Engineer here :). I like to compare my mics the same way a photographer compares a camera: The mic is only a piece of the puzzle! With that said, A mic is complimented by a good pre-amp. A cheap pre-amp (under $100) will have a very high noise floor (the nasty mecahnical hiss), whereas a good pre amp will sound clear!…

I usually dont comment much (im such a lurker sometimes) but I squee’d with joy on this article! Sorry for image quality. It was a bit rushed.