Hi
Mike is right there are some good bits about the 550x mods in earlier posts. For one thing you have space to put caps above the RF shield and also the laser assembly is further away from the power supply.
Lasers for the 550x 750x and 900x all work with the long leads
on 550x playstations and there is less to desolder on the motherboard. the 100x and 550x both have the 67.7376MHz
clock and the AKM (AVM) version of the DAC. It is to be noted that
the Kenwood 1000L CD player is the only other listed player
to have a 67.7376MHz clock on the Tent Labs Website! (Maybe of interest to some.) The 550x was the one used by Auditorium 23
for their demos some time back. Drilling out the back of the top shield and cutting the back of the 550x player to allow RCAs
to be place there is not too hard. Suppose getting a jumper from the AV multi out socket can give you a video screen feed if you need it. I find it hard to tell the difference between a 100x and a 550x when modified and a 100x with a PSONE BAM transport may
just tip the scales but I am in my 50s and so do not expect perfect
hearing ! Good luck and you will have fun with the 550x series but
make sure isolating the the unit on a board like Mike does and
you will get good results plus output and analogue power supply
when you can.
regards
AnthonyPT
Mike is right there are some good bits about the 550x mods in earlier posts. For one thing you have space to put caps above the RF shield and also the laser assembly is further away from the power supply.
Lasers for the 550x 750x and 900x all work with the long leads
on 550x playstations and there is less to desolder on the motherboard. the 100x and 550x both have the 67.7376MHz
clock and the AKM (AVM) version of the DAC. It is to be noted that
the Kenwood 1000L CD player is the only other listed player
to have a 67.7376MHz clock on the Tent Labs Website! (Maybe of interest to some.) The 550x was the one used by Auditorium 23
for their demos some time back. Drilling out the back of the top shield and cutting the back of the 550x player to allow RCAs
to be place there is not too hard. Suppose getting a jumper from the AV multi out socket can give you a video screen feed if you need it. I find it hard to tell the difference between a 100x and a 550x when modified and a 100x with a PSONE BAM transport may
just tip the scales but I am in my 50s and so do not expect perfect
hearing ! Good luck and you will have fun with the 550x series but
make sure isolating the the unit on a board like Mike does and
you will get good results plus output and analogue power supply
when you can.
regards
AnthonyPT
Won a few more on Ebay
Well I won two more 1001 units on Ebay
On opening the box to the one I have received so far it looks like it is new with no signs of wear. I also sounds better the the one i've been using.
Could it be that it really does have less hours on it and the components are closer to original spec? Would that give it better sound?
Well I won two more 1001 units on Ebay
On opening the box to the one I have received so far it looks like it is new with no signs of wear. I also sounds better the the one i've been using. Could it be that it really does have less hours on it and the components are closer to original spec? Would that give it better sound?
Output Stage Replacement Issues
I'm finding out that I have a rare talent in popping off SMDs off these boards. Don't ask how, but I've removed the larger and smaller capacitor near the small SMD required to be removed on the topside near the RCA jacks. Soooo, do I go ahead and reinstall these or should I not bother because they are out of circuit (or are they)?
Second, I do have some Dayton 3.3uF polypropylenes, but they are unfortunately fat and round. The only place I could find for them is alongside the PS board between that board and the main board. I'd have to run wire there and back. Should I just hold off and get some square film caps or should I be all right?
I'm finding out that I have a rare talent in popping off SMDs off these boards. Don't ask how, but I've removed the larger and smaller capacitor near the small SMD required to be removed on the topside near the RCA jacks. Soooo, do I go ahead and reinstall these or should I not bother because they are out of circuit (or are they)?
Second, I do have some Dayton 3.3uF polypropylenes, but they are unfortunately fat and round. The only place I could find for them is alongside the PS board between that board and the main board. I'd have to run wire there and back. Should I just hold off and get some square film caps or should I be all right?
Playstation causes hum
Hi Playstation fans,
I only recently discovered this thread/subject and bought a Playstation (SCPH-5501). I've bypassed the output stage and have series caps connected to the DAC outputs and parallel resistors at the output jacks. I'm getting a lot of hum from this setup. Haven't seen much talk of this in the thread so I'm guessing it's not a common problem. Any ideas? My system is all DIY tube stuff. I've done a similar output stage bypass to my DVD player that I use for CD's and don't have this problem. Maybe the SMPS is the source of the problem and a linear would reduce it. Thanks for any help.
John
Hi Playstation fans,
I only recently discovered this thread/subject and bought a Playstation (SCPH-5501). I've bypassed the output stage and have series caps connected to the DAC outputs and parallel resistors at the output jacks. I'm getting a lot of hum from this setup. Haven't seen much talk of this in the thread so I'm guessing it's not a common problem. Any ideas? My system is all DIY tube stuff. I've done a similar output stage bypass to my DVD player that I use for CD's and don't have this problem. Maybe the SMPS is the source of the problem and a linear would reduce it. Thanks for any help.
John
Hi
Hmm! I found the SCPH 1001/2 with output mods
quieter than the others. I did not have
shielded cables either. Maybe check your wiring
with a magnifier. Are you using 3.3Mf -4.7Mf
plus suitable resistor to ground that Mike_F
advises? Maybe try shielded cable.
The 5501/2s should be easier than the
1001/2s Most have the same DAC.
Are you putting RCAs in the back or above
the parallel port like some do? Check the
ground on the RCAs.My next unit to mod is
a 5502!
Regards
AnthonyPT
Hmm! I found the SCPH 1001/2 with output mods
quieter than the others. I did not have
shielded cables either. Maybe check your wiring
with a magnifier. Are you using 3.3Mf -4.7Mf
plus suitable resistor to ground that Mike_F
advises? Maybe try shielded cable.
The 5501/2s should be easier than the
1001/2s Most have the same DAC.
Are you putting RCAs in the back or above
the parallel port like some do? Check the
ground on the RCAs.My next unit to mod is
a 5502!
Regards
AnthonyPT
Output noise
Hi AnthonyPT,
Thanks for your reply. I am using small caps, 0.68uF. I calculated the corner frequency with my preamp input resistance and it's about 2-3Hz. My previous description as hum should really be buzz. It's not a line frequency hum, it's a higher freq buzzing sound. I used a lighted magnifying lamp to examine my solder connections. As a first try I just soldered the capacitor leg to the pad by the DAC and the other end to the RCA center post. Resistors are mounted at the jacks and there is a common ground wire back to a ground pad near the DAC. Nothing is shielded so it may be that simple.
I desoldered the serial port connector and have the RCA's in that location.
Thank again,
John
Hi AnthonyPT,
Thanks for your reply. I am using small caps, 0.68uF. I calculated the corner frequency with my preamp input resistance and it's about 2-3Hz. My previous description as hum should really be buzz. It's not a line frequency hum, it's a higher freq buzzing sound. I used a lighted magnifying lamp to examine my solder connections. As a first try I just soldered the capacitor leg to the pad by the DAC and the other end to the RCA center post. Resistors are mounted at the jacks and there is a common ground wire back to a ground pad near the DAC. Nothing is shielded so it may be that simple.
I desoldered the serial port connector and have the RCA's in that location.
Thank again,
John
Hi John
If you have drilled holes in the back
of the metal chasis for the RCAs and have an
earth lead, you may have an earth loop. On
the output mods for the older 1001/2 just the
wire from the L&R are sufficient.
You might try a larger cap 3.3mf & 22Kohm just
to see if it clears things up.If you
have the RCAs drilled into plastic then
maybe change the earth source around too.
Regards
AnthonyPT
Look at his cables
http://methe-family.de,
If you have drilled holes in the back
of the metal chasis for the RCAs and have an
earth lead, you may have an earth loop. On
the output mods for the older 1001/2 just the
wire from the L&R are sufficient.
You might try a larger cap 3.3mf & 22Kohm just
to see if it clears things up.If you
have the RCAs drilled into plastic then
maybe change the earth source around too.
Regards
AnthonyPT
Look at his cables
http://methe-family.de,
I'm doing the MARK mod replacing the output stage altogether with 3.3uF caps. I completed the process exactly as described, except I accidently popped off the two SMD devices (smaller is a cap measuring .343uF) shown in the attached photo. I also only removed the first two caps of the output stage for placement of the new 3.3uF output caps on pin 15 and 16 (the other 4 caps are still there, the instructions were unclear about their removal). I turned her on and there is a loud hum and the disc spins initially and the startup message is audible behind the hum, then the disc stops spinning and refuses to play.
1. Are the two caps I popped off indicated in the attached drawings possibly the culprit here or are they suppose to be out of the circuit altogether in this mod?
2. Do the other caps need to be removed also?
1. Are the two caps I popped off indicated in the attached drawings possibly the culprit here or are they suppose to be out of the circuit altogether in this mod?
2. Do the other caps need to be removed also?
Attachments
Hi
Its the one at the back that Mike says
needs to go.However before throwing those
two away you have removed you might measure them
if you have a Cap meter just in case you have
to source them either as surface mounts or
more regular caps. You may have to sit with the schematic
and see where they go and if they have any effect.
Others may advise you as I do not have an open
PS1 really handy.
regards
AnthonyPT
Ps. certainly take out the one at the back that Mike_F
advises. Diagram supplied ma help.
Its the one at the back that Mike says
needs to go.However before throwing those
two away you have removed you might measure them
if you have a Cap meter just in case you have
to source them either as surface mounts or
more regular caps. You may have to sit with the schematic
and see where they go and if they have any effect.
Others may advise you as I do not have an open
PS1 really handy.
regards
AnthonyPT
Ps. certainly take out the one at the back that Mike_F
advises. Diagram supplied ma help.
Attachments
AnthonyPT said:
The larger cap has 3 x 15uF (measured at 14uF) and the smaller one is a 333nF unit. None show polarity, so they are film, right? I don't see any of these values on the schematic. I disassembled to check my work and found that the front connectors for the joysticks has a ribbon cable I had failed to install. I also removed the next row of caps (that feed the AV output per Mark's schematic). Now I get no response at all on power up, I'll take off the last row of caps and see what happens...
DreadPirate said:
After some poking around, found that the center cap on the larger 3x (14uF) connected the rca negative to ground and was necessary. The others traced back to the bank of capacitors, all of which I ended up removing, so they were out of circuit. All is well now. I don't think I'm ever going to bother with any mods that involve SMDs again...
BTW, I'm using these from Newark:
Cornell Dublier DME1W3P3K-F
http://www.newark.com/66K1957/passi...ORNELL-DUBILIER-DME1W3P3K-F&_requestid=380210
Newark has no minimum and ridiculously cheap shipping charges.
Thanks to Mike and DIYAUDIO I've been enjoying both an unmodded PS1 and more recently, a PS1 with the output stage bypassed with a pair of Cornell Dublier DME series 3.3uF polyester caps.
No doubt, very good clarity and detail as well as a very wide soundstage and I can't complain one bit from CD player costing but $15.
I'm not 100% satisfied, though. I find both CD players a bit harsh sounding and maybe the modded one a bit more so. Is this something others have found and are there approaches to address this harshness? I've experienced it both on my main system consisting of a Denon PRA-1500 preamp, an Adcom GFA-555-II amp, w/ Thiel CS3.6 speakers and most recently on a tripath based 2024 system with Klipsch KG-2 speakers, it is not my system, it is traceable to the PS CD player itself.
No doubt, very good clarity and detail as well as a very wide soundstage and I can't complain one bit from CD player costing but $15.
I'm not 100% satisfied, though. I find both CD players a bit harsh sounding and maybe the modded one a bit more so. Is this something others have found and are there approaches to address this harshness? I've experienced it both on my main system consisting of a Denon PRA-1500 preamp, an Adcom GFA-555-II amp, w/ Thiel CS3.6 speakers and most recently on a tripath based 2024 system with Klipsch KG-2 speakers, it is not my system, it is traceable to the PS CD player itself.