DDC or Better Streamer?

@sns Interesting concept.  I'm not currently using Roon, but if I add a different Streamer and want to continue to use my other Bluesound products, I may have to.  Adding a Hermes is indeed intriguing as it appears that in addition to it being the low cost option, multiple sources will benefit from it.

@rick_n I see that Innuos Next Gen series is now offering i2s options, but $$$!

I would love to see LAIV bring the Harmony NET2 Streamer to market on time and at the price and delivery performance of their DAC.  This would make for the cleanest solution.  But this assumes that their i2s module would be on par with the Hermes performance.

@mbolek

You said that I don't know what I'm talking about but I do.  The point I made was that the high end DAC companies optimize their units for digital connection other than I2S.  So please tell me, since I don't know what I'm talking about, which of the high end DACs are optimized for I2S.  Is it MSB, Lampizator, DCS or Esoteric?    

Mola Mola Tambaqui is one of higher end dacs with i2S input.

I'd also offer many dacs not offering I2S may not be reaching their full potential. This contingent on the dac's internal I2S clock and power supply to that clock. The Hermes, Gaia and possibly some other DDC implement high quality OXCO clock and power supply to that clock that may better what's in dac. And to dismiss dac's that offer I2S as having inferior usb interface/boards, this not always the case. While the Harmony usb is rather pedestrian, my Musetec 006 has one of the best implementation of usb I've seen.

I'd also offer up since few streamers implement high quality i2S outputs, dac manufacturers don't see any point in offering I2S input. Just because usb seems to be the de facto interface doesn't mean its inherently superior to I2S. I have an extremely optimized usb interface, used this for years without complaint for a number of dacs, the Gaia simply outperformed it with both present dacs.

r.e. Innuos

They make some excellent streamers and I just demoed their Pulsar model.  My DAC has pretty much all of the available inputs and since I wanted to have the best possible results from the demo I queried Innuos directly about which is their preferred digital out.  The reply from Innuos:  "​I would recommend using USB as the connection type - this is our specialty and I believe it is very implemented."

The Pulsar has the Phenix Lite relocker built in and it's basically a watered down version of the Denafrips Hermes using a USB pathway.  

My takeaway from this is that while offering different output/input options, manufactures seem to focus their technology on a specific protocol.  I think it's worthwhile to know where their focus is to maximize performance.