Palmer PAN 01

Whilst the Palmer DI is certainly not the cheapest on the market, the build quality of their products renders it one of the best value. Compared to the far more common Behringers, this is like a tank. Sturdy, compact and with some excellent input components that not only secure well but give the impression they won't start crackling at the first droppage.
It fulfills all the roles you expect of your standard DI box and won't set your world alight, but especially in the live environment, when you don't want to run back and forth changing faulty DI units, they have never let us down and seem likely to have some life left in them yet.

I bought the Palmer PAN 01 to install it in my home studio. I have been using it, to plug in my guitar, run it straight in my interface via the XLR-Output and connect my amplifier to the link out. Featuring a -30db- and a groundlift-switch, it delivers everything you expect from a passive DI-Box and it worked fine. Just one of those little pieces of gear, you do not hear, but make your life a bit easier. Then, after two years of usage, the inputjack broke, so i had to change it. Remember, that i did not use it for heavy gigging or something like this, just to plug my guitar in, while sitting next to it. So i cannot give more than two stars for the quality.

I've been using the same Palmer passive DIs at local gigs and since I bought them over 3 years ago and they show no sign of packing in anytime soon. Very rugged little boxes that have faired very well despite weekly use at rock and roll shows.

They sound good line level instruments such as keyboards and sequencer tracks, but fare less well with low level passive instruments which is to be expected with a passive DI. The ground lifts do what they should as do the pads, although at times I've found the single 30db switch a little excessive and would have preferred the option of 2 separate 20db pads instead.

Very dependable, rock solid and handy if your desk is having any phantom power issues. For hi-Z instruments I would recommend the active version.

I use this Passive D.I for live vocals at the end of a guitar pedal chain so that when it's going back into the desk the sound man doesn't have to struggle with trying to compensate for the low volume of the mic going through guitar pedals alone and at the same time eliminating unwanted feedback.
Apparently Mic's and guitars have different impedances.

Like I said I don't know much about about anything but I know that paired with a Shure A85F this does exactly what I needed it to do.
Cut's out feedback and helps the sound man mix my live vocals within my performances.

It's a simple design, very light, maybe too light... suspiciously light actually. Could be a problem in the long run getting beaten up by tours but only time will tell.

Can't complain though.. Cheap as chips.