Chinese ES9018K2M I2S DAC

Hi all.

I bought this DAC from aliexpress.

I connected a 12V DC power source and also connected the I2S lines and GND to a Raspberry Pi 3 with Volumio. In playback options I selected Generic I2S DAC as the DAC model. After this, I get sound in my speakers, however it comes with a lot of noise, that makes it impossible to actually hear the music.

Does any one else also has this DAC? What can be done to remove the noise?

Thanks.

P.S: I'm using a breadboard to connect the I2S cable through jumper cables to the Pi. I do realize that this is not the best option, but I do doubt that this is what's making the noise.
 
Similar experience

Hi - I have also bought one of these on eBay. I use various Rasberry Pis, and use Moode (v2.7) as the software with this DAC set as the basic RPI-DAC through i2s. If you look on the Moode thread, you will see comments on the same problems you found. The consensus seems to be that unless we get an open source driver from ESS suitable for this chip, then we will be limited in using or unable to use the 9018k2m features (hardware volume control, programmable filters, higher bit rates, DSD, etc). I currently get very good sound on 24/96, but it is very frustrating that we cannot access the other features. Regards Adrian
 
Hi - I have also bought two of these on eBay. I use both Rasberry Pi B and 2B, and Moode (v2.7) with this DAC set as the basic RPI-DAC through i2s.
It plays fine and without noise or distortions on radio streams and Flac files through to 192/24 . 44.1/16 gives no trouble.

Possible your wiring is the first thing to try... check and post your connection and pins.
 
Hi all - I also get it to play all up to 192/24 with no problems now. Most of my material is 96/24 and I'm more than happy with the sound quality. The question is around the extra features of this chip and how to access them -e.g. bit perfect hardware volume control, playback of DSD, selectable filters.... I'm most interested in the volume control, since I like to use the RPi with Dac as a headless "pre-amp" straight into one of my power amps. Any ideas or progress here? Adrian
 
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The question is around the extra features of this chip and how to access them -e.g. bit perfect hardware volume control, playback of DSD, selectable filters.... I'm most interested in the volume control, since I like to use the RPi with Dac as a headless "pre-amp" straight into one of my power amps. Any ideas or progress here? Adrian

Hi Adrian,

You need the proper driver for the ES9018K2M. Using the generic I2S driver means the ES9018K2M is just working in hardware mode. ESS will not allow open source drivers to be made available so you are unlikely to find one in the usual Linux distributions. ESS force developers to sign a NDA so they can't even discuss technical details openly. The hardware developer should be supplying the proper driver assuming they have gone through proper ESS processes.

regards
 
Hi Adrian,

You need the proper driver for the ES9018K2M. Using the generic I2S driver means the ES9018K2M is just working in hardware mode. ESS will not allow open source drivers to be made available so you are unlikely to find one in the usual Linux distributions. ESS force developers to sign a NDA so they can't even discuss technical details openly. The hardware developer should be supplying the proper driver assuming they have gone through proper ESS processes.

regards

I think the main problem with these Chinese DACs is that the I2C lines are not exposed, so you have no way of programming the internal registers to actually fully control the DAC. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
 
Simple question - the DAC definately uses the classical Philips I2S-Format?
I am asking because the "II2S" pin description

in the dac mentioned by the thread starter

uses Sony-terminology:
LRCK / BCK / DATA, those data lines can be found in the majority of
all japanese players.I remember this from the times when I provided digital out
to first / second gen. japamese players (Sony/Nakamichi/Toshiba)

I2S uses
Continious Serial Clock (SCK)
Word Select (WS)
Serial Data (SD)
Maybe the same is meant.

Reason why I am asking:
I would like to use the DAC in a cassical Philips player...
 
Hi,

I also bought this DAC but I recommend avoiding it. It's a cheap chinese knock off with serious design flaws:

- there is no input regulator (at least a LM317). The two transistors are a joke. The noise from the power supply goes directly in the op amp.
- there is no bipolar power supply.
- the voltage for the digital part of the DAC is 5V which is too much for the DAC. Most likely it's a buggy / faulty ES9018K2M batch. Replacing the 5V LDO with a real TLV1117 (3.3V version from TI) makes things even worse for the digital side. The I2S input signal is very sensitive to wire capacitance and the playback stops from time to time.
- the small "Nichicon" capacitors (most likely fake ones) used for headphones and line out coupling are rated at only 6.3V ... this is too low if you use the DAC with 12V input.
- the DAC is used in voltage output mode instead of current output mode (that provides the best performance for this DAC). The op amp implements a differential multiple feedback low pass filter with a gain of 1.3.
- the crystal oscillator goes very hot.
- the sound is very loud in a 33 ohm headphones but also very distorted especially for low frequencies.

Instead of buying this crappy board you'd better save the money for something better.

I really wait to see a decent ES9018K2M implementation ... but it's not the case for this DAC.
 
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I have no knowledge of the command bus and since the datasheet is closed to the public, very few people do. In both this case and for my Audioquest Dragonfly, the playback software has to be used to reduce it.

The DF has the advantage of an analog domain hardware volume control, which is about four words too many for the 'designer' of this board. Hence it is restricted to software mode only in my case.

What was needed was for the firmware to be programmed internally to cap the maximum volume at -1dB, and/or an external I2C pad to be provided. A SPDIF input would also be nice (almost all motherboards have a SPDIF output header, which would work well with the TTL compatible SPDIF input on the ESS chips). But if wishes were horses, pigs would fly.

Taz may be able to provide some more input and a remedy.
 
Hi,

I also bought this DAC but I recommend avoiding it. It's a cheap chinese knock off with serious design flaws:

- there is no input regulator (at least a LM317). The two transistors are a joke. The noise from the power supply goes directly in the op amp.
- there is no bipolar power supply.
- the voltage for the digital part of the DAC is 5V which is too much for the DAC. Most likely it's a buggy / faulty ES9018K2M batch. Replacing the 5V LDO with a real TLV1117 (3.3V version from TI) makes things even worse for the digital side. The I2S input signal is very sensitive to wire capacitance and the playback stops from time to time.
- the small "Nichicon" capacitors (most likely fake ones) used for headphones and line out coupling are rated at only 6.3V ... this is too low if you use the DAC with 12V input.
- the DAC is used in voltage output mode instead of current output mode (that provides the best performance for this DAC). The op amp implements a differential multiple feedback low pass filter with a gain of 1.3.
- the crystal oscillator goes very hot.
- the sound is very loud in a 33 ohm headphones but also very distorted especially for low frequencies.

Instead of buying this crappy board you'd better save the money for something better.

I really wait to see a decent ES9018K2M implementation ... but it's not the case for this DAC.

Is that one?
TB2O1DStXXXXXaSXpXXXXXXXXXX_!!88221699.jpg


I see there are one bjt near the power input connect, do you mean it does not have any power regulator design?

Otherwise,

There is their new product used ES9028Q2M:
TB2ck6ZhxdkpuFjy0FbXXaNnpXa_!!88221699.jpg



Another shop's design usde ES9018K2M:
TB2q3Klgd4opuFjSZFLXXX8mXXa_!!12617510.jpg


I like the last one design. This products has a kit:
TB2kasye3NlpuFjy0FfXXX3CpXa_!!12617510.jpg


I have order one kit and waiting.....
 
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I actually also ended up ordering two of the older 9018 units for some low-tech grunt work. I did hear the one my friend had and it sounded perfectly acceptable for menial tasks.

Even with software castration and a basic power supply, it sounded almost as good as my first-generation Buffalo DAC. It had a lower noise floor than the Buff, and the price is really low.

That 9028 board is interesting, looks like someone decided to man up and add the missing stuff. Which should be good news, but it's vaporware at the moment since no international store is selling it. There also are no pictures anywhere else.
 
That 9028 board is interesting, looks like someone decided to man up and add the missing stuff. Which should be good news, but it's vaporware at the moment since no international store is selling it. There also are no pictures anywhere else.

There are a couple on e-bay:

Assembled ES9028 I2S input decoders ES9028Q2M mill board DAC | eBay

Assembly ES9028Q2M ES9028 I2S DSD Input DAC Decoders Board With Soft Control CPU

No mention of any software to control the features though.
 
I actually also ended up ordering two of the older 9018 units for some low-tech grunt work. I did hear the one my friend had and it sounded perfectly acceptable for menial tasks.

Even with software castration and a basic power supply, it sounded almost as good as my first-generation Buffalo DAC. It had a lower noise floor than the Buff, and the price is really low.

That 9028 board is interesting, looks like someone decided to man up and add the missing stuff. Which should be good news, but it's vaporware at the moment since no international store is selling it. There also are no pictures anywhere else.

Could you please talk more. I am very interesting in raspberry pi audio solution.

Thanks,