How much do you want to spend? Are you willing to shop and buy used? Are you willing to buy sound-unheard?
The how much to spend question determines whether you're looking for under-priced gems, like those often mentioned here, or whether you're looking for mics that have stayed on recording engineers' actual "these are the mics I use" lists for years at a time (not that those lists need to be mtutally exclusive, but it sometimes seems that Marshall is hot one month, then ADK, then Rode, then Studio Projects, then something else, but these new mics tend to bump one another as soon as the next one is reviewed, and it may take a little while to determine which ones become the future classics -- I'm betting on Rode and Studio Projects at this point, because both are directed by people who are passionate about sound -- but I'm a newbie, don't forget!).
I live in a small town in rural northern California, about 300 miles from anywhere. Auditioning mics at stores or studios is not an option for me. I have to be willing to buy used (or at least cheap), based on reviews, in hopes that I'll like what I hear and/or be able to re-sell it without taking too much of a loss.
In the range between the $250 mic and $1900 mic, you might want to consider some of the following:
Audio Technica AT4060 (tube mic with power supply), AT4050CM, and AT4033. There's
the AKG Solid Tube and C414 B-ULS and transformerless C414 TLII that you mention.
The Shure KSM 44 and
KSM 32 are worth looking at.
The ElectroVoice RE 20 is a dynamic radio broadcast mic that is also used effectively by some singers. The incredibly accurate Earthworks omnis, especially
the QTC-1, if you want to record what you actually hear. Depending on your application, the smaller element condensers from Neumann, are mid-priced mics, as is the M-147, a cardiod tube mic with power supply and shockmount that comes complete for about $1300 on the web. The Sennheiser 421 in all its iterations remains a classic. In miniature condensers, I'd look for used Countryman and DPA mics.
If you live somewhere where you can audition mics, then that's the best way to go. If you can, try some of the more expensive mics from a manufacturer before trying their less-expensive ones. It will help you decide if they've retained the qualities you hopefully liked about their better models.
Best wishes and be sure to let everyone hear know about what you find that works well for you.
Mark H.