Playstation 1 as CD Player?

[webby]

Anyone got one?

I don't know if this has been posted here before, I can't seem to find anything, so.......I came across these articles the other day:

http://www.destructoid.com/playstation-1-the-audiophile-s-dream--32269.phtml

http://www.stereophile.com/cdplayers/708play/index.html

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/leben2/system.html

Interesting....

[webby]

Ah shucks, I just did another search and found some threads. Sorry!

[john blackburn]

I've got a modded playstation here, I am more than happy with the sound/cost ratio.

The "definitive" modding guide is here..... http://dogbreath.de/PS1/index.html

It's the very first 1002 model you are looking for, the dac was downgraded on later versions seemingly.

It forced me to get an eye test and buy some glasses mindst. The parts to remove are much smaller than his photographs suggest.

John

[Tripmaster]

Hi Lee

You might like to ask Puffin (Robert) about his PS1. He's carried out several mods in the past. I'll forward this thread to him

[Tripmaster]

http://www.justblair.co.uk/ps1-as-cd-player.html

[jtay]

I've got the Playstation 1 scph 1002 unmodded. As you've realised, there's lots of info and polarised opinion on how this sounds in an audiophile context. I'm a bit of a champion of low costing products that perform above their price - more chance I can afford them. So, I'm often willing to have a go and try to keep an open mind. With that in mind, I've thoroughly enjoyed the PS1 1002 model (haven't tried others) and I've used it to front decent audiophile amps - Sugden a21a, MF pre/power (xp200), good tripath amps, with rewarding results. Given that I found it worked with very good ancillaries, it has surprised me that some people sum up their attempts with the PS1 with wholesale throwaway terms like rubbish/useless/terrible. For many an audiophile, contemplating an admittedly very ugly gaming computer as their primary source, is a paradigm shift too far.

I'd say, stomp up the £20 to buy one and make up your own mind. And don't be put off by it being yesterday's hifi news. You just might prefer the sound to a Beresford Dac (or other extensively discussed dac) on your system.

FWIW - I found the PS1 scph 1002 - musical, lovely midrange, good timbre to instruments, non-digital (ie smooth and analogue like). It didn't do the obvious audiophile gymnastics ie in your face walk around imaging (?); dog beckoning highs, gut churning bass nor forensic dissection of the music, but the mid range was lovely and revealing - I thought - and easy to listen to over long periods. I don't particularly like the 'better/worse than' approach to hifi components, without careful qualification, but the PS1 held its head high with other sources I've heard over the years. All depends on your taste, demands and biases which for a £20 outlay you can check out yourself :-)

Try to verify that the one you buy doesn't start skipping after it warms up, as many of them do.

Chris

As an afterthought, while I'm sure judicious modifying can improve a product, I'm also inclined to think that taking a cheap component and modifying it can be as much about giving yourself permission to introduce it into your elite hifi system when the plain product would not tick the right psycho-acoustic boxes. As the stereophile articles on the PS1 mention, there are likely some serious hifi reviewers who when they retire to the comfort and security of their own homes and behind closed doors and maybe elaborate alarm systems, take hidden pleasure in listening to the PS1 in unmodded form. My point - you may not even feel the need to modify it.

[Themis]

My opinion about the PS1 is just that it surprises people who never listened to an AKM chip. :)

Of course, I could be wrong, still, get a Squeezebox Transporter (or a -future- Touch) you could as well be equally surprised ! ;)

[Tripmaster]

My opinion about the PS1 is just that it surprises people who never listened to an AKM chip. :)

Of course, I could be wrong, still, get a Squeezebox Transporter (or a -future- Touch) you could as well be equally surprised ! ;)

I'm looking forward to the SB Touch :eyebrows:

You could also try a Shigaclone Transport. Dead simple to mod and sounds great

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-source/120229-finally-affordable-cd-transport-shigaclone-story.html

[jtay]

I didn't know the PS1 uses and AKM chip. I use an EMU 0404 which also relies on an AKM chip. Suppose it's coincidence as I didn't notice a 'family' sound.

[Themis]

I didn't know the PS1 uses and AKM chip. I use an EMU 0404 which also relies on an AKM chip. Suppose it's coincidence as I didn't notice a 'family' sound.
I listened to the EMU very briefly, I don't remember either, to tell the truth.
The recent EMU model has the same chip as the Transporter (was upgraded from AK4395 to AK4396, if I racll properly). The implementation varies though, I guess.

[Graeme]

I have a PS1 with the output amplification bypassed. I ran it through a valve output.

I was impressed, better than my marantz cd67se and better than my technics slp1200.

Using the technics again now though as the valve stage has too much gain.

[bonneville]

Hi
I bought a PS1 from my local swagconverters for the princely sum of £8 99p it came boxed with 2 controllers and some sort of Pal converter .Linked to a stereo 20 and Tannoy's I was rather impressed with it's performance once I got the thing to play .Is there anyway to make it simpler to operate? and you have to listen to all tracks (a bit like LP's) rather than skipping your non favorites.:(
Vinnie

[alb]

Vinnie.
You can buy a wireless control for the PS1. Maybe the PS2 is the same, i'm not sure.
Whether it gives you any means of skipping tracks, i've no idea.
I have a PS1 as a transport, but find it a bit inconvenient, so it lives in the shed mostly.

[Puffin]

The remote control kits for the PS2 normally available on ebay for about a £5 work with the PS1.

[webby]

I just dug out my old PS1 from the loft and discovered that it's a SPCH-5552 model, one of the later ones I guess, without the audio outs.

[The Black Adder]

I'm currently looking in to this PS1 possibility.. I've been in the video games industry since 89 there has always been roumours swirling around some machines in the past, NEC TurboGfx II/external cd rom, Dreamcast, even the Mega CD (but that was fookin ugly anyway) but not as much as the PS1 (Early editions).

Thing is, how does the AK dac measure up to say the Philips TDA1541A -S1 / S2?

The PS1 Dac seems to be seldom used, so is it a case of a limited production run?

Cheers