How the hell could this thread get so far with no one mentioning the Shure Beta 52?
Okay, here's my opinion (please read OPINION). I own the Akd d112, Shure B52, Audix d6, and AT's AE2500 (new dual element). Yeah, it's an obsession. But I figure the kick is so important, you might as well have all the options to make it sound perfect.
-The d112 is cool because it can make any crappy drum sound decent and thump the chest a bit, but not very good for anything else.
-The B52 sounds much more 'true' to the drum, it won't hype a bad one very much. Also, I've had some odd low end feedback issues when using this mic live. But it's pretty frickin versitile, good on horns, cabs, I've tried it on a lot of stuff and it can be used on more than just kick. Definitely the best value, in my opinion.
-The D6 is a great mic, almost no EQ necessary to get the articulation and low end that most people enjoy. I've had good results recording and great results live. This one has only been around a few months but it's been my go-to lately.
-I just picked up
the AE2500 last week and haven't been able to give it a good try on kick. But man, it kicks some ass on guitar cab. This is the one with both a dynamic and condenser built into one mic. I'm looking forward to trying it on a session next week.
I've also tried an pro25 once. Maybe it was a bad gig or something, but I've never had any desire to try it again. Hopefully that helps.