a used pair of SP 853's with batt box (with bass rolloff) usually go for around $150 (give or take $25)
That is what I have... I paid $150... but since then I have seen them for around the same price.
http://www.sharingthegroove.org/msgboard/showthread.php?s=&postid=550226here is a recent example (Cyndi Lauper 2-15-2004) of the SP853's performance under less than ideal circumstances...
at853(sp) -> batt box(sp) -> JB3@48khz
mics taped (I used clear packing tape!) to sides of hat. (no real stereo config - may have been close to A-B)
I had good position... 5th row center and in a good sounding venue. But Cyndi wouldn't keep still so I was constantly turning my head. (I'd rather enjoy the show than be a mic stand) Also levels are a little low... as I quit checking them after a while. (once again - I'd rather enjoy the show)
One other note:
I ran a very informal comp of the
#1 853's > batt box > jb3
and
#2 SP853's > batt box > UA5 > jb3
and
#3 MC-012 > UA5 > jb3
I could barely tell the diff between #1 and #2 (yeah #2 was a little better) But the real shocker was the #3 it was WAY better than #2. Night and Day. Makes me realize how nice the mc-012's are for the $$$... and how crappy the 853's are compared to non-stealth mics.
also just do a seach for 853 on archive.org/audio/ I got 37 results.
--mizary