Denafrips Pontus 2 Price increases

Pay to play.

That’s in Singapore dollars not in US dollars.

@audioman58 I have had the 12th-1 anniversary edition and prior edition of the same model Denafrips DAC in my system and have listened to both extensively.  Nothing else in the system has changed.  I find the SQ of the 12th-1 anniversary edition to be better than the prior edition.  I have not popped the tops of either unit so cannot attest to your claim that the caps have changed and are inferior in the most recent edition(s).  It does seem quite strange to me though that inferior parts would result in better sound.  Did you take photos of the caps in the models you directly compared? How do you substantiate your findings?  Can you either post photos or document your claims in another way?

No need to worry about china fi. Save and buy American 

If it’s now too expensive or you don’t see the added value of whatever improvements they made then vote with your wallet. The reason inflation is sticking around is that despite wholesale prices generally being down significantly retailers and OEMS, restaurants, - pretty much everywhere- continue to jack prices while claiming "inflation" or  "supply chain"- while their margins soar. After three years the public now seems to shrug their shoulders and step up and purchase regardless of the price. If people resist these absurd and often unjustified prices then prices will start to come down. Look at something decent that's pre-owned as an alternative perhaps? Maybe you'll find something better for the same money, or something similar for less money.