  Detecting dark energy dynamics is the main quest of current dark energy
research. Addressing the issue demands a fully consistent analysis of CMB,
large scale structure and SN-Ia data with multi-parameter freedom valid for all
redshifts. Here we undertake a ten parameter analysis of general dark energy
confronted with the first year WMAP, 2dF galaxy survey and latest SN-Ia data.
Despite the huge freedom in dark energy dynamics there are no new degeneracies
with standard cosmic parameters apart from a mild degeneracy between
reionisation and the redshift of acceleration, both of which effectively
suppress small scale power. Breaking this degeneracy will help significantly in
detecting dynamics, if it exists. Our best-fit model to the data has
significant late-time evolution at z<1.5. Phantom models are also considered
and we find that the best-fit crosses w=-1 which, if confirmed, would be a
clear signal for radically new physics. Treatment of such rapidly varying
models requires careful integration of the dark energy density usually not
implemented in standard codes, leading to crucial errors of up to 5%.
Nevertheless cosmic variance means that standard LCDM models are still a very
good fit to the data and evidence for dynamics is currently very weak.
Independent tests of reionisation or the epoch of acceleration (e.g. ISW-LSS
correlations) or reduction of cosmic variance at large scales (e.g. cluster
polarisation at high redshift) may prove key in the hunt for dynamics.
