with a pinch of salt.
$2K AUD — same price as the AR — gets you the Xbase-999, only four analog channels, with the rest being samples. The sequencer is nowhere near as good as Elektron’s. The user interface is awful; a two line character LCD which is often crammed with confusing labels/values. The general build quality is high, but with some odd choices. For example, the knobs feel weedy, despite being nutted to the case. The buttons are tiny and don’t feel satisfying to use; short travel and a hard ‘click’.
It sounds like I completely hate the Xbase, but I don’t. The analog channels are amazing. The bass kicks like a horse! The analog filters on every channel — inc sample channels — are really good sounding.
The bottom line is that the Xbase has some good points, but in the end I think it’s under-cooked, old-school — in a negative sense — and disappointing.