i was as surprised as anyone that in many situations, a good 406x setup can definitely play with the big boys.
Definitely.. but it depends on the situation.. I continue to hang onto my 4061's with a deathgrip even though I haven't used them in a long while. Given a choice between 4061's and mk4 actives, I always pick the mk4's. The only exception might be something where intense security prevents my first choice (or maybe weather/wind/etc).
The cards will have the obvious minor advantages.. Like the woman sitting behind you opening a candy wrapper during your jazz show and it shows up on the 4061 version but not the mk21 or mk4. If you have a hard clapper sitting right next to you, cards aren't really going to solve that problem.
But there is a much bigger difference in other cases.. I recorded the SF Jazz Collective last week from the front row of an okay sounding room. Unfortunately, I could hear it all bouncing off the back wall and reflecting back.. Those reflections weren't just the character of a nice sounding room, they were nasty boom and reflection. From my seat it really didn't sound very good at all. It sounded pretty nasty.
Adding to the problem was the instrument position and their attempt to squeeze all musicians in the front row: vibraphone, trombone, sax and trumpet. Hell, the drums were even way up front along the side. The piano was in the back.. The LCJO, in contrast, uses a traditional stage layout and Marsalis has no problem standing way in the back where he should be as a trumpet player.. I'm not sure if it is egos that force everyone to try and be up front with SFJC.. but I digress.. Bottom line is that I could not hear certain instruments from my great seat..
The cards cut the mud and the result sounds excellent and much better than the sound at my seat. I know any omni would have picked up the nasty room and the result would have been hugely disappointing.. It might be interesting to compare the 4061 to the AT853 in a situation like this.. I am not a big fan of at853's but this is a case where they just might have beat the dpa's..