The 160XT is probably the best-known of the classic dbx 160 compressors. The original 160 was a half-width 2U box and the 160X was the first of the familiar 1U dbx rack compressors. The 160XT is similar to the 160X but adds XLR connectors and some updates to the circuitry

The 160XT is simple with three controls: threshold, compression ratio and output gain. Threshold and output level are self-explanatory. Compression ratio is infinitely variable from 1:1 through 4:1, 8:1 all the way to ∞:1 and beyond, to negative ratios, where output decreases with input. This allows for some pretty extreme compression effects

The front panel has an Over Easy switch, to change the shape of the threshold knee, meter input / output switch, bypass switch and a slave switch for stereo linking. Metering is via two horizontal LED bargraphs, one for input or output level and one for gain reduction. Dynamics of the LED displays are excellent and it’s easy to see what the compressor is doing, even from a distance and under poor lighting conditions