It's a self-encrypting drive (SED). It doesn't use a simple XOR key but strong AES encryption. You will need the key and IFAIK the key is stored in the controller chip itself. With a dead controller I don't think data recovery will be possible.
Thank you. Very instructive. While not being a SSD manufacturer or designer, it seems possible that a new drive of the same type might yield a new working chip that could be substituted to read off the old data. No, I haven't tried it, but I'm just thinking about possibilities.
It is possible that each and every controller chip contains a totally different key? However, I can't see why that would be necessary, since it is up to the user if he wants to encrypt his data and it is up to the hardware to implement the best practice method for storing data. With the latter in mind, it would be to the manufacturer's advantage to produce drives that would be data recoverable, instead of manufacturing an expensive product that instantly turns itself and all stored data into a brick.
It might sound intelligent to point out that all controller failures yield a dead unrecoverable drive, but that is incorrect. Yes, the failure of an SSD is comparable to the failure of the controller on a hard disk - to some degree. But a HD with a failed controller can be recovered. In any case, HD controller failures account for only a small percentage of total drive failures. The majority of failures are mechanical and the majority of those mechanical failures give the user some warning such as increasing read/write errors, increased drive noise and ...these failing drives can easily be checked with programs such as Spinrite to confirm the health of the drive.