But you raise a good point. There is definitely a place for an active DI. I happen to have two of those as well, which I bought based on a high recommendation from someone here (sorry, I don't remember who exactly. Maybe his first name was Russ, and he was based out of New York somewhere?)
Anyway, they are a nifty little box from ART, which is a tube based active DI. It has both 1/4 inch and XLR ins and outs, so it is very versatile. The tube allows for a bit of overdrive if you want, with that great tube warmth.
I consider it to be more of a preamp than a DI, at least that is how I have used it. It is really good if you have a weak signal and need to boost it up.
The price was amazing: around $30. I'd have to look up the exact model name.