Sony Playstation 1 as a dedicated CDP

Danfoss2011 · 1 May 2011 at 14:18

This has been around for sometime and has made lots of noise within the audio side of things. I though i would give it a crack.

The main hype is the 32bit DAC and the transporter being the best there is.

eBay and £4 latter i got my self a SCPH 10002 delivered (02 is the UK version).

It cam with the RF, power cable and the controler.

There is some very good forum topis about, i've been using the one over on DIYAudio.

One guy has a website from Germany with all the mods which i will be perfoming

http://dogbreath.de/PS1/index.html

I've had a quick listen and already it's better than my Arcam Alpha 9 with it's own 24 bit ring dac or if use the digital coax on my dac magic.

The mods should really open it up more and as it burns in with the modded parts sound even better.

alex24 · 1 May 2011 at 14:31

I find it amazing and quite unbelievable that the sound can be so good. I don't understand the audio electronics, so that's probably why.

I have a PSX somewhere, doubt it's a version 1 but I can check.

It'd be great to see a log of your progress.

MatteH Oxford · 1 May 2011 at 14:32

I remember my mate having the original launch PS1, it was the one with the rca outputs on the back wasn't it?. I remember him playing One Love: The Very Best of Bob Marley on it & being impressed with how good it sounded.

Danfoss2011 · 1 May 2011 at 14:33

alexhull24 said:
I find it amazing and quite unbelievable that the sound can be so good. I don't understand the audio electronics, so that's probably why.

I have a PSX somewhere, doubt it's a version 1 but I can check.

It'd be great to see a log of your progress.

I'll share it here. Most high end CDP's are 24 bit. The PS1 has a 32 bit due to the gfx for the games. The higher the dac the better. Then how the cd sits on the unit and the mounting is what helps.

Danfoss2011 · 1 May 2011 at 14:37

Okay i was able to bring my self to open her up. This thing is so easy to take apart, unlike a Xbox 360. Also no dust, it was totaly spotless in there.

Took some photos quickly, sorry im using my iPhone to do it as DSLR is on charge.

Not sure what version of the PSU i have but the PS is SPCH-1002. I didn't see a mod chip in there, i had a good roout around and took it down to nothing. Safe to say back togther it still works so it's past the Dan opens it and kills it test!

So mods. PSU is a dead easy and quick simple one which i might try if i can find some wires. Just to extend it so it's outside of the unit it's self. I can cut the currently cable in half and extend it.

Idealy i want a new PSU for it in it's own box but need to order the parts.

daelo · 1 May 2011 at 21:09

This is mucho interesting... I have an old ps1 scph00002 or whatever correct one is and fancy having a go at modding it as it has no use any more as a games console ...

so i shall be following this thread closely and good luck!

daelo · 1 May 2011 at 21:14

ooohh can u help me and tell me the seqeunce of buttons on the controller to play a cd without the thing being connected up to the tv?

got it running straight into amp at the moment so canne get it to play :rolleyes:

*edit silly me.. i plugged the rca into the audio out of my amp , was wondering why it wasnt working!
Just need to press the start button

Danfoss2011 · 2 May 2011 at 11:30

I've just done the BIAS, GAIN and intensaity tweak and now a CDR plays so i can test some 320kb MP3's i got.

Ev0 · 3 May 2011 at 11:08

Been tidying out a cupboard and have found all bagged up a CPH 10002 ps1

I won't be needing it for anything though so it'll be going to a charity shop/tip.

DJ_Hughesy · 3 May 2011 at 11:19

shud try something like this ev0

marcus_667 · 3 May 2011 at 11:19

you running some mod on it or something for mp3 playback ?

Ev0 · 3 May 2011 at 14:30

DJ_Hughesy said:
shud try something like this ev0

Well if anyone here wants it and will cover postage plus a couple of quid

alex24 · 3 May 2011 at 14:42

Stick it on the MM, I'm sure you'll get some takers.

Corasik · 3 May 2011 at 18:44

The Video DAC will have nothing to do with the sound.. and most likely the video dac is 10bit anyway!.

In your own post you linked an article with details of the audio dac!

The DAC used in most SCPH100x is an Ashahi Kasei Microsystems (AKM) AK4309AVM. It is a 16 bit Stereo Delta-Sigma DAC.

Its a classic 16bit (non bitstream) dac. Nothing wrong with it, and im sure the PS1 can sound great modded as a CD player, it does have a pretty good transport.

Danfoss2011 · 3 May 2011 at 22:57

All the music runs through the 32 bit dac thats in there even with the dedicated audio dac.

Danfoss2011 · 5 May 2011 at 22:16

Started the mods

Removal of the muting transistors

Removal of the six electrolytic capacitors DC blocking caps

Sorry photos are pants, taken with phone

Need to sort the output caps and RCA's next

LEUVEN · 6 May 2011 at 12:34

Danfoss2011 - 1st May said:
Took some photos quickly, sorry im using my iPhone to do it as DSLR is on charge.

Danfoss2011 - 5th May said:
Sorry photos are pants, taken with phone

Faulty battery?

Sounds interesting though, wish I hadn't have given mine to my cousin now.

james.miller · 6 May 2011 at 18:49

Danfoss2011 said:
All the music runs through the 32 bit dac thats in there even with the dedicated audio dac.

there is no 32bit dac. i think you are confusing dacs with risc processors.

MikeHunt79 · 6 May 2011 at 19:00

james.miller said:
there is no 32bit dac. i think you are confusing dacs with risc processors.

+1, many DSP's are 32-bit, but right now you can only get 24bit DAC's. CD's only have 16bits worth of dynamic range anyway, so a 16bit DAC is fine for CD playback.

also have one of these early PS1's somewhere, and even in stock form they sound nice...

Swapping the caps may help a little, it looks easy enough.

Another option would be to bypass the caps totally, and have the DC blocking caps mounted externally, as some of the higher end ones can be pretty huge.

Danfoss2011 · 8 May 2011 at 12:52

LEUVEN said:
Faulty battery?

Sounds interesting though, wish I hadn't have given mine to my cousin now.

Nah just lazy and at a mates as he's a much better setup and steady hand.

I think you might want to check over some more the DAC is 32bit as per the spec from the mfg.