What are these Battery Boxes? It sounds like something that is producing a Line level rather than a Mic Level...? Thus the hot levels...
I think you are correct, but I also think that my mics would not work without them. I always think of it like phantom power, but not as much power. I know that when I plugged my mics into a mic input on my old MD, it sounded like total shit, and I needed a battery box, and use the line in.
So, you think if I just dropped the battery box and went mics -> ad-20 -> NJB3, the additional 17db of gain would be good enough? I'll have to test that.