Avoid the cheaper TLA stuff though.

UAD card is amazing - i've done back to back tests with the real Urei kit and it's hard to tell the difference.

Mind you the 1176 was op-amp or transistor based I think, the LA-2 emulation is of a valve unit.

I really really want to hear the distressor.

Could be worth picking up a copy of the A/B CD though and seeing what you think, there's not an enormorus difference between high-end tube and solid state compressors (unless you overdrive them a bit...)