Seeking Streamer & Dac that has 12s outputs and inputs

It’s not that difficult, as PS Audio has the Airlens with I2S out.  Their DAC has I2S input, so that combo should work, and sound great!  

@kjl1065 

A streamer with I2s is difficult to find, so I use USB from my Innuos streamer to a Gustard U18 DDC which sends the signal through I2s to the Gustard A26 dac. The beauty of the U18 is it has multiple I2s configurations options on the front panel, so you are pretty much set for any I2s configuration your dac may have.

PS Audio invented i2s over HDMI cable. Almost all others use the same pin assignment and some devices allow you to change it for compatibility if need be.

Although i2S is widely regarded as a superior connection, it really depends on how a component is designed as to which connection is best. Although I use an i2S connection, I would not let that be the deciding factor on which component to purchase — that will always be which one produces the sound characteristics I’m looking for. That said, Jays does i2S and would be a great choice, but I was recently made aware of the Shanling ET3 at only $729 that also offers i2S and that’d be high on my radar although not sure of its reliability as it’s relatively new I think. Most major manufacturers are likely compatible for i2S (the smaller boutique brands seem more hit or miss), but it’s always best to check with a manufacturer if the pin configuration will work between two components before buying. Not many streamers have i2S outs at this point, but a workaround would be to get a DDC that can convert to i2S and also potentially offer further benefits like a better clock, galvanic isolation, etc. I went this route and added a Denafrips Iris DDC to be able to take advantage of my Musician Pegasus DAC’s i2S input and was frankly surprised by the overall level of improvement (over RCA without the DDC) to the point that I’d encourage almost everyone who uses a DAC to at least try a DDC as it can be a very cost-effective and worthwhile improvement. There are many DACs — and several at relatively low price points — that now offer i2S inputs so that’s become less of a hurdle. So to sum up, I’d put sound characteristics first in making component decisions, but all else equal if you can get components with i2S I’d say it’s very worthwhile to have. One last thought — if you do use i2S it’s important that the connecting cable (usually HDMI) be as short as possible as the signal degrades quickly with distance as it was designed for use internally within components so distance wasn’t part of the development need/protocol. Hope this helps, and best of luck.