Hi,
I have been tuning up PS1 machines for use in HiFi rigs for sometime now and I have found that the original guidelines set up by Mike are a good starting point but they are only that. The age of the laser seems to affect the actual settings. I use a stock of commercial and home-made CDs as my set of standard tests and using these so far no one has had any trouble with cd tracking on the units that I have shipped. Concerning home-made cds, my tests, which are pretty limited, seem to show that TDK CD-R Audio cds are very reliable and give as good results as commercial pressings. Please keep in mind that problems with home made recordings could lie with the set up of the recording laser rather than purely in the playback laser in the PS1.
I hope this helps.
I am in the later stages of a very large scale rebuild of the the PS1. The current status is with external power supplies, as in Mike's description, built-in pre-amp to bring the output levels up (the DAC is a little low on output when directly connected), another power supply to drive an external colour LCD screen, a 12 second connection delay to avoid the Sony start-up "music", integrated IR remote control, mains power outputs so that the PS1 controls the power input to the external power supplies, and the entire package (apart from the external supplies) being embedded in an Audio Fidelity chassis. Apart from the fun of building this reference box (I use it to compare the performance of the standard modded versions) it sounds just great.
I added rca outputs to a 5001 soldering directly to where the A/v out connects on the board. There was a decent improvement in sound made especially noticeable since my A/V cable was worn out. However, as I was adding the RC receiver to the inside something must have gone wrong. It appeared to work after soldering the wires and things together however after I put it all together and sat down to enjoy my work, the RC did nothing. the Unit powers up fine, makes the startup sound, and the video out works just fine but no controller input whatsoever. I plugged in a regular controller and no dice. I tore it all apart... nothing. De-soldered the reciever and reverted to normal... nothing. I cant describe to you my sheer confusion. I don't have a multimeter atm so i cant check the if the cable connecting the controlller port to the board is working. visually everything appears fine after triple checking. I gave up and the next day I picked up a 1001 at a flea market. works fine but the laser has some problems. struggles to start and skips like mad if I dont meticulously clean every CD prior to playing it. so I swapped lasers and for the 5001 which worked flawlessly but it will not fit without modification so I am going with the original laser and cleaning cds like crazy for the moment.
anyways, does anyone have any idea what happened to the 5001? when i get back home for break ill be tearing both apart and trying the the cable and input for the controller of the 1001 in the 5001 if that works then i may try the RC mod to the 1001 but im terrified of destroying it!
quick question, would there be any benefit from soldering the RCA directly the multi out on the board for the 1001? seems like it would be way easier then on the 5001 since the case is already compensated for RCA's. the 5001 sucked because I needed to drill perfectly alligned holes into the chassis for the RCA outs and then get the holes lined up on the plastic case and it looked pretty bad as I am a novice with the dremel! lol
anyways it seems to sound pretty good through my pioneer receiver but seems to take away "the magic" in some recordings (particularly track 1 of Neil Young's Harvest!!) and my JVC has smoother Bass response but does not touch the Playstation's ability to clear up complex passages of music. Charlie Parker and Gillespie never sounded so, well, clear!!
anyways, does anyone have any idea what happened to the 5001? when i get back home for break ill be tearing both apart and trying the the cable and input for the controller of the 1001 in the 5001 if that works then i may try the RC mod to the 1001 but im terrified of destroying it!
quick question, would there be any benefit from soldering the RCA directly the multi out on the board for the 1001? seems like it would be way easier then on the 5001 since the case is already compensated for RCA's. the 5001 sucked because I needed to drill perfectly alligned holes into the chassis for the RCA outs and then get the holes lined up on the plastic case and it looked pretty bad as I am a novice with the dremel! lol
anyways it seems to sound pretty good through my pioneer receiver but seems to take away "the magic" in some recordings (particularly track 1 of Neil Young's Harvest!!) and my JVC has smoother Bass response but does not touch the Playstation's ability to clear up complex passages of music. Charlie Parker and Gillespie never sounded so, well, clear!!
Changes to PS1 .. My Summary
Hi,
I was asked recently to summarize the changes that I have made to my Sony PS1. It seemed to me that this might be of use to others, so here it is. Before I get blasted... please remember it is my personal summary adn it might not agree with yours.
I list the mods that I made and then indicate the benefits
1) Circuit changes according to dogbreath .. removal of caps and insertion of filter. This is a significant improvement to the sound. However, you don’t actually need the filter at the output if the next piece of equipment has its own filter to remove DC. So, in my souped up model there is no filter.
2) I have included a very high quality preamplifier in the output of the PS1. Basically this lets me bring the level up to that needed by the next piece of equipment. However, in the interest of purity, I now have two sets of outputs on the PS1… one direct to the DAC and with no filter, and the other via the built-in pre-amp that I built.
3) I added a 12-second delay on connecting outputs… this is purely to stop the horrible Sony music at start up and stops the sniggering when trying to demonstrate the equipment! Purely a simple cosmetic change.
4) Embedding a remote control receiver.. a convenience of course and no other effects.
5) Embedding a blue led near the laser unit. Apparently this can improve tracking.. so far I have never had tracking problems so I have no idea if this works. However, some people like to see leds in strange place and this keeps them happy.
6) Power supply held externally. This has advantages in longevity .. the unit stays very cool. However, if you follow the actual dogbreath recommendation, some of the regulation takes place inside the PS1 and causes more heat. To remedy this, I mounted a small 12V fan, driven from about 5V… this is near silent and helps with the ventilation. The external power supply is a conventional, heavily filtered and regulated design, with large heatsinks (based on the power supply cabinet of a PC). I am also told that the external power supply helps the audio aspects of the PS1. If so, I do not recognise them.. unless the benefit of longevity is meant.
7) I have embedded a 12V supply (regulated) to drive an external colour screen, so that the track number and so on can be seen. This has yet to be integrated but the supply works fine.
8) I embedded the PS1 inside a substantial steel chassis. This isolates it from shock and provides a good container for all of the circuitry mentioned above. It also looks lot more serious than the grey plastic that Sony chose.
9) I use a transparent cover for the player. This helps in identifying when a cd has settled for playing. Contrary to expectations it had no effect on the laser mistracking.
10) I use a good set of “hard-to-track” cds as tests for setting up the voltages on the laser. It is important to use an isolated screwdriver for this work as the voltages are quite small. This is essential for proper performance.
I have found no variation that is noticeable between players, assuming that the laser has been properly set up. The performance is very solid and the biggest benefit I notice is the breadth of the sound stage and the detail. The bass is not over done, the clarity is amazing and nothing about the system shouts “Hi Fi” at you. I guess this is an extreme example of Sony investing money where it counts, in good design, rather than in pointless 10mm thick front panels and other such nonsense.
If anyone has further suggestions I should be pleased to hear about them
Hi,
I was asked recently to summarize the changes that I have made to my Sony PS1. It seemed to me that this might be of use to others, so here it is. Before I get blasted... please remember it is my personal summary adn it might not agree with yours.
I list the mods that I made and then indicate the benefits
1) Circuit changes according to dogbreath .. removal of caps and insertion of filter. This is a significant improvement to the sound. However, you don’t actually need the filter at the output if the next piece of equipment has its own filter to remove DC. So, in my souped up model there is no filter.
2) I have included a very high quality preamplifier in the output of the PS1. Basically this lets me bring the level up to that needed by the next piece of equipment. However, in the interest of purity, I now have two sets of outputs on the PS1… one direct to the DAC and with no filter, and the other via the built-in pre-amp that I built.
3) I added a 12-second delay on connecting outputs… this is purely to stop the horrible Sony music at start up and stops the sniggering when trying to demonstrate the equipment! Purely a simple cosmetic change.
4) Embedding a remote control receiver.. a convenience of course and no other effects.
5) Embedding a blue led near the laser unit. Apparently this can improve tracking.. so far I have never had tracking problems so I have no idea if this works. However, some people like to see leds in strange place and this keeps them happy.
6) Power supply held externally. This has advantages in longevity .. the unit stays very cool. However, if you follow the actual dogbreath recommendation, some of the regulation takes place inside the PS1 and causes more heat. To remedy this, I mounted a small 12V fan, driven from about 5V… this is near silent and helps with the ventilation. The external power supply is a conventional, heavily filtered and regulated design, with large heatsinks (based on the power supply cabinet of a PC). I am also told that the external power supply helps the audio aspects of the PS1. If so, I do not recognise them.. unless the benefit of longevity is meant.
7) I have embedded a 12V supply (regulated) to drive an external colour screen, so that the track number and so on can be seen. This has yet to be integrated but the supply works fine.
8) I embedded the PS1 inside a substantial steel chassis. This isolates it from shock and provides a good container for all of the circuitry mentioned above. It also looks lot more serious than the grey plastic that Sony chose.
9) I use a transparent cover for the player. This helps in identifying when a cd has settled for playing. Contrary to expectations it had no effect on the laser mistracking.
10) I use a good set of “hard-to-track” cds as tests for setting up the voltages on the laser. It is important to use an isolated screwdriver for this work as the voltages are quite small. This is essential for proper performance.
I have found no variation that is noticeable between players, assuming that the laser has been properly set up. The performance is very solid and the biggest benefit I notice is the breadth of the sound stage and the detail. The bass is not over done, the clarity is amazing and nothing about the system shouts “Hi Fi” at you. I guess this is an extreme example of Sony investing money where it counts, in good design, rather than in pointless 10mm thick front panels and other such nonsense.
If anyone has further suggestions I should be pleased to hear about them
Hi to all,
I have a dumb question for you experts.
I have bought an old 1002 and I also have a mint 7502. I know that the 7502 is not good as CDPlayer, so I was wondering if it was possible to "transplant" all the internal stuff of the 1002 into the 7502 case. As the 7502 has been barely used a few times, I suppose that its laser is in better condition than the one on the 1002. Do this idea make any sense?
I have a dumb question for you experts.
I have bought an old 1002 and I also have a mint 7502. I know that the 7502 is not good as CDPlayer, so I was wondering if it was possible to "transplant" all the internal stuff of the 1002 into the 7502 case. As the 7502 has been barely used a few times, I suppose that its laser is in better condition than the one on the 1002. Do this idea make any sense?
Power Supply Design / Build
The following is an extract from an answer I sent to a fellow DIYer about the power supply that I built. I am inserting it here on the basis that it might be of interest to others.
I used a power supply box from a PC because it comes complete with power socket, fuse and so on. I did NOT use the internal supply at all.
Because there is little difference between power supply topologies, I used two Velleman regulated supplies as a starting point and
then modified them to follow the dogbreath design. This gave
me a simple start. I bolted a large heatsink to one side of the power
supply box... and believe me, it is needed. The only complication was
that I wanted the on/off on the PS1 to turn on / off everything. So, the
mains power goes into the PS1 and is used internally to drive my auxiliary
circuits, but it also passes out to the external power supply which then
returns the regulated voltages. Turning off the PS1 now turns off
everything from one place. I am using Neutrik power connectors for all of
the power supply work. In fact I am so cheesed off with over priced,
under-engineered, gold-plated connectors in general that I am now using
Neutrik connectors for high and low power connectors where ever possible.
They are excellent quality and very well made.... make sure you use their
professional range. They are sturdy because they are built to stand a
professional daily use. Their internal connections are robust and easy to
make. Highly recommended.
As to the giant caps... I can only quote Nelson pass on this .... DIYers
love to over engineer their power supplies! Why? I suspect because it is
easy and safe to do, requires little calculation to support the
over-engineering and looks impressive. What we are driving is a minuscule
CD player. It makes little demands on supplies. In switching between
various levels of power supply I have not heard significant differences,
except to say that the regulated supplies at dogbreath level are
sufficient and certainly better then the original Sony...especially from
the point of view of overheating the laser deck. I bet you the owners of
those over-capacitated power supplies also drive Harleys
The last bit was a joke to my friend so please don't get excited... all you Harley riders
The following is an extract from an answer I sent to a fellow DIYer about the power supply that I built. I am inserting it here on the basis that it might be of interest to others.
I used a power supply box from a PC because it comes complete with power socket, fuse and so on. I did NOT use the internal supply at all.
Because there is little difference between power supply topologies, I used two Velleman regulated supplies as a starting point and
then modified them to follow the dogbreath design. This gave
me a simple start. I bolted a large heatsink to one side of the power
supply box... and believe me, it is needed. The only complication was
that I wanted the on/off on the PS1 to turn on / off everything. So, the
mains power goes into the PS1 and is used internally to drive my auxiliary
circuits, but it also passes out to the external power supply which then
returns the regulated voltages. Turning off the PS1 now turns off
everything from one place. I am using Neutrik power connectors for all of
the power supply work. In fact I am so cheesed off with over priced,
under-engineered, gold-plated connectors in general that I am now using
Neutrik connectors for high and low power connectors where ever possible.
They are excellent quality and very well made.... make sure you use their
professional range. They are sturdy because they are built to stand a
professional daily use. Their internal connections are robust and easy to
make. Highly recommended.
As to the giant caps... I can only quote Nelson pass on this .... DIYers
love to over engineer their power supplies! Why? I suspect because it is
easy and safe to do, requires little calculation to support the
over-engineering and looks impressive. What we are driving is a minuscule
CD player. It makes little demands on supplies. In switching between
various levels of power supply I have not heard significant differences,
except to say that the regulated supplies at dogbreath level are
sufficient and certainly better then the original Sony...especially from
the point of view of overheating the laser deck. I bet you the owners of
those over-capacitated power supplies also drive Harleys
The last bit was a joke to my friend so please don't get excited... all you Harley riders
Hi,
I really would not do this. A new laser for a PS1 costs around £5. Try installing that and setting it up properly before jumping to the other chassis. Sell the 7502 to pay for the new laser
I hope this helps
George
Thanks George,
in the old 1002 would you replace the laser anyway or only if it has reading problems?
Which model of laser do you advise to look for (AEM, BAM...)?
Where do you buy them at £5?
Thanks
Hi,
well I have found that mostly setting the voltages will cure all the tracking problems that I have encountered so far. However, starting with a new laser can remove some variables when you are having problems. The voltages given in the dogbreath article are not appropriate fro new lasers.... you need to experiment. You should not find yourself going out of the values he specified by more than + /- 50% or so.
The laser types refer to the laser and the plastic plate... not all types fit all Sonys. Check your current type and order that.
The lasers can be obtained from KSM-440AEM Laser Lens for Sony Playstation PS1 [KSM-440AEM] - US$8.96 : ShenZhen Aido Tech ... and this is mazing value for money. The only issues I ever found with new lasers were a slight binding with the cut out in the PS1 deck and some stability loss. the later was easily fixed with a small amount of Blue Tack on the rear leg. The cutout problem was resolved by transplanting the plastic top from the previous laser onto the new one.
It takes about 20 minutes to open the PS1, connect up the new laser, test and reassemble.
Good luck with the project
well I have found that mostly setting the voltages will cure all the tracking problems that I have encountered so far. However, starting with a new laser can remove some variables when you are having problems. The voltages given in the dogbreath article are not appropriate fro new lasers.... you need to experiment. You should not find yourself going out of the values he specified by more than + /- 50% or so.
The laser types refer to the laser and the plastic plate... not all types fit all Sonys. Check your current type and order that.
The lasers can be obtained from KSM-440AEM Laser Lens for Sony Playstation PS1 [KSM-440AEM] - US$8.96 : ShenZhen Aido Tech ... and this is mazing value for money. The only issues I ever found with new lasers were a slight binding with the cut out in the PS1 deck and some stability loss. the later was easily fixed with a small amount of Blue Tack on the rear leg. The cutout problem was resolved by transplanting the plastic top from the previous laser onto the new one.
It takes about 20 minutes to open the PS1, connect up the new laser, test and reassemble.
Good luck with the project
Well George,
today I opened my 1002 and checked the laser model, it's a KSM-440ACM. I will order one just to have a spare one in case mine should go bad.
I checked also the voltages and they were:
bias 1.87V
gain 1.87V
laser 11.4mV
some CDR that was playing fine with the newer 7502 weren't playing with this 1002. So I tried to increase the laser voltage. At around 20-24 it played well also these CDRs. To test it further, I took two more CDRs at least 10 years old and of very unknown brand (low quality). One was played fine and the other generated only some jerking noises. But this bad CDR was played not much better even by my LG CDRom player in my PC so I suppose it's really a bad disc.
If I lower the voltage to around 17, also the first of the two bad disks was played with some jerks, while it was ok at around 20-22mV.
So now it's working good with these settings:
bias 1.71V
gain 1.84V
laser 21.4mV
Is the laser voltage too high or it can be left at this level without problems?
thanks
Laser voltage
Hi,
I have never needed a voltage that high on the laser ... as far as I can remember (I am on holiday right now in south of France and I do not have my notes with me). Personally if it is necessary to be that high just for a very odd ball cd I probably would decide that the cd was not with the risk. You could try cleaning it and making a fresh copy.
Symptoms of wrong laser voltage include failure to settle the cd, as well as spinning at very high speed continuously, without settling. Assuming that it does settle then mistracking is the next symptom.
Just a point, when you adjust the voltages make sure that the screwdriver is insulated. The voltages that you read will be wrong if some of the current leaks away though you.
Given the price of a new laser I would not worry too much though, the high setting probably reflects the age of the laser itself. I wonder what a new laser for a so-called "high-end" cd player would cost you?
Hi,
I have never needed a voltage that high on the laser ... as far as I can remember (I am on holiday right now in south of France and I do not have my notes with me). Personally if it is necessary to be that high just for a very odd ball cd I probably would decide that the cd was not with the risk. You could try cleaning it and making a fresh copy.
Symptoms of wrong laser voltage include failure to settle the cd, as well as spinning at very high speed continuously, without settling. Assuming that it does settle then mistracking is the next symptom.
Just a point, when you adjust the voltages make sure that the screwdriver is insulated. The voltages that you read will be wrong if some of the current leaks away though you.
Given the price of a new laser I would not worry too much though, the high setting probably reflects the age of the laser itself. I wonder what a new laser for a so-called "high-end" cd player would cost you?
Maybe you are right and high voltage is because the unit is old. I will put it a bit lower, I think that about 16-17mV should read most of my CDR and it will stay in the +/- 50% from dogbreath as you advised. Anyway, I definitely want to buy a new laser, as prics are so low, but I checked your site (and others tghat sell laser replacements for PSX) but nobody has the 440ACM version that is in my 1002.
P.S. Have a nice vacation, and enjoy some of the great french food and wine to my health
. I was in Paris last december and had a great time notwithstanding the snow.When I get back to the UK I should be able to find the supplier that I used for my laser. In the worst case cutting the plastic or using the plastic surround of the old laser on the new one should work. The amazing thing with these devices is how simple they are and yet how precise in what they do...and still only £5! What does Linn charge?
Problem with remote
I have a strange problem with the small remote control PS2/PSX. It works perfectly in my 7502 but it doesn't work at all in my 1002 (when I press the buttons the small green led on the receiver part doesn't even light up).
It behaves this way in both the controller ports, while I can normally operate the console as a CDplayer with the controller in any port. What can be the problem? If the ports had some power problem I think that also the controller should not work. Any idea/help?
Thanks
I have a strange problem with the small remote control PS2/PSX. It works perfectly in my 7502 but it doesn't work at all in my 1002 (when I press the buttons the small green led on the receiver part doesn't even light up).
It behaves this way in both the controller ports, while I can normally operate the console as a CDplayer with the controller in any port. What can be the problem? If the ports had some power problem I think that also the controller should not work. Any idea/help?
Thanks
Am I correct in assuming that it used to work in the 1002 but now no longer does?
Also, that it used to work in the 7502 and still does?
If the above is correct then I am guessing that the problem lies in the 1002. I have had problems with the remotes in the 1002 getting stuck in strange modes, with the green light stuck on. Also, with the remote control being ignored, even though the green light flashes. Other strange effects have also arisen, especially when the battery is getting low.
In all cases, so far at least, the problem has been solved by simply turning off the PS1 and turning it on again after a few seconds. To be sure, remove the power cable briefly. I hope this helps. If not then it might be 1002 internally, but before we get too sad, try replacing the batteries in the remote (the received might be working better in the 7502 but the 1002 may need a boost), and also cleaning the contacts in 1002.
I hope this helps
George
Also, that it used to work in the 7502 and still does?
If the above is correct then I am guessing that the problem lies in the 1002. I have had problems with the remotes in the 1002 getting stuck in strange modes, with the green light stuck on. Also, with the remote control being ignored, even though the green light flashes. Other strange effects have also arisen, especially when the battery is getting low.
In all cases, so far at least, the problem has been solved by simply turning off the PS1 and turning it on again after a few seconds. To be sure, remove the power cable briefly. I hope this helps. If not then it might be 1002 internally, but before we get too sad, try replacing the batteries in the remote (the received might be working better in the 7502 but the 1002 may need a boost), and also cleaning the contacts in 1002.
I hope this helps
George
No, the remote is new, I removed the paper slip that keep the battery safe in the package a few days ago and tried using it, so I suppose the battery is still good, but I didn't measure the actual voltage. It works in the 7502 but it doesn't in the 1002. And in the 1002 the green led doesn't light up. How do I clean the contacts in the 1002?
If it has never worked successfully in the 1002 then it may be that you have a compatibility problem. If so, I have not come across it in the modified PS1 machines that we ship, with remote controls.
However, if you want to try cleaning the contacts the easiest way is to spray the receiver edge connector with switch cleaner and repeatedly insert it into the PS1. This should clean both of them.
Do you get the green light to flash when the receiver is in the 1002 and the 1002 is turned off and then on? If even that is not happening then the problem is not with the IR transmission but in the 1002 itself.
However, if you want to try cleaning the contacts the easiest way is to spray the receiver edge connector with switch cleaner and repeatedly insert it into the PS1. This should clean both of them.
Do you get the green light to flash when the receiver is in the 1002 and the 1002 is turned off and then on? If even that is not happening then the problem is not with the IR transmission but in the 1002 itself.
Hi Guys,
I too got excited about the PS1 potential and went out and bought a 1001.
Did the DC blocking caps and the muting transistors. Right now I'm using the A/V Multi out through a RocketFish Gold Plated connector. Sound is Great. But I need to ask a basic question, With only the mods listed above, is the audio signal path quality better through the A/V Multi out OR the RCA out? And Why?
Thanks for the explanation in advance.
Cheers,
Jeff
I too got excited about the PS1 potential and went out and bought a 1001.
Did the DC blocking caps and the muting transistors. Right now I'm using the A/V Multi out through a RocketFish Gold Plated connector. Sound is Great. But I need to ask a basic question, With only the mods listed above, is the audio signal path quality better through the A/V Multi out OR the RCA out? And Why?
Thanks for the explanation in advance.
Cheers,
Jeff
Hi,
A further suggestion... try operating your PS1 with a wired Games Controller. All the remote receiver does is make the transmitter look like a wired connection. My guess is that the wired controller will not work reliably either. If that is true then its a PS1 fault. If that is not true then we need to think a bit more
A further suggestion... try operating your PS1 with a wired Games Controller. All the remote receiver does is make the transmitter look like a wired connection. My guess is that the wired controller will not work reliably either. If that is true then its a PS1 fault. If that is not true then we need to think a bit more
Hi,
I am not sure of the mods that you made. When the transistors are removed from the circuit after the DAC the DAC outputs are unconnected, until you connect them directly to the phono sockets via the resistor-capacitor network, as in the dogbreath article. If that is what you have done then there is no audio output to the A/V multi-out. If you left some of the transistors in the circuit then you will not get some of the potential gains because of the poor quality of this amplification.
The output of a fully modified PS1 is lower than standard equipment because or the removal of this amplification. So far in my experience this has not been a problem but including a small high quality pre-amp is pretty easy if your subsequent equipment needs extra gain.
Anyway, in Hi Fi it is usually more convenient to use industry-standard connections such as phonos rather than the A/V outputs of the PS1.
I hope this helps
I am not sure of the mods that you made. When the transistors are removed from the circuit after the DAC the DAC outputs are unconnected, until you connect them directly to the phono sockets via the resistor-capacitor network, as in the dogbreath article. If that is what you have done then there is no audio output to the A/V multi-out. If you left some of the transistors in the circuit then you will not get some of the potential gains because of the poor quality of this amplification.
The output of a fully modified PS1 is lower than standard equipment because or the removal of this amplification. So far in my experience this has not been a problem but including a small high quality pre-amp is pretty easy if your subsequent equipment needs extra gain.
Anyway, in Hi Fi it is usually more convenient to use industry-standard connections such as phonos rather than the A/V outputs of the PS1.
I hope this helps