Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

IME, the more resolute the speakers are, the more flaws are revealed.

Taking your complaint, it goes along with my experience with my own speakers (the Joseph's you didn't care for at the store). When music went from a soft to loud sound, or a hot vocal, the speakers poured it all out and revealed I had an issue. That issue was SHOUT.. So in my case, it was that the speakers did not compress under the stress, they allowed the system to tell the truth. I also thought the speakers were to blame, when in fact, they were telling me something needed attention.

I went to the Totaldac Server, and all my problems were solved. I actually got more dynamic range now, that maintains composure instead of farting out, because the server does not fall on its @$$ when the demand is there, like my hotrod Mac Mini did. My system never shouts at me now.

Not saying this is absolute and what you are experiencing, but this did fix my issue.

Hope you get there. Sounds like the Dyn's are everything else you want.

Matt, good luck with the DX. I have been a very happy owner of DS Reference for over an year and it is a great product. One important point, the server shall be on for at least 40 hours before it reaches optimum performance. In fact, Mark Jenkins recommends to keep it on all the time.

TOO bad you cant consider the flagship DYNA AUDIO EVIDENSE PLATINUM (due to its rear ports ). They are truly a remarkable design. Only 8.5 inches in width, but standing 76 inches tall, they totally disappear in the room, when properly implemented. The dual Esotar tweeters are very clean, and airy sounding with ZERO fatigue factor (no shout at all).
Cheers.......

Musicmann1 - I have heard the Evidence Platinum. I didn't love it. That's why I was skeptical about the Consequence but I was wrong; the CU had everything the Evidence lacked. Interestingly, the Evidence Platinum is advertised as their flagship speaker but it costs ten grand LESS then the Consequence Ultimate. They market the Consequence Ultimate a different way since its been in essentially constant production since 1984. I think the CU is their finest product.

I need to clarify that the shout I am hearing has not been heard in any other room I listened to it in (and I heard it in 2 very different rooms at the store) nor has it been identified by an other reviewer. I am convinced it is a byproduct of my room or breakin. We shall see.

Agear - thanks. That's good to know.

Thanks Paul - that's VERY helpful and I think that's my issue. The shout is not all the time and it's not on every track. It's almost exclusively vocals (not all vocals, only sometimes) although I get it on occasion on clarinet or oboe. It almost sounds like clipping or dynamic compression which would go along with what you said. I'm going to pull out my trusty LP's and do a little experiment....

Abe - I haven't tried the DX enough to compare it honestly. I am thinking on first listen, that surprisingly my low frequencies are a bit tighter and better controlled with my Mac mini. The soundstage seams more open with the DX and there is a layer of detail and complexity that I think the DX is revealing. But that's with like 45 minutes of listening time. And thanks for the heads up on running time. I'll leave it on 24/7.

The DX is intriguing. Let's see how it compares with more time.