Custom Layering: Modern SoundFont players allow you to layer JV-1080 patches with modern effects in ways the original 1994 processor could never handle. SoundFont vs. The Roland Cloud JV-1080
What are you currently using? (e.g., FL Studio, Ableton, Logic)
To make your Roland JV-1080 SoundFont sound truly superior, you shouldn't use it "dry." The secret to the 1080's success was its internal effects processor (EFX).
Filter Sweeps: A SoundFont often uses a generic digital filter, whereas the JV-1080 hardware filter has a very specific, stepped character that is hard to sample perfectly.
To be objective, a SoundFont is a snapshot. It captures a sound at a specific velocity and pitch. The Roland JV-1080 hardware utilized "Structure" synthesis and complex resonant filters that changed dynamically as you played.