@bartmannm sorry to hear this. Denafrips correspondence with you does have a similar tone to their interactions with me at the time of my OP.
It’s a shame Denafrips have evolved in this manner since parting company with Alvin and Vinshine; I only ever had positive experiences with Alvin and co.
Since I made my OP, I have sold the new Pontus 15th they shipped to me, together with my Denafrips DDC. Denafrips did also transfer a 1 year warranty for the Pontus to the new owner on request with no further wrangling (condition of the sale to the new owner)
Denafrips also seem to have expanded their distribution and their DACs are now selling from a number of UK Hifi retailers which was never the case previously. At the time of writing the OP there was only the one online-only retailer in the UK, who I dealt with for other gear.
I’m not sure what this means in terms of customers who buy from these retailers and their DACs go on to develop faults, and whether faulty units can be returned to the retailer or for a straight swap; I hope so, but I won’t be tempted to buy a Denafrips DAC again. I still think the DACs sound good, but once bitten, twice shy.
As stated previously, I don’t wish Denafrips any ill will, or hold any animosity toward them; they’ve chosen a business model post Alvin and Vinshine, and only time will tell if this works for them, but they don’t seem to be fostering a base of solid customer relations. Not sure how sustainable this newer way of doing things will be, but it is what it is, and best of luck to them. I won’t dip my toe in the Denafrips pond again though; I can do without the hassle.
Cheers guys 👍
