Here is a good test to see if your system is "truly resolving":
Take a FLAC, uncompressed FLAC, ALAC or AIFF track and convert it to .wav using DBpoweramp or XLD. Play both tracks alternately.
If you cannot hear any difference and the .wav does not sound better, you need to tune the position of your speakers or add acoustic treatments. If you still don’t hear any difference, you have an offending component or cable in your system, maybe more than one.
When I hear people say that all DACs sound very close, I have to wonder about their system.
BTW, Baja - that Antipodes is a very good server. IMO, to get the best out of it, you should be using a good USB converter or USB DAC, not S/PDIF from it.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio