Well tonight I rolled op amp 209. I also found the time to get myself a nice mini screwdriver and a magnifying glass to make the task a lot easier. I got the case opened up in under a couple of minutes and slid out the guts without any problems. Surprisingly, the screws weren't super tight and it only took a little added torque on my part to get them loosened up. It was a bit of a pain in the rear trying to read the op amp numbers even when under the magnifying glass. I eventually got it all sorted out once I realized that if I tilted the op amp just right under the bright light the lettering became a lot easier to make out. The dip extractor was invaluable and I had both of the 627 op amps pulled out in a few seconds and the 209's slotted in in under 30 seconds. Everything pulled out and slotted in quite nicely and I didn't have to mess around trying to get the pronged feet into the board. I also took special care to make sure the square solder mark was aligned properly like the 627 surface markings were. I slid the guts back into the case without a hassle and got the screws back in with minimal fuss. It took a minute of playing around with the screws to ensure they lined up properly and screwed down firmly but overall it wasn't a big deal. Overall, I was surprised what a hassle free experience it was and I had it all done from start to finish in about 7 or 8 minutes. I would have probably gotten it all done in under 5 minutes if I didn't have to monkey around with the magnifying glass trying to identify which op amp was which.
When I first ordered it I was a little scared concerning op amp 209. From some peoples posted impressions I was fearing 209 would sound to lean and harsh for my tastes but thus far I'm really enjoying this op amp configuration. The 627 is easily the more colored smoother sounding op amp and it was enjoyable in that it made everything sound very musical. With 209 I'm finding added detail and clarity in the mids of my gear and there seems to be a bit more crispness to the notes. I've only been listening to this op amp for maybe a couple of hours thus far and the impression I'm forming so far is it sounds a bit like the 8610 only without the added touch or warmth and a slightly less full bodied sounding low end. It's pretty neutral sounding in my opinion and I guess some people around these parts would describe it as dry sounding. I'm also guessing some people out there might not like the 209 citing it would make their music sound boring but for me I'm really digging the more neutral like presentation and the added clarity, dynamics, and detail. I haven't rolled the 8610 op amp into the MK II yet, I'll probably get around to it on Monday but the 8610 is the op amp in my UHA-4 so I'm not expecting to hear to much difference compared to what I'm used to although I would think it might sound a touch more cleaner in the MK II compared to the UHA 4 due to the MK II having a overall generally cleaner sounding amp section. Thus far I've only paired the MK II with the 209 op amp with my M-80, M-100 and MDR EX 600 IEM so these early impressions might change down the road. Only time will tell.
Today I also tried out the MK II's Cirrus Logic DAC for the very first time. I'm currently using it hooked up via USB to my laptop streaming music from my iTunes library playing 16 bit ALAC files as I type this post. I'm finding this DAC a mixed bag and I really don't think it would be fair of me passing judgement on it considering my experience with quality sounding DAC's is limited. I do find that it sounds a few steps better then my 3rd gen iPod Touch. It seems the highs are no longer so rolled off and there seems to be a touch more separation on the top end. When compared to my onboard Realtek laptop sound card I'm also finding it a step up and overall I think it's a far better refined sound as well as a more natural sound. I've always had issues with my onboard sound card and I've always thought it sounded rather, for a lack of a better description, crude and two dimensional. Music generally speaking with this DAC seems to sound nice and I would grade it as almost as capable as my 3rd anniversary Studio V DAP. I'm especially finding vocals no longer sound as constricted and shouty as they do when pairing the MK II directly to my iPod as it's source. Even so I still think my Studio V probably has the more capable DAC.
So, anyone else out there have anything to add concerning the 209, 8610 or 627 op amps? I'm rather curious what everyone elses personal opinion on these op amps are and whether anyone has tried any other alternative op amp configurations.
