t.bone SCT 2000 Review: A $200 Tube Mic That Robs the Industry

A $200 large-diaphragm tube condenser with a real 12AX7B tube, nine polar patterns, gold-sputtered diaphragm, and a sound that competes with mics 3-5x the price.

Verdict: Recommended - 8.1/10. Price: $235.

What's good

Real, user-replaceable 12AX7B vacuum tube inside the mic

1.07" gold-sputtered large-diaphragm capsule

Nine selectable polar patterns from the PSU

Full all-metal build - no plastic anywhere

All-metal external power supply with tactile selector

High-quality 7-pin cable - long and flexible

Premium full-metal shock mount with spare elastics

Hard-shell case with precision foam fits everything

Worth knowing

Needs external PSU - not a plug-and-play mic

Self-noise of 16dB is good but not pro-grade quiet

Not a true U87 killer - similar tier as WA-47/Aston

Tube needs warmup time

Large footprint - shock mount takes up space

Sound character can be too smooth for clinical work

Read the full t.bone SCT 2000 review on The Audio Stuff