Short answer
Both are audio interfaces, $329 against $349.
The M-Audio AIR 192|14 reaches 100 dB on 563 of the 567 models here, the Steinberg UR44C on 558.
| Specification | M-Audio AIR 192|14 | Steinberg UR44C |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 160 mW | 80 mW |
| Power into 150Ω | 34 mW | 27 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 17 mW | 13 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 8.5 mW | 6.7 mW |
| Output impedance | not published | not published |
| Output noise | not published | not published |
| Price | $329 | $349 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 563 | 558 |
Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.
| Load | M-Audio AIR 192|14 | Steinberg UR44C |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Published | Derived |
| 150 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 600 Ω | Derived | Derived |
Only one of these two columns starts from a power rating. M-Audio AIR 192|14 publishes one at 32 Ω; Steinberg UR44C publishes none at any of these four loads, so its column is worked out from power it published at other loads. Both are arithmetic on a maker’s own figures rather than guesses, and the method used for the Steinberg UR44C understates rather than flatters — but at 32 Ω is the only load here at which its maker can be held to a figure.
5 headphones reach 100 dB on the M-Audio AIR 192|14 but not on the Steinberg UR44C — Moondrop COSMO, Moondrop PARA 2, Moondrop VENUS, 2 more.
558 of the 567 models here reach 100 dB on both.
Headroom is at a 100 dB SPL peak.
The widest gap on the list is the HiFiMAN HE400se: M-Audio AIR 192|14 has +12 dB of headroom there against +9 dB. 3 dB is twice the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
The hiss columns are empty for M-Audio AIR 192|14 and Steinberg UR44C because neither maker publishes no output noise figure.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | M-Audio AIR 192|14 headroom | Steinberg UR44C headroom | M-Audio AIR 192|14 hiss | Steinberg UR44C hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +31 dB | +28 dB | not published | not published |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +11 dB | +8 dB | not published | not published |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +20 dB | +19 dB | not published | not published |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +15 dB | +14 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +12 dB | +9 dB | not published | not published |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +8 dB | +7 dB | not published | not published |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +4 dB | +3 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | +2 dB | +1 dB | not published | not published |
The Steinberg UR44C costs $20 more than the M-Audio AIR 192|14, and on these three axes the money buys nothing: among the 567 models here there is not one that the Steinberg UR44C handles and the M-Audio AIR 192|14 does not — not on power, not on the one-eighth rule, not on hiss. The traffic runs the other way: the cheaper M-Audio AIR 192|14 drives 5 models to 100 dB that the Steinberg UR44C does not.
Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.
Each in full: M-Audio AIR 192|14 and Steinberg UR44C.