Thought I'd report back on my modded Playstation (SCPH-1002). I've been doing ALOT of critical listening between it and my cherished Naim CDI, and I have to say that overall the cheap Playstation beats it, though it's VERY close. It's Black Gate 'N' caps have had a chance to break in now, and I am still startled at the sound I am getting from this games machine!
I've just read what I've typed again and it does seem hard to believe and I'm sure any Naim fans would think me mad (or at the very least cloth-eared) but for me the Sony has the edge in clarity and a firmer more tactile bass! It just sounds like real music - I get that hard to describe impression/assurance that what is on the disc is what is being relayed through the speakers. I never doubt anything or have any niggles about the sound. It just flows beautifully. The Naim by comparison has a more euphonic presentation and isn't as tight.
I still don't know why this thing sounds so good (I'd love to!) and have to keep comparing with my Naim CDI and Shanling CD-T80 (with upgraded NOS valves and OPA2134 op-amps), but everytime I realise I'm not imagining it - this thing really is a music making marvel!
I don't want to get rid of my Naim as I have a soft spot for it and love its looks & build, but in my main system the Playstation takes the top spot and is my machine of choice for critical listening.
Cheers,
- John
I've just read what I've typed again and it does seem hard to believe and I'm sure any Naim fans would think me mad (or at the very least cloth-eared) but for me the Sony has the edge in clarity and a firmer more tactile bass! It just sounds like real music - I get that hard to describe impression/assurance that what is on the disc is what is being relayed through the speakers. I never doubt anything or have any niggles about the sound. It just flows beautifully. The Naim by comparison has a more euphonic presentation and isn't as tight.
I still don't know why this thing sounds so good (I'd love to!) and have to keep comparing with my Naim CDI and Shanling CD-T80 (with upgraded NOS valves and OPA2134 op-amps), but everytime I realise I'm not imagining it - this thing really is a music making marvel!
I don't want to get rid of my Naim as I have a soft spot for it and love its looks & build, but in my main system the Playstation takes the top spot and is my machine of choice for critical listening.
Cheers,
- John
Hey John!......have to agree with you on all points of PSX performance. The moment a CD starts in the thing you know there is a ''rightness'' about it - hard to describe, but music does indeed sound lifelike and solid, especially piano (the hardest instrument to reproduce correctly) which sounds eerily accurate.
I guess it's just one of those audio freaks that come around once in a blue moon?
I guess it's just one of those audio freaks that come around once in a blue moon?
John, I am very glad to hear how much you like the PS1. Your comparison to the CDI corresponds well to the results of my listening tests. I have so far only heard one player that was better than the PS1, the advantage CD1. But thats a very expensive player and the difference was not that large. Also, that listening test was made with a completely unmodified PS1 
Maybe you can improve even further if you replace the BG N caps by good polypropylene caps. For that you have to cut off a part of the upper metal cover in order to get some room for the caps (they are usually quite large). I think it should be worth the effort as good film caps always sound better than even the best electrolytics.
Mick
Maybe you can improve even further if you replace the BG N caps by good polypropylene caps. For that you have to cut off a part of the upper metal cover in order to get some room for the caps (they are usually quite large). I think it should be worth the effort as good film caps always sound better than even the best electrolytics.
Mick
Hi Ziggy / Mick!
To be honest I am so happy with the sound now I am loath to change anything at all! The only other mod. I want to try is to remove the power supply as you detail on your site Mick - a german website recommends this as well. Might go for an over the top PSU ala Naim and see if this makes a difference, though perhaps it is the switched mode PSU that is partly responsible for the PS1's performance.... Still with a DIN connector for the PS1 I can use different power supplies and exeriment
I was thinking of building a new brushed aluminium case CNC machined for it, but it then occured to me perhaps the case itself is also - in part - responsible for the sound quality. It's non magnetic for a start - something DNM believe in strongly with all their amplifier designs. It's also lightweight which means energy is not stored to the same extent as a heavier metal design. I also get a perverse kick out of people saying "a PLAYSTATION?!?!" when they come over now - haha!
I'd be curious to see what the measured performance is like... perhaps it's some kind of distortion we happen to like or something liek that? I remember Hi-Fi World here in the UK ran a review of a PS One based German CD player with a valve output. The frequency response favoured the midband, and there was quite a bit of distortion evident. Must try and dig that article out. Hopefully the PS SCPH-1002 measures better... it certainly SOUNDS accurate.
Anyone know if you can still order spare transports, the earlier ones with the metal bits as opposed to plastic?
Cheers!
- John
To be honest I am so happy with the sound now I am loath to change anything at all! The only other mod. I want to try is to remove the power supply as you detail on your site Mick - a german website recommends this as well. Might go for an over the top PSU ala Naim and see if this makes a difference, though perhaps it is the switched mode PSU that is partly responsible for the PS1's performance.... Still with a DIN connector for the PS1 I can use different power supplies and exeriment
I was thinking of building a new brushed aluminium case CNC machined for it, but it then occured to me perhaps the case itself is also - in part - responsible for the sound quality. It's non magnetic for a start - something DNM believe in strongly with all their amplifier designs. It's also lightweight which means energy is not stored to the same extent as a heavier metal design. I also get a perverse kick out of people saying "a PLAYSTATION?!?!" when they come over now - haha!
I'd be curious to see what the measured performance is like... perhaps it's some kind of distortion we happen to like or something liek that? I remember Hi-Fi World here in the UK ran a review of a PS One based German CD player with a valve output. The frequency response favoured the midband, and there was quite a bit of distortion evident. Must try and dig that article out. Hopefully the PS SCPH-1002 measures better... it certainly SOUNDS accurate.
Anyone know if you can still order spare transports, the earlier ones with the metal bits as opposed to plastic?
Cheers!
- John
johnm said:
Mee too!
New laser modules can, at least in Germany, easily be found on ebay. They are ususally for later models such as 7*** and 9*** or PSX, but as far as I remember you can modify all of them to fit the SCPH100* simply by exchanging the plastic top cover of the laser unit.
For all the items offered on ebay, it is however unclear to me if these lasers are original parts made by Sony....
Mick
Think I'll just buy a couple more SCPH-1002s here in the UK on ebay for spares. Wonder how long the lasers are specced for... probably quite a while being as they were designed for games machines and they come in for quite some abuse.
Actually I also have a SCPH-9002 and - via the AV output it didn't sound too bad at all - certainly not as bad as some have made out, but the 1002 definately has the best sound to my ears. Still nice to know I can use the laser from the 9002 (which is just about brand new as I hardly used it) in the 1002 with the plastic cover replaced.
Cheers Mick!
Actually I also have a SCPH-9002 and - via the AV output it didn't sound too bad at all - certainly not as bad as some have made out, but the 1002 definately has the best sound to my ears. Still nice to know I can use the laser from the 9002 (which is just about brand new as I hardly used it) in the 1002 with the plastic cover replaced.
Cheers Mick!
Mick, do you happen to know if the power supply from a 9002 can be fitted to a 1002? It would lessen the heat problem until I can get an external PSU sorted out.
The connectors on both mother boards are the same size, but the connector on the 1002 PSU is larger (with 7 pins) than the connector on the 9002 PSU board (5 pins). I assume two pins are unused.
Do you know if the pin out on the 9002 PSU will match the pin in on the 1002 mother board or should I leave well alone?
Cheers,
- John
** Just had a much closer look at both boards and it looks as if it isn't possible - oh well!!! **
The connectors on both mother boards are the same size, but the connector on the 1002 PSU is larger (with 7 pins) than the connector on the 9002 PSU board (5 pins). I assume two pins are unused.
Do you know if the pin out on the 9002 PSU will match the pin in on the 1002 mother board or should I leave well alone?
Cheers,
- John
** Just had a much closer look at both boards and it looks as if it isn't possible - oh well!!! **
John, I would rather get a new CDM. It was the early model that was bad, the later ones are improved.
The CD clamp usually goes before the laser. I got a magnetic clamp from a broken CD ROM drive. It takes some serious medification. The spindle on the PSX CDM is 2 mm and not 3. The magnetic clamp is cool if you want a top-loaded PSX type 47 Labs.
The CD clamp usually goes before the laser. I got a magnetic clamp from a broken CD ROM drive. It takes some serious medification. The spindle on the PSX CDM is 2 mm and not 3. The magnetic clamp is cool if you want a top-loaded PSX type 47 Labs.
Looks like I REALLY should put some caps at the output with all these good comments. In my case, it sounds great on a cheap Toshiba amp compared to a Sony CDP, but on my HK, it sounds artificial and got muddy bass compared to a Pioneer DVD player with cheap opamp buffers(More details on my last post in this topic). Looks like it depends of the amp a lot too.
(Those Pioneers got low jitter too... ->> Upgrade clock changes almost nothing.)
(Those Pioneers got low jitter too... ->> Upgrade clock changes almost nothing.)
Finally found time to rehouse the power supply for the ol' 1001. I first read about this on the Lansing forum. I remember the person who started the thread being quite adamant about this being nesessary for the best sound, but no reason being given as to why. The original idea was to leave the power supply in the case, and use copper sheet to make a shield around the supply. Given the rather tight space inside though, I was concerned about something shorting against the shield. The idea stuck with me, and luckily there were some old computers being thrown out at work. The little case was the power supply housing out of an old MacIntosh LC. The supply from the Playstation fit inside like it was made to. The only modifications I had to do were to remove the original AC connector and wire in the new one, and lengthen the supply cable. A few hours of cutting and drilling and it was finished. Not as elegant a solution as Micks, but works fine. I'm surprised, but this did improve the sound quality....
Attachments
I see it doesn't show up too well in ( the admittedly poor quality) picture, but if you look at the second picture just above the IEC connector you will see a screw. This is where the ground wire is attatched to the shield. This is the original connection, which I left as it is. I assumed that if the case wasn't grounded, the shielding wouldn't be very effective. No hum,as nothing else is connected to the housing.
Tried this today. Took the top off the player, and fastened a wire to one of the L-brackets. Left the other end disconnected to make it easier to try it either way. I noticed that the shields around the circuit board are connected to the circuit ground, and I wasn't sure what would happen, so I hooked it up to a pair of computer speakers first. The speakers are junk, but the sound did seem a little clearer with the shield grounded. At least nothing blew up, which is what I was worried about. It seems there may be something wrong with the power supply though,as I noticed a kinda whistling sound through the speakers when I switched it off, but leaving the ground wire hooked up got rid of the noise (strange). It also produces some hum (which the ground, again, gets rid of) until it warms up, then its gone. I've just mentioned this as it could have some bearing on the result (not sure), but I used it for three hours and the result didn't change. Guess I'll have to try a different one at some point. Anyhow, hooked it back up to the stereo, and gave it a try. Spent some time trying it either way, but the answer was obvious- it sounds noticeably clearer with the ground hooked up....