Thanks Paul and Fellows.
Very interesting to share experiences, and uses.
Noisy backgrounds have the benefit to cover the self noise of this kind of preamps. I'd be curious to listen the same test in quiet environment. And compare dynamics and transients between Beachtek and Sound devices.
MKH60/50/40 would be my choice if I had to use a low budget preamp: high sensitivity, roll-off filter switch, -10dB attenuation switch.
MKH60 is more forgiving than the MKH416 when the boom has to move from one person to another. I mean, transition from in to off-axis is softer than the 416. Despite this I prefer the 416.
Plus, MKHs are very reliable in wet environement, I've experienced that in South Asia: where my Schoeps were - temporarily - unusable (ccm4+8, cmc6.4 and cmc6.41), MKHs were still operationals.
Since I've used DPA 4060 and 4061, I don't go back to TRAM mics with pleasure...
Here is another sound comparison to add DPA and Schoeps mics to the list (too bad they didn't show the mic placement and recording equipment):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=razdOs_SdWM
-I think it's Swedish spoken-