[Ethan Winer]

Marc,

I am hearing that converters are about the same. Like average home DA
converters on CD/DVD players. Boards are about the same. Even mic preamps
are reasonably similar. That the key differences are software, controls and
connectors?

Most "gear" is close enough audibly to not matter unless it's really crap.
Speakers vary a lot, and microphones vary a lot, and even room treatment
varies a lot. With everything else it's more a matter of price, features,
build quality and durability, the manufacturer's guarantee, and for some
folks even brand name cachet is important.

--Ethan