UPDATE 1: Audiophonics has a new batch coming in (6 weeks) and a replacement will be on its way. If these problems are fixed, the case looks quite good in real life, is solid build and easy to put together with nothing more than a jeweller screwdriver set (two sets of small Phillips head screws).
UPDATE 2: Audiophonics emailed to say it would be easier for them to refund and have me re-order than replace it. Now that the refund has gone through, it turns out "easier" seems to mean, in effect, "the customer will bear liability of shipping costs in the event we ship faulty goods". At this point, they are offering full refund only if the case is returned, which means I will be out return shipping costs, which may be less than, equal to, or more than the shipping costs on ordering a new case (I don't yet know how much). I have provided them with photographic proof that the case is faulty, other customers have the same complaint (see the reviews section on their website), they acknowledge in their emails that the next batch does not have the fault (therefore they acknowledge, in writing, the first batch is faulty). If I order a new case, I can expect the same outcome if the replacement turns out to be faulty (I risk throwing good money after bad on an already borderline cost effective solution). Now attempting to escalate to management. Multiple reviewers report faulty product since I last posted.
UPDATE 3: Have sorted out full refund from Audiophonics, new case ordered, waiting on stock. One point that should be noted (which I did not spot earlier) is that although the case is solid metal, it is not heavy enough to stay balanced when cables are plugged in (if they are thick heavy ones, such as Monoprice, it tips back and rests on cables and rear rubber feet with the front feet a few mm up in the air). The unit is packed away while I'm moving elsewhere, so I have not yet checked if there is some space inside the front of the case to add some ballast.
UPDATE 4: The replacement case has arrived. The finish is greatly improved overall, there are no scuff marks or chips in the coating or rough edges, the labelling is the correct way around. The "DC In" label now reads "USB/DC In", the power LED is visible through the hole in the front panel, the text is finer and sharper and reads "Khadas" with "Tone Board" in smaller letters underneath, the spurious and misleading Audiophonics logo has been removed. Internally, there is a single custom spacer for all three phono sockets rather than 4 round washers cludged together on the outermost two. This would look quite professional if the socket labels were on the back (not the top) or absent altogether (they are not really necessary, given the phono sockets are colour coded). Very happy with this as a "no machining effort" case solution for people with limited tools/time/skills. The new version did not come with rubber feet, which are necessary to ensure the small screws on the bottom that hold the board do not scratch surfaces and that the bottom of the case remains scratch free. I'm going to try and find some larger flatter thinner feet than the hemispherical ones the first case came with, as I think they will be more tipping-proof (see Update 3). In the meantime, my desk has a tablecloth, so no problem.
I ordered one a month ago and just got around to putting it together yesterday (my tone board was delayed by Chinese New Years break, but Khadas kindly upgraded me to express shipping to make up for it, which was a pleasant surprise and much appreciated).
The case finish is a bit rough: there is a sharp jagged edge on the top panel that is not coated (bright silver, not black), a scuff across the top panel and the labels are printed upside down.
Some of the black is chipped off in places, but luckily only on the inside of the case and also inside a screw hole.
It looks like there are some teething problems with quality control, as one reviewer on their website has a misprinted case as well.
I've emailed Audiophonics about it, but it is too early to expect a reply.
Apart from these faults, it has promise. Someone with tools might just redrill the bottom to mount the board the other way to match the label, and people like me who have no tools could file the rough edge and use a spray can to hide the upside down labels if no remedy is provided.
It is not possible to fix this problem by rotating the top of the case: it mounts the lower half with an asymmetric key/groove join that cannot be reversed.
Of course, it works fine. It's just that the card+case are expensive enough (after exchange rates and shipping costs) to care what they look like (and part of the rationale of getting a case was to make it easier to sell down the track if need be).