A/D and D/A converters- Arturia Audiofuse vs. ???

[dsoupz]

I currently own an Arturia Audiofuse studio, which I am generally pleased with. It has Adat and tons of ins and outs.

I want to record an acoustic album and went down the rabbit hole of A/d converter chips. The Audiofuse Studio has an "AK5578 EN" A/D chip. I am wondering how this chip compares to the RME Fireface UCX II which has the following chips-"AD is AK5558, DA is AK4458". Would the RME be a downgrade from my current setup? Most users praise the RME lines, but they have inferior a/d chips than much cheaper interfaces.

Would it be an upgrade from the Arturia Audiofuse Studio to the Fireface UCX II? Most people state that it isn't "just the A/d chip that gives you the sound".

Please give me your informed opinions!

How do these interfaces compare with a Metric Halo or Lynx Aurora (n)?

I'd like to get the best a/d converter as I have decent outboard preamps to use.

 

[voodooless]

The AK5578 is about 6 dB better than its cheaper brother in SNR and THD. Both are 100+ SINAD. In practice I would assume very little or no audible difference. So I would not upgrade just for the chip. Better look at the other features and decide if they are worth the upgrade.