DIYINHK Isolated XMOS 768kHz DXD DSD512 review anywhere?

[Quadman]

I extensively used the non-isolated version of this board a little over a year ago http://www.diyinhk.com/shop/audio-kits/107-xmos-dsd-dxd-768khz-high-quality-usb-to-i2sdsd-pcb.html  I purchased it solely for it's ability to handle DSD512 via it's I2S output, which at the time was the only DDC I was aware of that could do 512.  I owned a heavily modified Gustard X20 and pulled it's USB card so I could tap to the I2S lines thru the PCI header.  I powered the DIY 3.3V from a DIY belleson based PSU.  I also used the dual DIY PSU 3/5/7 V  to power the 5V handshake voltage, and 3.3V tap to power a OXCO clock I had installed closer to the dac chips. I started using the 3.34 unsigned driver DIY had up on their site for a while and then moved to the signed 3.38 driver specifically for this card.  After a few failed attempts i finally got this card to work at 512 with the Gustard and it's dual ESS 9018 chips.  To me the SQ jump from 256 to 512 was night and day, everything just became alive, more human as I started calling it. The stage width and depth both increased the image solidity and presence also increased.  Sound was more there then listening to a recording.  Dynamics were excellent.  Those who say DSD512 is soft and not as dynamic as PCM just don't have their systems set right.

 

A few months after getting 512 to successfully play I built a server for a friend and he elected to purchase a T+A Dac8 DSD.  I had both this new server and T+A in my system and compared this to my server and Gustard X20 at 512.  It was not a night and day difference the gustard acquitted it self quit nicely.  Tho the T+A was slightly better when I packed everything up to send to my friend I was not left crying with the sound of my Gustard at 512.  Around late January the gustard developed short dropouts, less than 1 second and only occasionally.  I trouble shot everything in front of the DIY USB card.  The dropouts occurred at various rates, not just 512.  Everything in front of the card checked out just fine, so one day I pulled the card and re-inserted the stock USB card, now limited to only DSD256 but the dropout disappeared.  So something in the DIY USB card caused the dropouts.  it now sits in a box in my parts bin.  My buddy gave up Computer audio, I bought the T+A from him and now run DSD512 thru that.

 

While the DIY USB card worked it made wonderful sound in my system, 6 months worth anyway before the dropouts started.  I wasn't going to pay $98 for another board to have that happen again.  The T+A just works and no DDC needed.