for me personally? my soundcard journey:

     Turtle Beach Tropez+ (I wrote the driver)

     Hoontech something or other (the last interface to do multi-open in hardware - 16 or 32 subdevices!)

     RME Hammerfall 9652 (I rewrote the driver, thanks Winfried)

     RME Digiface

     RME HDSP 9652

           .... RME Fireface 400 (used on a Mac Mini)

     MOTU Ultralite AVB

I'd rather be using RME+PCI still, but the form factor of computers I use now (mini-ATX etc) doesn't allow it. The MOTU is a solid device, and nearly as flexible as the *amazing* fireface 400, but MOTU+USB is never going to warm my heart in the same way as the various RME devices did.