I have used them and they are the best deal out there. I have 3 x 801's. The 801's are a closer fit to the Tram TR50. The 802's are more like the Sonotrim lavs. As far as the 801's are concerned they are virtually identical to the Trams, Voice Technologie's VT500 and Countryman EMW. Same response curves. One third the price. You can have them wired for any system you like and purchase an adapter to go direct XLR. You can also get most of the tie clip accessories for very cheap from them, including magnetic clips, vampire clips, double tie, windscreens etc. Lastly they have excellent handling noise ratings, so as far as I am concerned they are ideal. I know that a lot of Hollywood productions use them, when not working with the Sanken COS-11's because they are the least expensive way to mic a very large cast...

@yoclay yeah, I've just had a reply e-mail from OST. He too recommended OST801 for my taste, but refused to comment on their competitors' products. He also sent me the price-list PDF (see attachment below), but I can't make heads or tails of what's what and which accessories I would need for my direct OST801-to-ZoomH1 setup. Can you advise me?

Not even a telephone number that I could call to ask questions.

@pundit I had watched and Listened to that shootout video several times, which was one of the determining comparisson videos that set my heart on Tram TR-50. Rode Lav comes 2nd in my preferences out of these 4, but I might consider it if it was half the price of TR-50. Sanken COS11D may be the "industry standard" now, but I wouldn't touch it with a 6ft pole - it just doesn't sound right to me. And Sennheiser ME2, well that's just not for film and it definitely doesn't sound like cinema sound.

The strange thing is that there's nowhere on internet where you can hear OST801 audio. It's all about OST802

If you plan to record with the Zoom H1, the microphone's sensitivity should be an important factor when choosing a mic. The H1 does not have very high gain or low noise, which means you'll get a poor signal to noise ratio (audible noise and hiss) if you're not recording loud sounds or using a sensitive mic. For a lavalier and the H1, I'd suggest using nothing less sensitive than -35 dB re 1 Volt/Pascal, which mean you'll need something like the Sennheiser ME 2, ME 4, the Rode Lavalier, or the Rode Pinmic. Personally, I won't buy any microphone that doesn't have a sensitivity spec published by the manufacturer.

Going cheap on the recorder and pre-amp means you are quite constrained in which mics will work well. You need a high quality pre-amp if you want more choices of microphones.

My Oscar Sound Tech TL-40 just arrived today. I love it. Besides offering sound quality that outperforms everything else at its price point and gives far more expensive units a run for their money (I'm looking at you, Sanken and Countryman!), this manufacturer really goes the extra mile by including an ultra-rugged waterproof carrying case, essentially a mini Pelican. The microphone itself isn't quite as small as the Countryman B6, but it's definitely smaller than anything else I've seen.

I'd say the sound is warmer and richer on the Rode, but the OST has more dynamic range and can be made to sound as warm and rich with some work in post-production. The OST sounds very neutral. I really like the interchangeable connectors on the Rode, which could for some justify paying twice as much as for an OST.

@Sangye I'm getting more tempted to try out one of the Oscar Sound Techs especially as the price seems so reasonable. Has anyone done a direct comparison with the Sanken COS 11? I know my Rode is warmer than the Sanken but I'm thinking the Oscar Sound Tech TL-40 should obviously sound closer to the COS 11 than the Rode.

@Django How are you finding the Oktava MC 012? I assume it has the hyper capsule? I had issues with the handling noise and sensitivity to air movement and finally ended up with Rycote Invision shockmount and a Rycote Baby Ball Gag. Pretty much essential to keep the Oktava's handling noise under control IMO - See photo

Ok so this is an old post but audio doesn't really change right!

@balazer nailed it when he said that the secret was to get a mic with a high sensitivity due to the crappy noise floor of most sub $1000 recorder - H4N and Tascam DR100 mk2 seem to need a higher input level due to their not so great pre-amps.

@Django and others seem to like the Oscar Sound Tech TL-40 but is appears to have a pretty low sensitivity of about -56dB vs something like a Audio-Technica AT899 that has about -43dB (on phantom power) - that's huge about 2mv to 7 or so. Wondering how you are getting decent sound from the mic then? Also does Oscar Sound tech have any proper XLR mics that require phantom power? I believe phantom powered mics will always put out a hotter signal.

I am just looking to get a decent sounding lav for run and gun documentary work to feed into a noisy Tascam dr100 Mk2. Figured if I can get a nice high level into the recorder I can circumvent the noisy pre-amps at higher gains that everyone complains about.