500 bucks.
DBX 376 Tube Channel Strip?
No ones idea of "the best". It is "decent sounding", lots of knobs, buttons and switches, includes digital output. Nice.
I have one. It's more than paid for itself(Many times...).
I will replace it as soon as I can.
I will likely go with a John Hardy pre(Around a grand). I'm not ready for a multi-thousand dollar pre, I don't have the mics for it, the room for it, the clients to pay for it, nor am I, likely, worth it.
The JH, will be my "base" pre - the one I will, then, "measure" all others with. Solid state, few "adjustments", fewer features. Just "a pre" --- a v-e-r-y good pre.
I may invest, at some point, in a "real" channel strip - like something in a Pendulum audio(Which includes many tubes)? It will cost above 500 bucks.
If one races with Ferrari's, one needs a Ferrari - or a miracle.
If you're racing with Fords, you need a Ford. Easy!
If 500 bucks is all you have to spend and you can't wait to save up(Or know you don't need too, at least not yet), go with a straight, feature-less pre, almost any one in that price range. At least hope that most of the money has gone into the pre. The channel strips(Including the DBX) MUST compromise on everything, after all it's only 500 bucks. There are LED meters that cost 4 times 500 bucks(The DBX has 4 "led meters" that couldn't have cost more than, what, a buck apiece? To say nothing of compressor/EQ/De-esser/A/D converter and all those switches and buttons and knobs. YES, they are surprisingly "good" in the DBX(And others of that ilk, I'm sure), but how good could they be? The whole thing only costs 500 bucks.
Get the most for the least. NOT!
Get "the least" you need and spend "the most" you possibly can for it!
There you go,
TG