Earthworks Audio SR314

I was contemplating between the Earthworks Ethos and this one, and decided on the SR314 when I saw a review on YouTube by Curtis Judd. Apart from great audio quality, I saw the mic could be used as a boom microphone, meaning that I can have it some 30-40cm from my face and still get good proximity effect.
The biggest pluses:
1)
You don't lose so much low frequencies when moving away from the mic. Usually both dynamic and condenser mics suffer from this as soon as you move away a little. Don't get me wrong, you won't be able to move a meter away and expect loads of bases, but the proximity effect is smooth and you can find the sweet area where you can move freely and preserve a great audio. I've used the mic in my livestreams a lot, outside the frame, just a bit above my head and pointed at some 5cm from my mouth. Great results.
2)
It's built like a tank, feels great in the hand, great looks.
3)
It's fantastic for the live situations so I took it to gigs where I usually take my trusty SM58. Because of the great proximity effect I can move away a little when singing louder parts and my voice won't sound thinner all of a sudden.
You _will_ need to be careful when using close mounted floor monitors and if you'll have the PA speakers behind you, it is more prone to feedback than the SM58.
If you're asking yourselves "why would you stand in front of the PA...", the answer is that I'm a solo performer, usually playing small venues - not too much space and I need good monitoring. I'm using the BOSE L1 system and that's either behind me or a little to the side - that's why.
No worries though, with a good input gain and careful handling of the volume slider, it's a treat to use the SR314!

I never write reviews but in this case I feel the need to do after a month use: I use this mic in my studio and have tested it with our band in a live setting. Never heard such a clear and open sound from a microphone! Especially in the studio, if you close your eyes it's like if you listen directly to the person behind the mic without anything in between. I had expected high quality sound from Earthworks but this beats everything. I have used SE 2000A, Aston, AKG C414, Neumann TLM, Shure's etc. but nothing comes even close. Beautiful flat response in the complete audio spectrum! Also live, being a condenser mic, it has no feedback! Building quality is exceptional; beautiful and robust. After a recording the sound is already so good that it needs hardly any (or no) EQ. I can recommend this mic to everyone without any hesitation. The only problem is that all my other mics are not used anymore for recordings. Thanks Earthworks for such an great studio and live microphone! OK, it's not cheap but worth every penny. Read also the review in SoundOnSound to get the bigger picture. Highly recommended !!

Returning to live singing after a series of major joint replacements I decided I wanted a microphone that would let me be myself on stage, let my real voice come across with nuance, ease, power and accuracy. If this sounds like a tall order it's not too much of an ask... I can sing pretty well have albums to my name with Warner, BMG etc (mostly mellow pop, jazz, torch song, cross over stuff) ... When the microphone arrived I was really taken by its looks (too flash? just right?)... but everything fell in place once I started singing with it. It has a way of melting away and allowing myself to just focus on getting the song, the phrases, the emotion across.
It's startling in how close it gets to what I think is my real voice (just straight into the desk at a live gig or straight into my RME in my studio, with no EQ or effects)... I haven't done a big band on stage with it so I don't know how it holds up in terms of feedback with a drummer plus percussionist right behind you...
but for my style of mellow to slightly upbeat 5 piece sets it's a revelation and godsend.
Not the most forgiving of microphones but a real singer's companion, work tool, weapon even on stage... AND in the recording studio.
I've yet to put it through its paces on recording other than voice, but I can imagine it doing very well on cello, flutes and other melody instruments.
The real thing.