Clean for entry level and only when it is at 240-250.

The stick is completely rubbish, it needs deadzone and plenty of it, as others write. It seems to have many options and extras, but it just doesn't work. It creaks, the ministick is uncomfortable in some games, I completely disable it because it's inevitable to accidentally move it. And many other issues.

The throttle is decent, it has accuracy on the main axes and the toggles are okay. All the other axes have their own issues, they play a little, some buttons have ghosting issues, and you have to find which USB port it likes. The ministick and the 4-way on the thumb are also rubbish here. They are too close to each other and you press the wrong buttons many times (average hand and thin fingers).

The good thing is that the throttle has a nice design and a looooot of inputs overall, but what's the use if they're not convenient.

There are other negatives that others have covered. In general, it's very difficult for me to recommend it with what's available on the market nowadays. I would definitely not go for the outdated warthog, all plastic inside and the worst metal on the outside. Also, just because it's metal doesn't mean it's good. In general, doing some research on the reddit hotas will solve many questions for anyone interested.

Considering you're looking at this, I imagine it's mid-level, so VKB with the NXT is the way to go. Personally, because I play a lot of MSFS, DCS, Star Citizen, and previously Elite, I went a bit higher with Virpil (all on back order and arrived in 3 weeks from the order) and Honeycomb for a complete setup. VKB has some shipping issues at the moment, but still, I would prefer to wait a little longer and have something that is worth its money compared to what is available here. My mistake was that I was impatient.

Fly safe O7

TL;DR: Interesting ideas that failed due to poor execution.

Question: Does the higher price and position of the product compared to the X52 make the X56 clearly better?

Short answer: Nah
Long answer: Nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I'll start with the negatives because there are many.

*NEGATIVES*

-Ergonomics

A HOTAS, perhaps more than any other function, should be comfortable to use. The ergonomics of a HOTAS are correct when you forget that you are using a HOTAS. In this case, as far as the stick is concerned, it is (in my opinion) a complete failure.

Firstly, the grip is excessively long. I have relatively large hands and yet I still have to use the small riser it has for the palm, and even then the HATs on the top of the grip are in completely random positions. Additionally, I understand that they tried to design it with extra axes for space games (Elite Dangerous, Star Citizen, etc.), but it is ridiculous that you can't hold the stick with a normal grip and use the Yaw axis (by twisting the stick left/right) without activating the small stick under the thumb. I really don't know what they were thinking. A simple button would have been better.

The funny thing is that the X52 (which is almost 20 years old in terms of design) has an adjustable hand rest, allowing you to adjust the grip to fit like a glove. All the buttons are in perfect positions and you don't have to do any acrobatics to reach anything. At least the rubberized texture is a small consolation.

-Quality Control

If I were to record the quality of each switch, it would look like a seismograph diagram. I don't think there are 2 switches on my unit that perform similar functions and have the same feel. Additionally, one of the selling points of the X56, which is a revision of the X55, is the ministicks for extra axes. In my case, they are all completely unreliable. The ministick on the main stick wobbles as if it's hanging by a thread, and the ministick under the left thumb on the throttle rubs against the plastic and sticks (even with grease). My friend and I compared two units together, and they had completely different feels between them. Also, due to the design of the mechanism for the twist, it sticks and creaks like a rotten door (and it's a known issue). If I didn't have separate rudder pedals, I would be pulling my hair out. Oh, and the lighting on the stick was dead (but that's a minor issue).

*POSITIVES*

-Flight Stick main axes

If overall it starts and sounds like one of the worst purchases of this kind, at least some basic things are done right. The stick is very precise and responds to small adjustments without signal noise or abrupt changes in response. Additionally, the included spare springs are a nice touch to find the resistance that suits you. (In my opinion, the medium spring is the best because it is light enough to make small movements effortlessly without deviating from the center due to slack). I would also recommend getting used to flying with relatively light springs since in reality there is no aircraft control that "locks" in the center and you have to struggle to get it out. The operation is much more linear and soft than most people expect. And this comment from me who used to fly gliders, which do not have assistance in the controls and the resistance increases with speed and the deviation of the flight surfaces.

-Throttle

Although overall Quality Control is poor, especially regarding the switches, the main reason it gets 3 stars is the throttle lever. While the overall package is lacking, the lever alone saves it quite a bit. The operation of the 2 main throttle axes is very smooth and pleasant. Although it feels quite heavy, even at the minimum resistance setting, if you play with the lever a bit, the grease softens and lightens it (a little strange but it works). The split function of the lever is also welcome because in aircraft from World War II, for example, one lever can be throttle and the other can be fuel mixture or propeller pitch, for example. Also, the entire throttle comes with a bunch of switches of different functions (rocker switches, toggle switches, buttons, rotaries, HATs) which I have used properly. The throttle really saves the situation so much that if it were sold separately, I would take it as a basic throttle (at least for starters) to accompany it with a better stick solution like VKB or Virpil.

Unfortunately, it has some quirks such as the fact that in split mode, many times one lever drags the other along with it, resulting in me wondering in FS2020 why the fuel mixture was changed when I haven't touched it. Even with these flaws, it is a very interesting part of the product that is ergonomically and functionally better than the stick. A spark better Quality Control and it would be an excellent lever, especially as part of an entry or intermediate flight sim setup.

For no reason should it be purchased for 300 euros. Maybe I would wait for a case where it drops below 250 (which I have seen from time to time). Maybe if you can find it used in good condition, even better, but always keep a small grain of salt because stories about poor quality control still exist even with the supposed revision of the X56.

Negatives:
-Moderate quality of switches and buttons.
-Limited range of motion in controls, especially in the throttle. Not bothersome in the stick.
-Even with the friction adjustment in the throttle, it is still quite stiff, even at the lowest setting. I would describe it as suitable for a 737 and above. It makes small and quick movements that are often required in fighter jets difficult, but with practice, it is achievable.
-Some of the *non*-primary axes require "more than necessary" deadzone and are generally not "perfect." Otherwise, they have not caused me any issues with proper calibration.

Positives:
-Very good accuracy in the main axes (pitch, roll, thrust), small deadzone, no "play."
-Nice feel in the controls.
-Spring-loaded stiffness adjustment in the stick. I have set it to the softest setting to make it as seamless as possible. It works great.
-Many switches, buttons, axes on the controls. They cover everything.
-It has a YAW axis on the stick, although it is not user-friendly.
-Nice LED lighting.

Overall:
Very satisfied.
I mainly compare it to the X45 that I had for many years. The difference is huge; the only thing I would say the X45 surpasses it in is the significantly larger range of motion in the throttle and stick.
I highly recommend it to anyone who does not want to spend the significantly higher amount required for the Warthog, Virpil, and WinWing.
Prices above 290 are excessive. A reasonable price is 250. Otherwise, be patient for the Warthog, where the difference in quality is significant and there is always stock available.

Tested for several hours and in various situations in DCS. It will also be tested in Elite Dangerous at some point.