The biggest point this comparison made to me is that the UA-5 is a great sounding piece of gear, and it's definitely going in my upgrade path. I'll be able to afford it as a replacement for my AD-20 long before a V3.
When it comes to ultra-high-end gear, it's always a question of how far into diminishing returns you're willing to go. The $750 upgrade from cheap mic > MD to C1000s > AD-20 > NJB3 made a VAST difference for me. Another $750 mic upgrade will again get me a VAST difference. Now it looks like $525 for a UA-5 would get me a little more.
The place I've always found this interesting is in cables. Ok, different story for actives, but is a $200 set of cables really going to sound that much better than my $60 set, or my $30 Neutrik/Canare star quad customs? I bet if I did a comparison like the one above not one person could tell me the difference.
I missidentified it mainly, I think, because I've only heard a couple of V3 shows. (Shows you how new I am, yeah?)
This comparison really reflects positively on both pieces of gear, yeah?
Chuck