Lynx Aurora(n) vs RME Fireface UFX II

Short answer

  • More power: the Lynx Aurora(n), with 1.30 W into 32 Ω; the RME Fireface UFX II has 200 mW. The Lynx Aurora(n) drives 3 headphones to 100 dB that the RME Fireface UFX II cannot (Moondrop PARA, Symphonium Crimson, Symphonium Titan).
  • Hiss with sensitive IEMs: cannot be compared — neither maker publishes a noise figure.
  • Price: the Lynx Aurora(n) costs $700 more; what that buys on these numbers is set out further down, under What the price difference buys.

Both are audio interfaces, $3499 against $2799.

The Lynx Aurora(n) reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 models here, the RME Fireface UFX II on 564.

Every published figure, next to each other

SpecificationLynx Aurora(n)RME Fireface UFX II
Power into 32Ω1.3 W200 mW
Power into 150Ω277 mW43 mW
Power into 300Ω138 mW21 mW
Power into 600Ω69 mW11 mW
Output impedancenot published2 Ω
Output noisenot publishednot published
Price$3499$2799
Headphones it reaches 100 dB on
out of 567
567564

Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.

Where each power figure comes from

LoadLynx Aurora(n)RME Fireface UFX II
32 ΩUpper boundPublished
150 ΩUpper boundDerived
300 ΩUpper boundDerived
600 ΩUpper boundDerived

These two columns are not the same kind of number, and that matters more than the gap between them. RME Fireface UFX II publishes a power rating (at 32 Ω); Lynx Aurora(n) publishes no power figure at any load, only a maximum output voltage, so every milliwatt in its column is a ceiling worked out from that voltage.

A ceiling assumes the amplifier holds that voltage into the load, and nothing on Lynx Aurora(n)’s own sheet says it does. It is the most flattering reading available, and it is used here only because the alternative is a blank. Where the Lynx Aurora(n) column looks the stronger of the two, treat the difference as unproven rather than measured. 24 of the 280 sources here are in that position, with no published power rating at any load.

What the labels mean.

The headphones that tell them apart

3 headphones reach 100 dB on the Lynx Aurora(n) but not on the RME Fireface UFX II — Moondrop PARA, Symphonium Crimson, Symphonium Titan.

564 of the 567 models here reach 100 dB on both.

Headroom and hiss on 8 models, both sources

Headroom is at a 100 dB SPL peak.

The widest gap on the list is the Sennheiser HD 600: Lynx Aurora(n) has +13 dB of headroom there against +5 dB. 8 dB is about 6.5 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.

The hiss columns are empty for Lynx Aurora(n) and RME Fireface UFX II because neither maker publishes no output noise figure.

HeadphoneImpedanceNeedsLynx Aurora(n) headroomRME Fireface UFX II headroomLynx Aurora(n) hissRME Fireface UFX II hiss
Shure SE8469 Ω0.04 mW+40 dB+32 dB dampingnot publishednot published
Campfire Audio Andromeda 20209 Ω4.0 mW+20 dB+12 dB dampingnot publishednot published
Audeze LCD-2 Classic70 Ω0.79 mW+29 dB+21 dBnot publishednot published
Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω)250 Ω0.63 mW+24 dB+16 dBnot publishednot published
HiFiMAN HE400se25 Ω7.9 mW+21 dB+13 dBnot publishednot published
Audio-Technica ATH-R70X470 Ω1.6 mW+17 dB+9 dBnot publishednot published
Sennheiser HD 600300 Ω6.6 mW+13 dB+5 dBnot publishednot published
HiFiMAN Susvara60 Ω50 mW+11 dB+3 dBnot publishednot published

The gap in dollars, against the gap in numbers

The Lynx Aurora(n) costs $700 more than the RME Fireface UFX II. Out of the 567 models here, that difference buys 3 more models driven to 100 dB.

Nothing runs the other way: there is no axis here on which the cheaper of the two does better.

Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.

Both pages in full

↑