Upgrade or Downgrade Changing Bel Canto 3.7 For New Denafrips Pontus 15th?

My impression is that the Denafrips DACs are a little warmer, smoother, more musical sounding than any of the Bel Canto stuff I have tried. But I haven't actually heard the 3.7 so that isn't very helpful. Other Bel Canto models always struck me as being mostly neutral with just a hint of warmth, and Denafrips seems to go further in that direction. 

I've tried most of the Denafrips lineup and feel the Pontus is the sweet spot for value. Definitely try one in your system if you can arrange for it.

Thank you for that advice I will try to trial if possible.

Lots of YouTube reviews on the new 15th series Pontus and Venus. Pontus 15th seems to be a Venus 12th with other changes so check out Venus 12th reviews as well.  I have a Pontus II 12th that I feed by I2S from an IRIS DDC to Klipsch Forte IIIs and Focal Aria 926s. Absolutely love the sound signature on NOS.

I own the Pontus 15th and I can tell you it is an absolute steal.Denafrips really served us a gem of a deal. I upgraded my system from the Aune Twins (Sc9 Dac & Sc1 clock) if you want to stay under $1,400 this is the setup to consider and yes it sounds much better than an Aries II which i also own (the twins have a very detailed but smooth R2R like signature). All that being said when I understood Denafrips was offering a step up (Venus 12th) at a 50% off discount I pulled the trigger for the Pontus,you cannot go wrong here...grab one now before Denfrips cannot afford to cover the tariff hit which they are doing now

I believe you have a fundamental problem with what you are trying to do.  The Onkyo C5 CD/SACD does not have an IS2 output unless you have had it modified? The S/PDIF outputs (optical/Toslink, and Coax) do not output a native DSD signal. 

Am I missing something?

 

@ucrazykid 

You are right in what you say but my SACD playback limitations are confusing.
The Onkyo is only present in my system as it will play SACDs as a 'native' SACD player outputting an already decrypted digital signal to the Bel Canto through toslink. My main CD player however is the PS Audio Perfectwave but it is just a CD/SACD transport, not a player.
My wish is to use the PS Audio Perfectwave for all SACD playback too, but the SACD transport signal is only playable through an I2S connection (Sony Copy Protection limitation). The Bel Canto 3.7 doesn't have an I2S input, hence potential move to the Pontus 15th. that has this input (and whose pinouts can be tuned to connect to the PS Audio unit) as there is no standard pin configuration for I2S connections!
The new setup would then be PS Audio Perfectwave playing both CD and SACD connected via I2S connection to the Pontus 15th. The Pontus 15th then connected to my Kratos amplifier through balanced XLR. So you are not wrong with your comments about the Onkyo.

Ah! I see. So they Onkyo won’t be needed once you have the PS feeding a DAC from its I2S output.  Got it. 

Why not a PS Audio Direct stream Mk I. They're selling reconditioned ones for $1600. 

@dickieboy 

That should guarantee integration but I have tried the PS Audio and didn't love the sound and for just $300 more I can get a new Pontus 15th which is really an improved Venus 12th that's almost as good as end game Terminator. But a sensible idea to go PS Audio, love their BHK range.