Has anyone compared a Douk DDC to the MATRIX Audio X-SPDIF 2?

I'll answer my own question. I was able to do an informal comparison and there is no comparison. I could not even listen to the Douk Audio Mini XMOS XU208 for a short period of time. Very irritating sound compared to the MATRIX Audio X-SPDIF 2.

I've been using the Douk Audio U2 Pro model for the past few weeks, to connect my OpticalRendu to my Chord Qutest by its optical input instead of USB.  It's provided a fantastic improvement and would have been well worth it at 10X its actual price of $56.  I haven't compared it to the Matrix, which you seem to like a lot.

If the I2S on a Denafrips DDC can work with your DAC consider them. Really liked the one I had for 192 and below rates better than my other converters, only sold it because I plan to buy Chord for 768 rates

I’m presently just using my Matrix 2 via i2s connection to my musetec DA005 DAC.

My streamer source is my innuos zenith Mark 3, I honestly am struggling to hear a Monumental difference between USB i2s between my source setup and The Matrix. The biggest distinguishing thing I’ve been able to appreciate is low-end bass presentation. I’ve only put in about two to three hours of listening so far. So by no means is this an absolute. But I do believe there is some sound quality changes right out of the box and using the Matrix.

Again $450 for this item I feel is Justified, but it’s all in the eye of the beholder.

I have to preface this all this with the fact that I have my own separate linear power supply which I am running a 9 volt power connection to the Matrix, all in all I spent $700 on the power supply.

I didn’t have any aspirations of running the Matrix 2 without its own free-standing power supply, so I never tested it in its own right.

I am kind of interested though because I do believe in the benefits of I to us as far as a means digital connections, but innous and their high-end reclocker is still a USB connection. Again $3,500 versus $500 is a big stretch.

But what I don't have a rock-solid opinion on and I do believe is open to some investigation is other DDC stand-alone units, as opposed to buying the Matrix and a separate linear power supply. When you start moving into that price point you may very well find something else that works better for you such as the denafrips stand-alone units.

I'm happy with mine presently but I have been reading more about the Gaia, but I'm still not totally convinced based on its price that it's worth the jump in performance.