So, did you compare running the iPhone direct into the DAC8 versus going through your Aries? If you don’t hear a significant improvement through the Aries, well, let’s just say we greatly differ in our experiences.
The Auralic Aries is a source with no dac so no to that. I don't have the adapters to connect the phone to the Okto, but it is worth noting that the streaming source inside the Okto Dac8 is a Raspberry Pi 4 connected to the rest of the dac and preamp circuits though an I squared S connection. So a modest streaming source (cost about $100, maybe less now) can garner an A+ rating from Stereophile when associated with the right electronic surroundings. Point being some devices not created for the audiophile world can still deliver world class performances and don't have to cost an arm and a leg.