dB indicator flashing red

[PhilP]

I have a copy of Knife Party - Bonfire.  Unfortunately this is on a Ministry of Sound compilation, which is mixed.  So my version my well be different to @PhilP's, assuming he has the album version.  Anyway, I gave it a try this morning.  The meters on the Devialet were more or less permanently in the top orange / red zone, but no sign of the orange clipping light on the iPad app.  I tried this both via iTunes and JRiver WASAPI, from a PC.  For what it's worth, the sound quality was ok (although obviously could be a lot better if not compressed to death), I have heard worse.

I also tried the Album and EP version from Spotify, with more or less the same result.  With each of these trials, I could not push the volume anything above about -10dB, at which point is was crushingly loud!  Although this was with a D800.  A little off topic, but the album version is miles better than the section they crammed onto the Ministry of Sound CD!

The version I have is from the Rage Valley EP bought and downloaded from Qobuz.  As you say, the sound quality is really not bad.  I've tried to find a vinyl version  to see if the dynamic range is better but don't think they've released one.

Interestingly, I tried streaming the same track from Qobuz (16 bit FLAC lossless) also via ethernet AIR and the indicator didn't flash...

Re. 'crushingly loud' - as well as your amp being a lot more powerful maybe your speakers are more sensitive than mine and/or my ears are less sensitive than yours