innuos pulse compared to denafrips gaia 12th

@sns What good streamers come with I2s?

If you insist on I2S output not too many, most will use usb out of their streamer into a DDC in order to use I2S, this what you'd do with Pulse. As for streamers with I2S just off the top of my head Holo Red is reportedly very nice.

I would recommend using USB from any streamer into a Denafrips DAC. These DACs reclock the input data. If you use a synchronous input (anything other than USB), you risk FIFO overflow or underflow which will cause audible glitches.
 

I currently own the Terminator Plus and owned a Terminator previously. 
 

I’d recommend focusing first on getting a good USB streamer, and then if you have a Denafrips DAC with clock outputs, you can consider a DDC such as the Gaia.  If your DAC doesn’t have clock outputs, I think you are better off skipping the DDC and using USB directly into the DAC. 

Before purchasing any Denafrips product,  my advice is to consider their customer service.  My experience is that it's terrible to non existent.  I have a brand new Hermes 12th DDC that's sitting on a shelf because it won't play 192khz files.  They will not service the unit, even though it came from them defective.  They want me to downgrade the firmware myself,  which is a cumbersome process,  requiring the use of an unsigned Windows driver,  and if done incorrectly will brick the unit.  They flat out refuse to provide a RMA to send it to their service center to have it done,  so it's out of my system and unusable; $1200 wasted.  I will never purchase a Denafrips product again!!!

@kmcong : That's terrible! Where are you located, if I may ask? By "they" you mean the local dealer / distributor or the Denafrips company itself?