I've had the Rode NT1-A for about 3 and a half years now and it has always been good for me. It's got great sound quality and has great range - it really picks up everything in the room, which can work to your advantage if you use it the right way. I have tried a few other condenser microphones in its price range (Audio Technica, Shure) and I really preferred the Rode. The clarity is really outstanding. For the price, I don't think you can get a better microphone than this one. Even though I have a few higher end microphones, I continue to use this one when I need a few large-diaphragm mics at once (worked great on a trumpet in a horn section). I would definitely recommend this microphone to anyone looking for a single great microphone on the cheap side or anyone looking just to expand their microphone collection.