My son is a musician and we wanted to get him a microphone for the holidays.  After a lot of research and emails with his band conductor we settled on the Shure SM57-X2U.  It was right in our price range, but didn't scrimp on quality of sound.  The bundle we purchased included a table top stand, cover and cables - a great package for the money!  As many musicians (and their parents) know, quality of the final product is most important and we are impressed.  He immediately started using it for auditions, online postings, and school work and we have been surprised at how well it records.  It is very user friendly and very durable (we all know how hard teenagers can be on things).  The mic also has its own carrying bag which makes it safe during transport to a variety of locations.  If you are looking for good quality and great sound at a fantastic price, then the Shure microphone is the one you have been looking for!