Any USB/Ethernet controller suggestions?

[m_c]

how different can they really be.

Enough to be the difference between passing a noise/electrical emissions test, and not passing the test ;-)

There probably isn't that much difference, it's just you have to recover the costs involved somehow. CE/UL testing is not cheap, and then you have to factor in re-designs.

Plus what you're really paying for is the supply chain. I doubt Leadshine actually make that much more from the sale of an EM drive compared to an AM drive, it'll just be those buying AM drives are probably buying in far larger quantities than most European sellers. I'm sure if you asked Leadshine for a price of a couple thousand of each, you'd be surprised at how little price difference there would be.