Over all all the high end gear will fit nicely in the mix when it's in a position where it should be used or misused. This would be the same with any inexpensive piece of gear also.
Remember these things...
Higher end gear is more dedicated to it's purpose in general. On a LA2A
as a example you have a input gain, Output adjustment, Limit or Compressor setting and a switch for what's shown on the VU and thats it..
LA-2A
Where the following common low end compressors (which some of you may have) have many controls and can be seen as difficult to get a good sound out of because of the many controls.
DBX 166XL alesis 3630
Most high end gear use transformer to electrically isolate itself which typically provide coloration from the transformers design and distortion (in a good way). The down side of this is you can try to pump a transformer with a puny line amp that don't have the ballz to drive the transformer so you don't get the same Mojo that you would find from the hot output of a nice Mic Pre.
Kaz