@branislav I was perhaps the first or one of the first people in North America to purchase 005 two and a half years ago, purchased totally blind without a single review I was aware of. I had previously purchased LKS004 with intention to fully modify based on headfi 004 thread. Shortly after 004 purchase I discovered 005 which appeared to have far more potential than any modded 004 could possibly attain. At this point I purchased 005 and posted my impressions on headfi. Both Melm and Dbb purchased 005 shortly thereafter, both posted positive impressions as well. At some point I mentioned posting reviews over here, the rest is history.
When first purchasing 005 blindly, never expected much more than upgraded 004, something I could live with for a couple years at best. Virtually instantaneously I could hear 005 would be far more than intermediate step to something better. When I posted my initial impressions on headfi I had no idea others would trust my impressions, this being Chinese dac, relatively inexpensive relative to my over the top impressions, and being new poster at headfi. Obviously, some made their own calculations, purchased 005 and heard the same overachieving sound qualities. The rest is history.
I wonder how long this thread can go on? Between new owners posting positive impressions and longer term owners making systematic upgrades it seems to live on. If I could think of one thing that keeps it going for longer term owners its the extreme resolution of the dac. We upgrade our systems, new information uncovered, always seeking to uncover more of it's potential. That it does it with soul is really the more amazing thing, high resolving powers without soul gets old pretty fast.
Still waiting to hear this dac comparatively reviewed against the upper tier, thus far its held its own against dacs up to $10k. Specifically, I've seen short term comparisons to Mola Mola and Holo May..