I ran them either 603a/200>mp-2>adc-20, >ad1000, or replaced the mp-2 with an eaa. They are nice and bright, with good high end detail, ok mids, poor to average lows, can be boomy up front for Panic, but then anything can. I have experienced the *collapse* of the mids with very high spl's. A very, very forgiving mic in terms of poor acoustics. If you HAVE to have the active setup, there's nothing else in this price range right now. Imo they sound like shit into a v2, they really benefit from the warmth of the mp-2 or eaa psp-2. Never pulled a bad tape, regardless of location. Just never a great one.