This thread kind've got lost discussing relative pricing. I have no direct experience with Rode Classic, for the same reason relatively few U.S. recording people do. It's simply $1500-1600 U.S. street price. For that, you really have to prove that the mic is damn good. I think that makes it a little like Solidtube, which was initially hyped and overpriced, but now is a quite attractive mic at its price point.
For what you Aussie's pay for a Rode Classic, I'd consider it as a vocal option. For muchos dinero, I think my mic budget can be better spent. For the price of that Classic II, I could own a B.L.U.E. Dragonfly, *and* a Neumann TLM103! Supply and demand strikes again.
At our price point, it's correct that NTK and T-3 go head to head, with the underated Solidtube lurking in the shadows. T-3 is versatile, with pads and bass cut, multipolar. NTK is a cardioid mic with no doodads that sounds very good on a lot of people. Rode Classic II is a mic that either has to do a lot of convincing, or some price adjustment. I'll take the German capsule, thank you.-Richie