dbx Model 165A
Not much survives in print about the dbx Model 165A, but the trade press of 1985 pins down the essentials. It was a mono compressor/limiter built around dbx's OverEasy compression. The ratio was continuously variable from 1:1 to infinity:1. It also had Peak Stop limiting, variable attack and release rates, a detector input, and the ability to strap two units together for stereo. Modern Recording (May 1985, p.41) ran it in new-product coverage at a $699 list price. A few months later, Recording Engineer (October 1985, p.208) noted that a less-expensive rival's output sounded just as smooth as the 165A's - a backhanded compliment - and confirmed the pricing: $699 mono, $1,398 for a stereo pair of two units.
Known from the record:
- Mono compressor/limiter with OverEasy compression
- Ratio continuously variable from 1:1 to infinity:1
- Peak Stop, variable attack and release, detector input
- Stereo strapping via two units
- List price: $699 (mono); $1,398 (stereo pair)
That's about where the documentation ends. The sources give no production years, no manual and no deeper service history. The 165A shows up mainly as a price-and-spec listing, not a heavily reviewed product. If you have a manual or a catalogue page, the archive would like a scan.
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