Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

09-22-15: Ctsooner
I can promise you that if you think you are missing something, that you are in your head and won't be happy for the long run. You'll always sit and say "what am I missing or where is that high end etc". I agree that a very long audition is the only true way to know, but we know that's not real.

The Isis is flat out to over 40kHz, so I doubt anything is missing from acousto-electric standpoint. It's more of a setup/room/speaker issue. For me personally, shout, bite, or lack of time/phase alignment leading to a non-cohesive or non-holistic presentation and an insidious and subtle fatigue is far more important issue. Beware speakers and/or equipment that are "impressive" or "spectacular" at first blush. That is the premise behind living with things and finding out their personalities. Tricky hobby....:/

Lack of highs can sometimes be heard as lack of distortion or noise taking an unwanted free ride along with the musical waveform. Perhaps a case of mistaken identity. Maybe your hearing a more pure and non polluted signal coming from this pair of speakers. Tom

Gear, I don't doubt it. That said, he didn't even bring the Vandersteen 7's into his room and they too are flat all the way out (all of Vandersteens are). They have near pistonic drivers and sound the way you mention you like things, but he didn't go for them either. I too feel most things are too bright and get fatigued very easily. You've seen my posts elsewhere. So many companies tip their highs a DB or two and that's because at first blush they sound extended, but the reality is, they are just distorted and not flat. Flat to some is boring. To most reading this thread, it's nirvana.

Ctsooner, the driver compliments and designs are very different on the two speakers. The Isis uses a titanium compression tweeter and not a soft dome like the 7. It also does not uses power bass drivers. So who knows....

Guys, this is not a matter of flat vs not flat. We are talking about crazy expensive, top tier product in all directions. I'm sure all of them are "flat" from the sublimely low frequency to the ridiculous ultra sonic. It's not a matter of specs, and I don't believe it's a matter of distortion. Every speaker I have heard, tried, or purchased is considered state of the art, whether it was to my taste or not. To say that the Avalom Isis or the Vandy 7 or the Dynaudio Comsequence has more distortion or isn't flat or is in some way colored is pretty much ridiculous. These speakers are all designed to the best of their perspective companies abilities with their particular take on Uber Speaker design, acoustics, psycho-acoustics, phase/time alignment management, voicing, etc. Add to that the fact that even the worlds perfect speaker will sound totally different in my room versus your room and it makes the whole damn process that much harder.

The Trenner & Friedl Isis is simply voiced differently then the CU. It has different priorities, completely different design and different psycho-acoustic properties. As a result, it does 28hz to 40khz flat and throws a soundstage you can drive an RV through. It's voiced a certain way and accomplishes it's particular goal with great success. It does this with simplicity, elegance, refinement and is utterly understated. It is the warm cabin on top of the mountain with a roaring fire, a well broken in leather chair by the blazing hearth and a glass of Cognac VSOP that is that perfect temperature to simply float from the glass and evaporate relaxation onto your palate.

The CU is a masterpiece in engineering and complexity of design, crossover implementation and artistic beauty. It applied over 30 years of continued success from a brilliantly unorthodox design and improved upon it. It is not understated nor is it overzealous. Although brimming with drivers, it's nigh impossible to identify anything other then a unity of sound, a meticulous amalgam of perfection that paints a picture as if from a single brush stroke. Yes, the colors are more vibrant then those chosen by Trenner & Friedl but equates to comparing the spectacular colors of a sunset over the ocean as the sun descends just to the horizon to the majestic flow of heather and wheat during a gentle breeze at the base of a grey and white mountain range of breathtaking beauty. One is simply not better then the other. They both touch the sole and enraptured the spirit.

It's a nice place to be- deciding between those vistas. No bad choices, only choices.

An extended audition is truly the best way to tell. I would call an extended audition a purchase. The beauty of it is that if one finds its not all it was initially, the other option is just a sale and a purchase away....