Fair enough, let’s wait and see how that goes.

Please look carefully, I said I never had good experience with "XMOS based" DACs, not ALL USB DACs. I personally didn't test the device, but I have a friend who is a professional audio equipment engineer who design DAC and DDC himself. He performed tests on the X26 with U16 when they just came out. He proved that U16 does improved the test result, not significantly, but it does. Then he bought this setup for himself after the tests. This is the reason I think it might work. If you think the USB interface on your DAC is good enough or you think this DDC is too expensive. Then it's obvious you are not the target customer. I never said all USB DACs are bad, I said some DAC has bad USB interface. Even for some expensive DACs there is still room for USB performance improvement, again, not ALL of them. I trust my friend's test result but I would like see it being endorsed by test result from other sources too. I think ASR is going to test U16 eventually. Let's see what happens.

Few problems. What at exactly are these purported differences. And what exactly is “better” when paring this thing up with a $2,000 Dac? Second, it’s quite illogical to be okay with buying a $2,000 Dac, only to require supplemental devices in order to enhance it, that either means the Dac is bad itself, or your priorities have no sense. Third, you claim USB DACs aren’t good in some way. If you have any proof, I’d like to see it. As things stand I2S isn’t a better interface strictly speaking when it comes to audibility, it’s a somewhat weird interface that rightfully many non-professional devices don’t have (except appropriation to audiophile marketed stuff, since there is belief in only using pro gearbox is actually worth gear). Fourth, what the designer claims is irrelevant if he can’t prove it with measurements. We’re not going to take his word for it and gamble with $2,000. Likewise when you claim that this Gustaed performs well, I don’t think it performs much well, but it’s main problem is it’s pointless existence. Finally, you know of ASR, you should know by now a claim like “I never have good experience with USB DACs” needs to be elaborated on. If you’re talking about sound quality, then you need more than elaboration, you need proof. Proof in either measurements, or proof in blind tests where you can distinguish with I2S source or USB source. Without that, these claims don’t hold much water :/