Denafrips Pontus *15th* ?

I have an "original" Pontus II (so no 12th or other numbers involved) and I very much enjoy it. Purchased it new a few years back and always felt it was a really good deal for the money.

But I don't think I will be purchase anything else from Denafrips in light of the constant stream of updates. It's hard to keep track of, and seems to tank the resale value of prior models. I fully realize that a DAC is a depreciating asset but even so, this behavior really accelerates the process. 

On the flip side, those shopping on the second hand market for a great DAC will benefit greatly from this. But I don't think that's a bragging point for Denafrips to be proud of. 

The situation reminds me of Audio GD if anyone is familiar with that brand. I was a big fan back in the day, but things went sideways when they started "upgrading" models every 9 months, and the naming conventions were absurd. I got off that train and never looked back. 

It may very well be they are forced to make new versions, many parts have become obsolete during the recent years. Several Nichicon and Elna capacitors not to mention many chips are not manufactured anymore and their prices have risen tremendously. I’m a pessimist and believe it’s about cost rather than quality.

@fynnegan you could well be right; I wouldn't rule anything out at this stage, with no official word or info on the full change log from Denafrips/Vinshine

All the Denfrips Dacs on the Vinshine site are " Out of Stock".

 @painter24 you are fortunate to have received the 15th version. Per Mike at Denafrips, "the Pontus15 can reach the level of the Venus12th". I, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. I received my silver Pontus II 12th-1 last Thursday from Vinshine Audio, the day I discovered your post here. Long story short, I managed to get $300 off the retail price for receiving a late-model Pontus from Vinshine. I just wished there was more transparency upfront. I would have happily paid the full retail price for the latest model. Lesson learned.