The posts keep referring to the dbx 286 but up top it refers to the 376. The 376 is a channel strip with compression, EQ, de esser and digital outs. I have this pre amp myself and the issue concerning the drive control seems to be accurate. At first I did not like the unit becuase I thought it did sound a bit brittle but then started to use it without turning up the drive past 12 o'clock and in fact, turning it closer to 9 or 10 o'clock and found it to be rather good sounding.
I do not consider myself any expert in these matters and I do very little recording through mics but, the little bit I have done with the dbx sounded pretty good.
Ultimately I think that these types of comparison poles are of little use and of dubious value since there is very little by way of controlled comparison going on. Therefore, the entire matter is subjective and as pointed out, most people vote what the have, not whether they truly believe it is better as a decision they have arrived at through extensive comparison testing. The only reference to comparison testing was from the person who compared the dbx to much higher end pieces and found that the dbx held its own.
The final factor that renders such comparisons and poles less than accurate based on objective findings is the source material variable. Certain mics might fare better with certain pre-amps though the pre and the mic may, in their own right, be quite good or competent gear.
One other thing to consider is this, for the most part, we do not know who is posting on this site. We have very little , knowledge of who is writing these posts so their opinions should be viewed with healthy skepticism. Unfortunately, that may not always be the case. For instance, before learning enough about the subject, I jumped in and purchased
a dbx 376. The reason was in part that I needed a pre with phantom power for vocal recording. I first purchased an ART tube thingy, that little box though I do not recall the model number. Anyway, there was some probelm with it and I brought it back. While at the store, I noticed this dbx and that it had so many more features and, though much more expensive, I bought it.
After getting the dbx, I began to visit this site and saw the dbx getting panned. I was saddened becuase I thought I made the wrong choice and this colored my opinion of the dbx way more than the dbx colored the sound of the source material. But, becuase of my natural desire to believe that I was smart enought to have made the right choice and the fact that the information on this site tended to tell me otherwise, I was embarassed about my purchase and thought the dbx was no good. I did not even try to make it sound good.
Ultimately, I realized that this particular dbx unit was perfectly okay, found out how to get a good sound out of it and, frankly, I thinnk it provided good quality for the price and has some features that are very good such as the compression section, the digital outs etc.
The moral is, if you are going to part with you hard earned cash on gear that you will likely live with for a long, long time, you can read what is here and use the information but, take it all with a grain of salt and do not forget that ultimately, as has been said by many people on this site, you own ears are the only true deciding factor. If you like the sound, then it sounds good and it is that simple.