I just shipped a Rode NT1-A to Michael Joly at Octavamod.com to do his magic installing the U87 capsule. I've heard the "Rode U87" compared to a Neumann U87 (A/B'd at a friends studio I was visiting), and the only outright difference I could tell was that the Rode had a much lower noise floor.
I took the ProTools session home and listened to it over, and over, and over... my monitors (Prodipe ribbons), headphones, my home stereo (Onkyo w/JBL speakers). If there is any difference (other than the noise floor) it's that the Rode U87 is actually a bit less sibilant than the Neumann. I have every intent to do this comparison again once I get my Rode U87 because I don't actually believe what I've heard.
When you consider... a brand new NT1-A is $200 (with cable, shock-mount, pop-filter, and XLR-cable), and the Joly mod runs you $379... it kind of becomes a no brainer.
Of course, I also have a Shure SM7B, an AKG C414-XLII, Shure SM4033, and a Blue-Bluebird, all as my "higher end" vocal mics. The 414 has been my "go-to" mic for a while, and I like the unique character of the Bluebird. But... we'll see how all this goes once I get the Rode U87.
How's THAT for a wrench in the works?
Chip
p.s. oh... and I have SM58's, SM57's, a couple ribbons, 2 complete drum-kits (Shure, and Audix), etc, etc, etc. I can't get the mic list to stop growing...