I was referring to the SE 2200a.

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Microphone/product/sE+Electronics/SE2200a/10/1

Some of the Chinese mics are rubbish. There are some Chinese mics however that are pretty good for the money and for a fraction of the price compare well to top brand mics. Remember that we are talking about mics that cost a fraction of the price of their western counterparts. I agree about replacing some tubes and other parts to improve them is a great way to save money. At the end of the day it all boils down to personal preference, application, budget and how a mic suits each voice, situation and application. One thing for sure some of these mics may not be true Neumanns but some come close and cost peanuts in comparison.