I've been using a Playstation 1 Model SCPH-1001 as my CD player for the last five months. I was skeptical as well after I read Jeff Day's "Music Lovers" article on Six Moons, but I thought, "Why Not?" So I went to my local used game store and picked up a mint condition unit for $25. It's best to buy one from a local game store, because they can test out the unit to make sure that it still operates. Keep in mind that the previous owner of any Playstation 1 probably wasn't using it as an audiophile CD player, so there could be a lot of junk and dirt all over the place. I took the cover off mine and cleaned everything out with an air blast cannister, some Isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth. You'd be surprised what stuff you find on these and in these. I also cleaned all the RCA jacks, AC receptacle, AV Multi-out port, the AC fuse holder and fuse with MG Chemicals Electrosolve residue-free contact cleaner. I also used Isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs to thoroughly clean the laser cleans and track. Afterwards, I used my Allsop CD lens cleaning disk to give the lens a final clean.
I didn't believe the claims that the Playstation sounds better after leaving it for a few days, but it's true. After initially turning on the Playstation, the sound isn't all that impressive: a little conjested, rolled-off highs and lows, a narrow and shallow soundstage. After about 1-2 days, I noticed details and tonal textures I hadn't heard before with my Onix XCD-88 CD player (same as Music Hall CD25.1). As I listened more and more, I noticed that the frequency extremes filled out more and the soundstage grew. To me, the Playstation portrays audio in an analog-like sense with a pleasant midrange. To provide better air flow around the plastic chassis, I elevated it using three 3M Bump On Polyurethane feet (two underneath the front and one underneath the rear). The 3M Bump On compound has some great dampening characteristics, and this came through with better defined bass and I have never experienced vibration or shock-induced skipping.
I later invested in a $45 PS Audio XStream Power Punch C7 power cord with a polarized IEC C7 power cord, and that further improved the frequency extension and dynamic performance of the Playstation. Tympani drums took on an even more realistic slam, rubatos were even more convincing and the soundstage grew. I am not a tweak freak, but this little ABS plastic clad console seemed to respond to the tweaks, so I went out on a limb and bought an Isoclean 2A 5mm x 20mm slow blow fuse for $25. The fuse made a noticeable improvement primarily buiding upon the improvements I heard with the power cord. I also purchased a used Sony Playstation 2 DVD IR remote control and IR receiver module that plugs into the controller port. My total investment is around $105, and I have a highly musical Redbook CD player that has made my Onix CD player obsolete.
I have a friend who owned an Electrocompaniet CD player with an Anagram DAC, and he likes his Playstation 1 more as he feels it is a more musical player. I just met a gentleman at The Burning Amp Festival in San Francisco yesterday who told me he sold off his Marantz SA8260 SACD/CD player in favor of a Playstation 1. A few people who have read some of my posts on Audiogon have emailed me and told me that they have had excellent results with the Playstation 1. Michael DeVore of DeVore Fidelity uses a Playstation 1 in one of his factory's audition systems.
I have since purchased a couple more units for future modification projects. My plan is to bypass the op amp output buffer and channel the signal from the AKM DAC to the RCA outputs. This modification has been well documented in a diyAudio.com thread. AfFordable Audio featured a write-up on this mod in their review of the Lite DAC in the October 2007 issue.
When shopping for a Playstation 1, you want to get Model SCPH-1001 with the three RCA jacks on the rear: Left Audio Out, Right Audio Out and Composite Video Out. It's impossible to verify this before buying one, but the later built units used an improved die cast laser housing (e.g., K440-ACM) rather than the cheaper and less reliable plastic housing that tends to bind on the laser guide rails due to excessive thermal expansion of the plastic parts from heat generated by the power supply. Good RCA interconnects make a big difference. Please don't pass judgement on the Playstation 1 using the cheap AV cable or RCA interconnects.
