Aes/ebu?

[King Conga]

Pardon my ignorance, but I've never had any experience with AES/EBU protocol. I've only noticed that it's usually on higher-end gear, but I'm noticing that it's increasingly being implemented on "pro-sumer" gear. Specifically, I was looking at some of the Lynx gear. Any enlightenment is appreciated, but how does it compare with stnd preamps, S/PDIF protocols.

Thanks,
KC