The dbx 161vu is unbalanced, while the 160vu is balanced. The actual circuitry otherwise is the same, I believe. A qualified tech can turn a 161 into the equivalent of a balanced 160 without a lot of hassle.

is it worth to try?

Its definitely worth trying out. If you already know what a dbx 160 sounds like, then it will be familiar to you. Without getting it modified to operate balanced at +4 level, it would be hard to directly compare it to a 160.

i never worked wit h a 160VU before but i ve been reading alot of stuff about it...do you think that the fact that the 161 its unbalanced going to be in detriment of the sound? i mean...is it that diferent form the 160?

Depending on your setup, yes. Since its unbalanced and set for -10dB consumer level, it would not be good for working with balanced, +4dB equipment. If you mainly have other consumer equipment (unbalanced, -10dB level), then it will be a better fit.

Sending it something from a balanced source at +4, the levels will be too hot for the 161, and then returning it from the 161 to something else that is balanced, the output of the 161 will be too low. Basically, it will screw up proper gain staging, thereby either losing headroom, increasing the noise floor, or both.