Strooth... I spent under 300 buh on some old pres, that sound nice, oh soz, sound better than my previous unit's do. Sheet, did I use the apostrophe correctly? But seriously, thankyou for the excellent response.
One thing to consider is that people only know what they know...and rarely do they know what they don't know.
I would never suggest to someone who just started recording to go buy a $3000 mic or preamp...but unless you at some point have access to many of the other available toys out there, and many of the other options...and you are able to make a lot of hands-on comparisons *over time*, not just a quick A/B of a couple of sound files that someone else posted on the internet or from something you read on a forum...
...you will not get a clear picture of what is what and why, or come to understand the differences between the low budget stuff and more high-end gear, or the reasons to use one or the other in a given situation.
You can do a lot with a basic home rec setup...WAY more than people could 20-30 years ago...but I see too many guys convincing themselves that they've reached the pinnacle of what they can do with what they have, and that there's no reason to consider anything beyond that. Much of that on home rec forums is driven purely by budget. I can't afford it...therefor I don't meed it, it's useless, it's hype, etc...etc.
Maybe not the best analogy...but it's like cars to some degree.
You can get from point A to B with a budget vehicle. Many even have a lot of creature features that use to only be found in very expensive cars. Heck, you can even do 80 mph and drive in all kinds of weather with that same budget vehicle. It does what it's supposed to do.
Yet...many people want the Audi or the BMW or what have you...and I'm certain most anyone that gets one, will know where the money went after they get behind the wheel of an expensive car....but, if they only ever have/drive that budget vehicle, they will not see beyond it. Also...there's differences in the build quality, the resale value, the maintenance needs and let's not forget, the driving experience, which goes a long way toward personal satisfaction.
Nothing wrong with budget vehicles...I've driven my share...just making the point that perspectives change when you really experience other/new things, rather than just talking about them.
Not sure where home recording was defined as only low budget recording.
Make the best with what you have, what you can afford...and don't ever think you've hit your highest mark.
Leave something to shoot for.