Schoeps Stereo-Set MK 5

I did a lot of research before making an investment. Once arrived, i sat down with a pro audio and sceptical colleague and did lots of tests. The low self noise and transparency were clear from the start. Next to impress was the subtle capture of quiet sounds....but...importantly... they did this with no emphasis..or imbalance..the soundfield blended accurately. as such, placement requires some judgement and knowledge. Use your ears as well as your tech knowledge!
I used both omni and cardioid settings for close acoustic instruments, small ensembles and large choir and orchestra. With careful placement in the direct/reverberant field, i got very good results as a stereo pair in omni mode. so much so i will not now buy a special set of free field specified capsules for this type of work.
in my opinion, this is money very well spent and the mics can be used on a variety of sources and applications.