The Gator Frameworks ID series microphone stand is first class! First of all - it looks great!! Sometimes looks add that extra little bit - when you're on stage people will notice it. The base is solid and heavy enough that a decent weight mic can be used without fear that the whole thing will capsize while you're in the middle of a song. The shape of the base legs and the main cantilever on the boom are more flat than round. There is less worry that the mic will drop when you move the stand around. To open the base and the extensions on the boom, there is a locking lever rather than a screw mount. It is far more stable. The whole thing folds up for transporting - and an added bonus - not even mentioned in the description, is a very nice padded carrying case for the stand. A very small complaint, it would have been a bit better if the stand could fit in the case with the mic clip attached. It doesn't so you have to unscrew the clip to transport the stand. While an inconvenience, it was not big enough to lower the score - a "5" for sure!I've got numerous mic stands, but this is the one I'm going to use the most.***** Updated to mention that I bought a second one of these stands and it did NOT come with a case. I originally dropped the score by a point to a "4" with the absence of the case, but since the price came down a bit, this stand is really a good value - not cheap, but a very good mic stand!