I bought the Iris 12 from audioman58 (audiophile58 on USAudiomart) and I had no issues and he was very helpful since I had no prior experiences with Denafrips or using a DDC. He also is providing a discount from the list prices (I believe). I have no connection with audioman58 nor any financial interest in his commercial enterprise other than being a one time customer. I'm just sharing this because of the concerns expressed above at the loss of Vineshine as a seller for Denafrips.
I got the Iris because (1) there were posts recommending a USB Bridge/reclocker in between the DAC and computer and (2) I had a promotional $500 gift card from a recent satellite provider switch so it essentially didn't cost me anything.
Last week, I went to a fellow audiophile's home to listen to his speakers and he was using a cheap DAC off of Amazon and was apparently trying out a few of them along with someone else to see if they were all that was needed. He told me that he had an early Ares as well and I asked him to put it into the system because I had never heard any of the Denafrips' DACs. Once he plugged it in, the separation, sound stage and tonal quality of the music improved by a factor (IMO) by about 3 times and the effect was immediate.
I'm considering changing my DAC because the Iris gives the opportunity to connect to a DAC with i2s. The Pontus 15th is one I'm considering.