SNR is better here. So any of you folks have some recommendations for ribbons that are unusually good for the price? Some AEA's and such might be great, but beyond my budget. The only ribbons I have are some Avantone CR-14's which have inflated in price quite a bit since I purchased them. So let us keep it under $1k for the budget, and something half that would be better. Are there some sleeper ribbons mics out there?
What is the use case? "SNR is better here"—are you saying you're looking for a ribbon mainly for SNR? What are you using for a pre? They are quiet, but need a lot of boost. I'm not sure if you win on SNR (I'm literally not sure, I'd need to check). Dynamics are quieter than LDCs, but generally lose due to the gain needed.
Royer R10 is very popular, at $599. My buddy picked one up a couple of months ago for guitar amp mic'ing in a Silent Sister (enclosed cabinet). I've heard vocals on one that sounded pretty good, though it's not marketed for that.
I have an old Beyer M500 from the '80s, haven't used it in decades but it's a different animal. I demo's several AEAs at this past NAMM Show, sounded smooth and mellow, of course at huge $$$$. I'm more inclined to LDCs (I have Soyuz, AKG, Lauten).
Best bet for discussion is one of the dedicate musician and pro audio forums, of course. People love discussing mics (including myself). Are you close to any place where you can try mics out? If not there are [edit: got cut off...picking back up...] places that will ship for 2-week or 30-day trials, have to pay shipping if you don't keep.