The Perception 420 is the nicest and most expensive mic in AKG's Perception line. The Perception mics are definitely aimed at the home studio market, but you will actually see the 420 pop up in a few pro studios here and there. This is the only one of the perception mics that I have owned that I still have. The others I all found to be lacking in the sound quality category so I sold them off. First of all this mic has a lot of nice features. It is a dual capsule condenser mic with a large diaphragm, which is going to get you a more full and round sound than one with a smaller diaphragm. The mic housing is a very attractive metallic blue with a silver mesh pop screen over the capsule. It comes with a nice aluminum hard case and a spider shock mount, so you won't have to go buy those necessary amenities elsewhere like you'd end up doing with cheaper mics. The mic comes with a 20 dB pad if the signal is clipping in the mic. One of the best features of this mic though is the fact that it can handle so much noise without clipping in the first place. I have recorded a guitar amp that was set extremely loud, probably over 140dB, and this mic was picking it up fine without even having to engage the pad. That is one of the best SPL handling sessions that I've seen from a mic at any price. The polar pattern on this mic is also switchable, which is fantastic for a $300 mic. You can go from cadioid to figure 8 to omni on this mic. There is also a low cut filter, which will cut out some of the rumble and bass noise on your signals that don't need it like vocals. This is one bad pitfall of this mic though, because I think it definitely takes out too much lows and cuts into the body of most sounds.

OVERALL OPINION

This mic is definitely the best of the perception series due to more features and increased sound quality. I think that this mic is actually a killer deal at only $300. I like to use this mic on my upright piano pointing at the sound board on the back, it sounds awesome. I have also used it on some vocalists over more expensive ones sometimes. It is a really great value mic, and offers a lot of features and decent sound. It's a good deal.