See the above! It solves a lot of issues I've had with many sticks (my 2 Madcatz TEs, a Hori HRAP, VSHG). Pretty much every complaint about those sticks has been addressed. The only stick that is comparable to the TE2 is the Razer Atrox, but I think the TE2 edges it out in the premium stick category.
1) Every other stick I've owned has exposed metal that isn't stainless steel or rust resistant at all. The metal on all of them is deteriorating because somebody thought it was a good idea to put regular-ass steel on the exposed parts of something that will be routinely handled by human hands.
2) Pressing a single button to open the stick is awesome: only the Razer Atrox also has this. It's pretty impossible to use a stick heavily and never open it- buttons need to be cleaned/changed, or every once in a while, a quick disconnect is loose or something. Opening the stick easily is very nice.
3) Removable cord is nice. Good for storage, and if the cord gets damaged, you don't have to learn to solder to fix it.
4) Cover art that you can change easily: if you think it looks bad, you can change out the art whenever you want with whatever you want.
5) Properly recessed start/select buttons: much harder to hit them accidentally than with the original TE.
6) Thing feels like a tank: just feels well-made in general.
7) Cord strap clips make it easy to carry around w/o a stick bag if that's how you want to do it.
8) Foam on the bottom makes it a bit more comfortable to play with it on your lap, protects the stick a big more, and protects your things from your stick if you accidentally set it on them.
