WTB: ESS ES9028 (not ES9028Pro)

[ZoSoNCSU]

ES9028Pro Found! No longer needed. Can delete this thread.

I sort of got screwed/confused by a Chinese Ebay seller who never requested payment for the ES9028/ES9028Pro primary IC and just shipped the incomplete DIY kit, but they included the R-Core transformer! Basically they sent me everything needed to run the DAC except the main IC for the DAC... haha. They even sent me a message asking me about which IC and I told them the ES9028, but they sent me a blank board without ever asking for payment.. We had 3 or 4 messages back and forth and this still happened.

What makes this even better is the very first message I sent to this company/person was to ask if they would solder the main IC for me and leave the rest. Well, they soldered random SMD components which I can easily do.. I even told them I don't need their op-amps if that could be offset with better alternatives for my other parts I do need. It's like none of this registered the whole time and the main Ad says nothing about missing cost of IC in the cost. I have no problem soldering in this kind of IC with SMD parts as I do have a hot air re-worker and I can do it with a standard iron too. Have flux and soldering paste along with ChipQuik.

I was wondering if anyone has any idea of the best place to get an IC like the ES9028, that is the one I was going for. I have seen ES9028Pro's going for $70 on Ebay, but my upgraded LED display kit needs the ES9028 to work properly according to the seller. Or perhaps someone with an ES9028 is looking to jump to the 9038, I would definitely take a used model for a reasonable price (say ~$40 obo) to help out on paying for the ES9038.

Below you can see pictures of the PCB without the main IC and I included grabs of the ebay seller because I have seen them disappear many times.


Note: The very first picture of the PCB is one I took and is what I am working with.

[ZoSoNCSU]

Do they make fakes or is it really possible a genuine ES9028 is installed in a $18 piece of hardware?

NEW HiFi Assembled ES9028 I2S input decoders ES9028Q2M mill board DAC | eBay

If that is real I can just remove it and put it on mine for less than $20.

You can't see the pins like you do on the $80 new model for ES9028Pro

Any thoughts on this?

(Few more pics of what I do have)

[slimtom]

This seller is really terible - but once he ships everything it actually works. Bought DAC ES9018 in 2015 - just finished it now ) (quarantine is good for this).

I am also looking to buy again - but PRO version this time. PRO version asks for more power - does anyone knows if power section is ok enough to supply this kind of power to PRO version of DAC?