I'll be honest this review surprised me... But first a little joke.
Man walks into his doctors office and says "hey doc how you doing?". Doctor says "I'm doing fine, how about you?"'. Man say's "great doc, feeling great, losing weight, exercising, couldn't be better! So what's my blood pressure? Doctor says "135/90". Man says "that's a bad measurement right doc?". Doctor says "but you feel fine right?"
Audio science and measurements correlate to something biological, but do not define anything biologically in it of themselves. So much as a blood pressure of 110/75 being better then 120/80. Is it really, is 105/65 better? Can either person discern, perceive or feel the difference? Maybe, but probably not. These scientific measurements of a biological phenomenon are not absolutes. They'll never be.
Ask anyone who works in the scientific field of medicine and healthcare. These measurements, laboratory tests, and diagnostic studies do not amount to the sum total of "physical" experience of most states of well-being and disease. They are a frame of reference, but no where near a defining maxim and vary immensely person to person. Often only leaving all but the extremes cases to go unnoticed.
I see patients who's diagnostic studies alone would make me believe they're wheelchair bound and permanently debilitated. These people walk in the door and say "they feel fine". This isn't the norm, but rarely do diagnostics frame a physical experience in an quantifiable and reproducible way. Honestly this phenomena is quite common.
I've had a chance to own not only this poor measuring DAC, but also one's more expensive and cheaper one's and I can honestly say I've heard better and I've heard worse.
I've heard better measuring, cheaper DAC's that don't sound close to as good as the 005. I've heard more expensive, better measuring DAC's sounding better then the 005.
Subjectivity is objectively real, when objectively measurements fail to explain perception.
It's translation error really.
And subjective reviews are very important, because given enough of them over time, and in succession, comparisons and patterns (not dictums) can be drawn.
I utilize science, and I believe it, but science has no heuristics, and doesn't equate to my absolute joy in life.
These kinds of reviews are important too, I will not discredit their importance , but all I'm saying is "I feel fine doc... I feel fine."