I have not specifically used the Hosa patchbay, but my experiences with Hosa cables have been pretty bad. I have had plenty of Hosa cables go bad over the years. I have even had some go bad that were only patched once and were just sitting there bridging equipment. Personally, I would be surprised to find that the Hosa patchbay was really any better than the Behringer. On the real cheap side of things, the only really cheap patchbays I have had any luck with ar AP audio ones, but I have rarely kept them installed for long enough or with enough use to really know what their longevity is like, and always had them installed where patching would be kept to a minimum.
As far as the Switchcraft goes, the jacks are better, the wiring is better, and the flexibility as far as normalling and re-routing internally is better. I agree completely that $800+ is pretty expensive for a HR patchbay. The switchcraft that you were looking at almost undoubtedly is a TT style patchbay, especially if it has 96 points. The DB25 connectors on the back can be a real time and space saver, assuming your gear is set up in a way that will easily allow the use of either DB25 to DB25 cables, or DB25 to custom config cables. One problem with DB25 cables is that they are much harder to repair. The advantage however in this area is that they seem to need repairs much less often. In fact, I have never had a DB25 cable fail, at least not at the DB25 end, and this is assuming a decent DB25 connector as well. My console's patchbay has 65 DB25 connectors on the back. I have yet to have a problem that tracks back to the DB25 part of the cables I use. Keep in mind also that if you do end up with a TT style patchbay, TT cables are typically more expensive then standard 1/4" patch cables, but it is nice to be able to fit twice as many patch points in half the space. Generally, TT patchbays and cables are considered higher quality.
As for the Neutrik and DBX patchbays. I feel that the Neutriks are probably the best compromise between quality, flexibility, and longevity. The cost about double what the really cheap offerings do, but seem to last longer. The jacks don't wear out as quick, the plug operation seems smoother, the cards go in and out easier, and they still seem to last. The DBX patchbays also seem to last well, but the cards seem to really have a problem when you start changing their functions, they are not as intuitive, and the plastic nutting scheme is not very well implemented so they constantly strip or loosen. If you really need what seems to be a solid patchbay for low cost, you could also look into an older Tascam or even Fuhriman. There are plenty of them out there, but especially if you are buying used, pay close attention to the type of patchbay. There are plenty of older ones out there that are unbalanced 1/4", or even RCA (especially with the Tascam's). If you can find a good deal on a used ADC patchbay, you will have a great solid start. ADC and Switchcraft seem to be the two brands that the big studios implement the most often.
