Feature:
The mic comes with a shockmount, powersupply, and the 7-pin cable often used by tube mics. The durable plastic case looks like something a power tool comes in, but it does its job well. I do wish that the mic had roll off or attenuation switches, but that can be done with a good mixer and EQ.

Quality:
A ten year warranty and a very well made mic, cable, and PSU. I wouldn't say it would survive a fall, but what condenser (especially a tube) could?

Value:
The K2 is known for its value. It outperforms many Neumanns, and competition isn't seen until you get close to the 2000 dollar range. The only mic I have that outperforms it is a custom vintage U47-U67 hybrid someone built for me.

Desirability:
The mic is a beautiful champagne color that is velvety to the touch--it looks great and feels great. Its variable patterns are something only a few mics have attempted, and it pulls it off extremely well.

Sound:
I've owned the K2 for over a year now and its still my favorite tube condenser. The variable patterns are its best feature, allowing you to dial in the most precise pattern. I will say that the warmth was less than I expected when I first tried it out-- replacing the 6922 tube with a NOS Amperex D-Getter really made a difference. Warm mids, the right amount of lows, and a transparent airiness.

Ease of Use:
Very easy to use. Just plug it into the powersupply, let it warm up for about an hour, and you're ready to record anything from vocals to drums. Placement of the mic didn't seem to be a huge issue with vocals as it doesn't have too much sibilance, a good thing.

Support:
I've talked with Rode regarding their support in case I have any problems. They will replace the mic or the PSU if anything goes wrong. The warranty is void if you attempt to do upgrades, but I don't really think anything is needed beyond the tube rolling.

Overall:
The K2 will remain in my mic locker for years to come, and a second one may be joining it for mid-side or Blumein recording. The sound is velvety smooth, and has an airiness that just makes it so crisp. A great mic on male vocals as well as females-- you can always roll the tube to determine the warmth you will receive. Perfect overall.

Feature:
The multi-pattern works great. Put it in figure-8 at 90 degrees with it's cousin the NTK, and you've got a great MS Stereo setup. The figure-8 also sounds KILLER on upright acoustic bass! The proximity effect fattens it up like crazy, and rejects muddy reflections from the floor!

Quality:
Very high quality for the price. I don't believe that it's transformer and caps are on par with microphones that cost up in the thousands, but it's TOTALLY great for the price (ESPECIALLY if you change the tube! Siemens is the best for this mic. Mullards are too deep, Amperex are fine)

Value:
AWESOME value. CANNOT beat the value of this mic for the price.

Desirability:
It looks great. Everyone turns their heads to get a glance of it!

Sound:
CHANGE THE TUBE FIRST!!! Get a hold of a vintage 1960's Siemens Tube (with grey plates) and it'll turn into a totally different microphone. It has a nice deep, warm sound without the sibalence you usually get with other mics in this price range. It is perfect for vocals. It's not a U47, but it is similar (for the price).

Ease of Use:
Very easy to use. Just don't unplug it before it is turned off...then wait a few seconds for it to power down.

Support:
Called once, and got some great help.

Overall:
It is such a great mic. Change the tube, run it through a high quality preamp, and it'll find a place in your mic closet. Regardless of how expensive (or budgeted) your studio is, you WILL find a place for this mic! Obviously, no mic is perfect for everything. Great for vocals. And it's great for instruments that might sound harsh on other microphones. It's perfect on banjos!

Feature:
Very Simple Mic. No Gimmiks. The Variable Patterns are Godsend. So many options in sound scope, its fantastic.

Quality:
Nicely engineered, Solid, and Built like a tank. Looks very Classy too.

Value:
The best Vocal Mic for the Money...period.

Desirability:
Looks very classic, with a nice tonal shade of gold / silver. Looks expensive.

Sound:
Warm, Airy, Smooth, and Amazing. Yep, this mike is perfect in everyway i use it. I produce and song write RnB and Mellow Ballads like Usher 'Burn' kinda style. This mike sounds lush and airy with a touch of tube warmth that rounds out any harshness. Its probably the 'One' of the best sounding mics under $2000.

Ease of Use:
Very easy. I warm the tube up for 1hr before use, and it sounds off the hook.

Support:
Never needed them.

Overall:
Superb...worth all its asking price and 3 times more.

Feature:
having 9 different patterns on a mic at this price is a god send. i've used the k2 on so many different sources... came out sounding good everytime. i wouldn't mind a HPF, but hey i have pres that have HPF so i really don't care.

Quality:
overall the QUALITY of this mic is great. its build solid, the shockmount is one of the best i've had in quite a while. the k2 has a great sound... i do own quite a few highend mics ranging from a U87ai to a Blue bottle. the 2 main mics that get used for lead vocal 99% of the time... the K2 or the bottle if you have a quality preamp you'll fall in love with the k2. some pres that i recommend to use with the K2: John hardy M1 (it'll always sound good) neve 1073(if you can't get a real one get a decent clone like Chandler) API 7600 (one of my main units) Avalon M5 >distressor Focusrite isa series(220 or 430) Focusrite Liquid Sebatron VMP series preamps i see 1 person said "Not worth it...." but go to the site and listen to the music...doesn't actually sound good, not to mention its a 15 year old kid not a engineer :D i'm a recording/mixing Engineer

Value:
worth $699,with out a doubt. when i A/B this mic next to a mic of mine that cost 4x as much and the i along with the artist select the K2 for the lead vocal that means something. i'd buy the k2 if it was $2000

Desirability:
i already have 1, time for another so i can use a pair in stereo :D

Sound:
The rode k2 sounds absolutly awesome. at the price there isn't a mic cheaper that can offer such a quality sound as the k2 does.

Support:
had no need for the support yet.. i registered the mic and i haven't had 1 problem with it

Overall:
overall this mic is awesome for the price. 1 mic that comes to mind in the k2's price range that is also a really nic emic is the Ksm44. if those were the only 2 mics made and i had to pick 1, i'd get the k2.

Feature:
This mic comes with a power supply with multiple patterns. The mic doesn't have any switches which give it a very clean professional appearance.

Quality:
Like I said before. The K2 has won the prestigious MIPA award for best mic in 2004. If you don't have a descent set of monitors or have any experience with the finest mics out there, you shouldn't rate this mic any less than a 9.

Value:
Considering that there are folks out there spending $25-$30k on a heavy used vintage mic makes the value of the K2 a joke. It's only $699 street and $999 MSRP. How can RODE do this...it beats me. And yes this mic comes with a nice hardshell carrying case. The cable that comes with it is worthless to me as I use Monster 1000.

Sound:
Here is the bottom line. This mic was the "Winner" of the 2004 MIPA award. The Rode K2 was voted the "Best Studio Microphone by 58" publications. I don't care if you have $30k to spend on a ELAM 251, you have to give this mic a try. It's warm and will not distort with it's huge 160 spl handling capability! I have used the C12 and U87 (which is pretty standard). This mic is somewhere in that catagory in terms of quality. This is by far the best voice mic for under $2000 right now.

Overall:
This is a great mic for anyone's cabinet.

Quality:
refer to the comment in the first section.Quality appears outstanding,as usual with all Rode products.The power supply on these mics is beautifully designed.The power supply on my ADK is embarasing.

Value:
There are good products,at much lower prices.This is a Great product at my price point.I've never been happier with a new purchase.

Desirability:
I prefer the NTK,kid of a Geffell UM57 look,or a more rounded to grill,like the Neumann U47.

Sound:
This is the mic I've been looking for for a few years now,it's got that big,Fat sound,with a detailed high frequency response,the kind you hear from mics four times it's price.It's also got the "juicy tube" mid-range burnish to it's tone. The proximity effect on this mic is akin to using a ribbon mic,when in fugure of 8 pattern,and is reduced as you dial it back towards omni.I would love to use this mic with a blue Grass band at a festival,because of it's sound,and the ability to dial in the perfect pattern for the ensemble. However,the first mic I recieved did not change polar patterns(this may be the problem the first gentlman who reviewed this mic had). The mic comes with a warning slip which reads,"do not unplug or plug in this mic with the power supply on,this could damage the microphone". This slip should be made out of RED paper,and tied onto the mic it self,instead of just being a small slip of white paper stuffed into the manual pouch,inside the very nice carrying cases pouch.I own a couple other inexpensive tube mics,one is a multi pattern Apex,the other,an ADK tube Cardioid.Neither of these mics has a problem with being unplugged while being powered up. I sent the malfunctioning unit back and recieved a whole new unit,I'm very pleased with Rodes' sevice so far.

Support:
I got a New mic right away,but no one responded to my email I sent to Rode customer support(that was over three weeks ago now)

Overall:
I hope this mic becomes a classic,I hope all the new gear I buy becomes a classic( I hate taking a beating when a person is forced to re-sell)

Feature:
The mike has everything you need execpt a roll off filter, the mike should be run through a good tube pre amp anyway just as any good mike should.

Quality:
The mike is made very well! factory support is amoung the best. I know , because I had a very small problem and they took care of it right away.the finish and fit is as good as a 5,ooo dollar mike.I would not use the mike on the road ,as you would not use any good mike out.this is a studio mike! and a very good one at that!

Value:
the product is worth 5 times the selling price,I know because I own a pro anolog studer 24 track machine and many other very exepensive mikes,along with about 150,000 dollars invested in my studio ,doing this now for about 35 years.

Desirability:
Well sex appeal really does not mean anything ,just the sound ,but If you need to know ,very sexy.The color is just beautiful,you can tell the mike is made very well.lets talk real turkey here, yhe mike for what it is ,well it is just a great mike!

Sound:
The sound of the mike for the money is fantastic! I have compared this mike with mikes costing three times the amount; sounds very close or as good as a u67AI ,and just blows away a 103,even better than a 414 tl2,I have all of these mikes. The mike works well with allmost any situation,the trick is to change the tube to a seimans.can"t get any better unless you spend 5,000 dollars!

Ease of Use:
The mike is very easy to get a good sound fast,don"t need much eq, that"s also the sign of a good mike.again just change the tube and this mike can stay right with the big boys!

Support:
Yes I have dealt with the company, easy to reach and very friendly. they solved the problem 1 2 3 . no warranty prolems at all.The company does not play games ,I had a very small prolem with the sound ,and the company sent me another new mike .no prolem at all!

Overall:
This mike I would not sell ,because it works so well with many different applications. bottom line is a am going to buy another one. You must understand that there is no perfect mike, you need many different mikes for many different applications,but again this mike fits into many of these .This is a proffestional mike!

Feature:
The K2 comes with everything you need to be well on your way. Heavy duty Power supply, sturdy shock mount, LONG 9-pin mic cable, and Heavy duty road case. You can't ask for more.

Quality:
Very sturdy construction. If you damaged this mic I would be amazed. Extremely high quality tube structure inside, and solid-crafted smooth metal on the outside. This thing will last forever...

Value:
As stated above, you CANNOT beat the value of this microphone. Anywhere.

Desirability:
Trust me- you will want to buy one after you finish reading my review and everyone elses on other sites.

Sound:
This mic aounds absolutely incredible. Bottom Line. You will not find a better mic within $500- honestly...We've been using this mic in our Pro Tools studio now for 4 months and it blows me away every time.

Support:
If you have to call Rode for any reason, they are excellent when it comes to customer service. The Mic also comes with a manufaturers warrant inside and registration.

Overall:
Thi mic is incrdible. from the time of purchase I knew I had something good. I was right. You will be astonished at the ease of use, sound quality, durability, and overall presence of this mic every time you hear it. Take my advice- BUY IT and let you musical dreams come alive!

Sound:
For the price the Rode K2 is one of the best microphones on the market. I put it head to head with a $1,000 multipattern mic and the K2 blew it out of the water. no joke.