Yea, I'd agree with Jonny. I think the 4041s are very nice beginner mics. They don't get much use in taping circles, but they've got a pretty good sound. I also like them better than the octavas--tighter bass, nice detail in the mids and highs, though they are a bit on the bright side due to the presence peak in their response.
I ran them for almost a year, first set of full size mics after doing the core sounds and sound professional stealth mics. I never ran them with an outboard pre, just line transformers and phantom power sent into the line in of my ancient Aiwa brick (like the Marantz). I would recommend them for the price, which is only like $375 new for the pair, assuming you're looking for fixed cardioid starter mics.
-Todd