Such a great time to be alive debating this after bouncing tape 30 years ago. My opinion is get the best creative workflow. All the current interfaces sound amazing and operate at high spec on pc or Mac. Rme has always ruled the market for past generation gear and stability but I think most manufacturers have a new bar to keep up with. UA hasn't but will because of market pressure. Slate vrs8 is pushing the envelope of prosumer interfaces and plugs as well as mic emulations. Apogee has always sounded the best to me on the AD/DA side but I've never owned or purchased their products. I'm a musician before I'm an audio engineer so I'm more intrigued with UA and Slate right now. The price of plugs on sale is worth it if you demo for free and get them on sale with coupons.