Honestly, at that price range you could spend your money on better quality stuff. All the Proteus keyboard range (MoPhat, PK, whatever) is cheap feeling, flimsy, and I don't care for the sounds (but that can be a personal thing). I am not a big fan of basic ROMplers in general. They seem too limiting and get dated real quick. And in the case of the E-Mus, the only thing missing are the build-in speakers
Heck, I'd rather buy a softsynth for that price. At that range you might also want to look at
Dave Smith Evolver (that thing is so simple, yet so powerful at the same time, it's amazing, really), that is if you already have a keyboard controller. If you're looking for keyboards, I'd look at the Korg ms2000. Hell even the microKorg at $400 has better build quality and built-in sound set, not to mention a more flexible architecture/better programmability than the E-Mu.
Regarding the reviews, sometimes I wonder who these guys are that write the reviews, and if they have actually played anything other than grooveboxes, and what kinds of perks they get from those companies to write favorable reviews. There is nothing about the E-MU ROMplers that would be worth spending the money on. Now, E-MU samplers maybe a different story, as some people swear by their filters, but even then there are better options in most cases IMO.
The best thing is, don't listen to us. Go to a store, and try it out for yourself... just be careful not to break any knobs or keys on it. I am not kidding.