Does your DAC sound better through the S/PDIF or I2S inputs than through USB?

No it is not a general pattern.

USB is almost always the pathway that can take the and transfer toe most data so yes that is just a worse USB implementation on the Gustard.

Also why not just get a USB C interconnect. They're not expensive. Just something like this - https://www.amazon.com/USB-Cable-one-Officially-CableDirect/dp/B09NNMP48Whttps://www.amazon.com/ZeroneTeck-Monitor-Transfer-Charging-MacBook/dp/B0DBLWBPT7

 @magon 

It’s an apples to oranges comparison because the SPDIF connection goes through the U18 that may be providing a better clock, galvanic isolation, etc.  Also may obviously be affected by differences in quality between your SPDIF and USB cables.  The R26 is a good DAC and the Gugnir may just be a sideways move and think you’d need to go to a Yggy to get a meaningful improvement, but at that level you might also consider the Denafrips Pontus 15th as well.  If I was you I’d try this HDMI cable — I use this between my DDC and DAC BTW to good effect — for about 7 bucks (for a 1 foot cable which is what you want to keep the i2S connection as short as possible, which is important) and see if the i2S connection makes a noticeable improvement, and if it does you might consider getting a better HDMI cable from DH Labs, etc. at some point.  Just some thoughts FWIW.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24182

My take is there are no universal rules in regard to interfaces, each situation unique. One should research the quality of each interface on both streamer and dac, then try to match the two. Generally we find usb is the de facto interface these days, this based on some faulty assumptions IMO. I2S is the native signal path within dacs so why would we want to detour through a usb board when an I2S interface would be the most direct path. The most often given reason for not providing I2S interface is I2S clock not designed for external connection to dac's internal I2S data path. This is true, reflections on I2S cable can cause some amount of jitter, this is reason to keep I2S/HDMI cable short as possible. So, in considering using I2S interface we much consider some trade offs, the extra amount of jitter using external clock vs dac's internal I2S architecture. Assuming we're using DDC to accomplish this, one has to compare the quality of clock and power supply to that clock in DDC vs dac. Specifically, does the clock and power supply to that clock in DDC with the possible added jitter outperform dac's internal I2S clock and power supply. I'd posit a DDC with quality OXCO clock and power supply is likely to outperform a TXCO or Femto dac clo ck virtually every time, this even with the small amount of added jitter via DDC. And when comparing to usb one should also consider the advantages of discrete runs for data and clock using I2S/HDMI.

So the above assumes dac even provides I2S interface.  Minus that, usb is not a bad interface, many dacs have very nice usb boards and quality streamers also have very nice usb interface. Another consideration with using I2S, interface INTO DDC is of extreme importance as well, this means usb for many, so don't scrimp on usb even if using I2S. Bottom line, best interface highly variable.

@soix 

Good points.

My USB and Coax cables are both very good custom jobs by Igor Kuznetsoff of the NJAS, about the best cables can be. I'm not sure the DAC takes the clock from its SPDIF inputs.

I've tried the DAC with two different DDCs now: the U18 ($500) and the iFi iLink (small, inexpensive). My iLink has some custom modifications by Igor and is powered through a very HQ 5V LPS. The iLink probably doesn't have that great a clock. Yet the R26 sounds much better through it than through the R26's USB input.

So I'm not sure the DAC even takes the clock from SPDIF.

I've also tried the U18 with an HDMI cable, an Audiquest Firebird 0.75 M, their 2nd from top of the line. It's probably compromised by being longer than necessary. In any case it sounds way better through Coax, maybe because Igor's coax cable is better.

The R26 is fantastic in some ways, but it has a quality control problem and it's the second R26 I've owned that seems to be changing sound over time. I've read some stuff on R-2R DACs that indicate they have variable quality because the precision required of the resistors is so demanding and resistors can drift. So my current R26 is brighter than when I first got it... I changed the filter setting to prevent the harshness that it developed. I'm quite sure the harshness wasn't there when I got it, because I was happy with it on one particular filter setting, and over time I started noticing I really didn't like the sound of my system in unmistakable ways. Now it's okay on the NOS setting.

But I'm thinking I want to get away from R-2R DACs.

Yes my DAC sounds better from S/PDIF than USB. 

I have a crazy set-up because it sounds better to me. 

I stream from an Innuos Statement via Ethernet to  a Sonore  OpticalModule  that sends fiber to a Signature Rendu which sends USB  to an Antipodes S20 which sends S/PDIF to a Lampizator Golden Gate upgraded with the JL Audio USB.

While it makes no sense to me that a direct USB connection between the Statement and Golden Gate is inferior to the above, it does make me skeptical about using USB as both Innuos and Lampizator highly tout their USB. 

I2s is the best, followed by anything else, I used Ethernet before i2s, last is usb. My $1000 i2s cable is .75 meters long. A lot of the better dacs are not including usb, while some like Berkeley make a $2500 box to try to make usb sound better. https://www.berkeleyaudiodesign.com/alpha-usb2
 

Most people when asked this question state usb sounds better because they have never tried i2s. Why? because most dacs don’t include it, and most servers/streamers don’t provide it. The better products do provide i2s. Over a couple decades, when you saw the proprietary digital cable going from an sacd player into the preamp/integrated (like what Esorteric es-link provided as an example), was using i2s.

@rbstehno 

My server is an Aurender N100 and has only USB output. I’ve tried two different DDC’s in order to convert to I2S or SPDIF for my Gustard R26 DAC and the better one is the Gustard U18. (I haven't tried the Iris 12th or other DDCs so I'm not sure how the U18 compares.) I’ve tried the coaxial connection and the HDMI connection. Coaxial sounds best. The I2S through HDMI sounds a bit bright and more sterile.

My HDMI cable is a 0.75 M Audioquest Firebird, a $1600 new cable although it comes up frequently on US Audio Mart for much less than that. My coaxial cable is a custom silver, highly shielded cable made by Igor Kuznetsoff, which is likely better quality that my Firebird.

Most dacs these days are designed to be connected to a pc using the usb standard printer connection for it’s more robust and less likely to break. So if i2s and usb support the same format which usb use to be higher but on the smsl sux dac and the topping centerious they both sound good with usb or i2s, but I am using i2s and it sounds pretty decent, audio is best with xlr, usb, and i2s those should be the only connections available especially to bring prices down on overpriced audio equipment that doesn’t even measure well and ones that go beyond human hearing are nothing but a waste a few kilohertz higher sure but not double for there is no use for it 

my dac Ideon audio Ion sounds awsome   over USB.  They have killed usb hum , it is almost equal to I2S.

The salient point using I2S vs all the others is the ability to use a better clock via a DDC vs dac's internal clock. With superior clocking presentation can be greatly affected. Proper clocking means data packets more correctly timed which results in a much more analog like presentation. If you investigate most dac's internal clock you'll generally find Femto clocks with rather pedestrian power supplies to those clocks, one can do better in this case. Not sure I'd want to purchase any dac devoid of I2S input, minimally I'd want to compare my Denafrips Gaia with Tubulus Ximius I2S cable to the dac's internal I2S architecture and/or it's usb implementation. The only higher level dac I know of that incorporates I2S is the Mola Mola Tambaqui.

PS Audio also incorporates I2S inputs in their Stellar Gold and PureWave DACs.

I use the Tubulus Concentus I2S v.2 cable between my Jay's transport and PS Audio StellarGold DAC. Sublime!

Is it possible that my Gustard R26 gets the clock in two different ways?

- via internal clock when using S/PDIF inputs like coax? (i.e. it would do reclocking)

- via the input when using I2S?

What happens when I connect an external 10 MHz clock to my R26? Does that not affect the I2S input?

I say this because the S/PDIF coax input sounded similar with two different DDCs and one was small and cheap (probably not a good clock). It sounded worse through I2S from the DDC compared to S/PDIF (perhaps the cable wasn't good enough and the DDC (U18) clock wasn't an improvement on the internal DAC clock).

I've tried this using several DACs and I have never heard one in which S/PIDF didn't sound significantly better than USB. I have no idea if it is due to the USB controller, noise from the power provided by the medium or what, but it definitely degrades the quality. Noise reduction devices like those from iFi can help, and I do think that some computers USB controllers are better than others, but it's still not as good as a S/PDIF inputs.

Aurender doesn’t offer I2S.  They has prioritized USB and recommend it. I have nothing to compare it with, but my N200 sounds mighty fine to me.

I prefer COAX/i2s over USB all the time , but i had the Gustard R26 for demo before and to me all its inputs were inferior to its LAN input , it sounded fuller with better stage when streaming

Regardless of input used on dac, I2S clock and power supply to that clock is the last clock seen prior to analog conversion. One is just adding more clocks using other inputs, how these clocks interact with I2S dac internal clock is variable. Employing highest quality clocks and power supply to those clocks throughout entire streaming chain extremely important for presentation. Presentation means timing, getting timing right means more analog like presentation. High end vinyl setups are the reference for this, listen to this and you'll get an idea of goal to reach for.

No

FWIW, a friend of mine has a tricked-out custom-built server with JCAT USB card, and a Chord Dave.  He says his Berkeley Alpha USB in between is a huge improvement over straight USB, even from the high-end card.

Personally I've found that while USB into my Qutest isn't bad, the coax signals from an IanCanada or Pi2AES clock transport are much better.

Hi audio friends. I found in my system ( Antipodes K50 G3 connected to Payback Design Dream DAC MPD-8 Gen2) it depended on the quality of the cable on what sounded best. In blind audio tests with an audiophile buddy of mine who did the cable swapping are my findings. This of course is all system dependent. BTW speakers are Gauder RC7D mk2 which ultra transparent and unforgiving if you feed a bright signal. 
 

Over years of critical listening and countless cable comparisons — USB, Ethernet, and otherwise — I’ve rarely come across a digital connection that transforms the entire character of a system quite like the Acrolink 7N-DA6300 solid core AES cable did between my Antipodes K50 G3 and Playback Designs MPD-8 Gen2 DAC.

From the moment it was installed, the system bloomed with an astonishing three-dimensional soundstage, delivering an organic, utterly non-fatiguing presentation. Instruments and voices locked into place with uncanny realism — each performer rendered with startling depth and presence, not just across a wide stereo spread but in a layered sound field that felt alive. Compared to high-end USB and Ethernet alternatives, the Acrolink AES wasn’t just different — it was in a different league when it came to coherence, spatial stability, and emotional connection.

Intrigued, I later added the Playback Designs PLINK reclocker, using the USB cable supplied by PBD. To my ears, this moved performance yet another step forward. While the tonal balance and spatial attributes remained remarkably close to the AES presentation, the bass gained newfound solidity — not in quantity, but in density and definition. There was also an undeniable improvement in system silence and flow, likely thanks to the galvanic isolation introduced between server and DAC.

Now, six months later, I haven’t felt a single urge to tweak or upgrade anything. The synergy between the Antipodes, the Acrolink AES, and the PLINK-fed MPD-8 Gen2 delivers a level of musical truth I once thought could only be approached in analog. It’s not just technically excellent — it’s emotionally immersive and deeply satisfying.

Hope this helps the discussion. Cheers Mark

I started using SPDIF converters about 14 years ago, first with optical cables, then with digital coax. Digital coax sounded significantly better than optical or USB straight in from the delta-sigma DACs I had at that time.

Six DACs later I'm still using either a SPDIF converter (main office system) or a DDC (side system/headphone only). Both send signal through quality digital coax or AES/EBU cables (I can't hear any difference between them). All my DACs for the past 6-8 years have been multibit (one) or NOS (5).

Out of all the DACs I've had here, just one sounded equally good via USB straight incompared to digital coax: the humble but pretty nice delta-sigma by Peachtree Audio, the DAC iTx. That's probably because they describe their USB implementation as galvanically isolated (something either SPDIF converters or DDCs do, as well).

@soix great points. In my previous config (Pontus II 12th DAC/Iris 12 DDC), utilizing i2s and USB made sense because the DDC clock was better than both my dac and streamer. I've since upgraded to the Denafrips Venus 15th w/dual OCXO and the Hifi Rose RS130 with OCXO; both have great USB implementations, I see no need for a DDC or i2s. I'm connected USB from the transport to my DAC using a Audioquest Diamond USB and its quite amazing. 

No doubt quality of interface in streamer is critical in determining which input on dac is preferred. Many streamers use plain jane outputs on motherboards, this not optimal, reason why usb interface/output like the JCAT and Berkeley provide higher sound quality. And then there are the proprietary interfaces such as Auralic and Taiko provide which may also be a game changer. And then we have the cables, need level playing field when comparing interfaces. Galvanic isolation is the bare minimum for a quality interface, clocks, power supplies to those clocks critical, and then with the outboard devices such as DDC, they need to optimize both input and output. In the end entire chain of interfaces has to be considered in evaluating which is best in any particular situation.

@sns My streamer/server is an Aurender N100H, which offers only USB output, but it’s a much better USB output than the previous server I was using, a simple Intel NUC. I think it’s probably a very well implemented USB output port.

When I use S/PDIF, I’m plugging the USB cable into a Gustard U18 DDC, which has only USB as input. I’m sure that the quality of the Aurender also helps the U18 function better.

My Gustard R26 sounds better, as I said in my OP, through the U18 and SPDIF (coax) inputs. It sounds pretty lame through USB, even when it's the Aurender driving the USB. So I'm guessing it's a poor USB implementation in the R26.

@magon It seems reasonable to conclude R26 usb implementation not  optimal. I'd suggest you need better DDC in order for best optimization of I2S. Jitter specs for DDC don't tell the whole story. I had a Singxer SU6 some years ago, wasn't all that impressed  with I2S at the time, Gaia DDC  with really nice Tubulus I2S  cable makes all the difference. I've haven't used SPDIF as a digital input in many years.

@sns I have an Audioquest Firebird HDMI. Do you have any thoughts on that one?

@magon Presume that very nice cable, like silver for my digital cables, use AQ Diamond for my usb cable. The one thing I'd say about using HDMI vs I2S cable is one may be paying for unneeded runs of wire with the HDMI, silver is pretty pricey.

@sns Thanks for the comments. I bought my Firebird used for $600. The going rate for used price for these is 1/3 the new price. I see the Tubulus going for $699 in one store. Is this the usual  U.S. price or maybe the price has gone up since the tariffs? Do you know the usual U.S. price?

No. -