So, there was this Playstation that was meant to be like, as good as a $6,000 deck......

[the record spot]

A week or two back, someone asked for some recommendations for a new CD player. From memory, I think it was quite a decent budget but one of the respondents suggested he get a Sony Playstation 1, or at least, one of the original models which is identifiable by the matrix number on the base plate. They'd apparently been the subject of some intense speculation as their worth at the high end end of the hifi hobby.

I'd heard about this before, so, I picked up a very cheap (i.e. a tenner or less) one of the very model in question (SCPH-1002) and got it home today. Not tried it out yet properly, bar for a very brief spin, but will post some more in the next day or two. First (and brief) impressions though were not as bad as I expected.

 

[professorhat]

I remember seeing this urban myth. I also remember seeing people who had tried it out being disappointed I'm afraid...

Still, worth a try for sure - be good to see first hand experience! For a tenner, at worst, you've got a bit of games console history

 

[the record spot]

Not so sure about the urban myth aspect, what with Art Dudley's good write up in Stereophile last year and another one on the 6moons website, but we'll see. In any case, for a tenner, it's worth the punt!

 

[shooter]

You paid £10 for yours mine cost me £30!

I must say i was scepticle myself but found one on ebay (boxed as new!) and got it home.
It dosnt look much does it! After striping it down hoovering away 10 years of dust and hair (nice!) plugging it in to the TV to memorize the functions, i set it up. Unlike yourself i didnt plug and play, (maybe i should of to get a comparison) i waited a couple of weeks for warm up. I must say by this time i was quite excited! In went the disk and nothing, it wouldnt load.
But it was very hot to touch so i left it on went back onto ebay and got some wooden isolation feet for £8.
About four days later they arrived put them underneath the PS1 and let it cool down for a week.
In went the disk and it was jumping all over the place, i presummed the casing that was mentioned in the review was buckled, so i forgot about it and left it alone to settle down.
I couldnt remember how many weeks had gone by but just checking my ebay account it was mid april when it arrived, about 14 weeks!
Last week was when i tried again, i puy in the new Bat For Lashes cd and it works, eureka!!
What can i say about the sound apart from its ORGANIC like i've never heard befor. So organic it took me by suprise. I must say its very a enjoyable listen.
I never went down the Shindo route, instead i used what i had, which is the Accoustic Zen Silver Referance II inter (its very transparent) and it sounds bloomin' marvelous but i did enquire about the Shindo and they are available from the states for £650 so it is on my xmas list. (to myself 🙂)
I cant say that i wouldnt have had all teething problems if i had put it isolation feet to start with, but they do work and keep it cool.
I'm interested to get some feedback about the initial sound from start up as i left mine to boil!!
Good luck with it Record Spot and let us know you get on with or without Shindo.

 

[the record spot]

It's just going in with the current kit, cables, etc., so there'll be no major cost additions to it (well, I'll need to get one, but it won't be a hugely expensive affair! I'll tryout with both my existing Qunex 3 and Audioquest Copperhead and see what we get. I'll swap the amp round too, so the current NAD and the Marantz PM6010-KI will get a run with it. Should be interesting.

(Personally, I doubt it can compete with a $6k CDP, but I'll be interested to see what it can do given the shaky build - doubt I'll wait two weeks though, maybe an hour to warm up the internals and see where we go from there!)

(Yes, yes, I know: open the lid, insert disc, press play....thank you, thank you!)

 

[the record spot]

Okay, so about three hours in now; picked out several albums that I know well and I have to say I'm really quite impressed.

How it stacks up against the SA7001-KI? Pretty well! I'm really quite shocked quite how well. There are a few rough edges at the higher ends, but that's really nitpicking to a high order. It does what the Marantz does on a CD layer for a good 85% of the time, maybe a bit more.

Good points: nice open and surprisingly airy presentation. Music sounds musical, believable and instruments are accurately placed. Bass is well defined, deep and in proportion. Mids are full, vocals suitably expressive and the treble whilst at times a little unruly at the higher end of the scale, is nonetheless not out of place in the overall mix.

I used the QED Qunex 3 cable initially, but this gave a rather flat and uninvolving listen. Switching to the Audioquest Copperhead resulted in a different and more involving listen. Very similar, as a consequence, to the SA7001-KI.

Downsides: The treble is a little harsh at times, but this is very minor. This is not an uncomfortable listen. Other than that - and for the money - nothing. And that takes into account the build!

Music used: Genesis - A Trick of the Tail (US/Japan Atco, Barry Diament master), Yes - The Yes Album (Atlantic first press), Peter Gabriel - IV & So (West Germany & UK first editions - Nimbus masterings), Joni Mitchell - Night Ride Home (title track).

Kit used: amp and speakers as in the Signature below.

Cables: QED Qunex 3, Audioquest Copperhead.

 

[legoyoda]

For reference the original model PS1 systems had major issues with CD's skipping when the units were hot. Oddly enough the solution back in the day was to turn them upside down. I had one and it worked a treat!

 

[shooter]

Good to here you have enjoyed the listen so far! I've found the treble to be sweet maybe thats down to the PS1 being on all the time. But for the rest of your desciption its pretty much spot on. As you said before its not as good as a $6k CDP and compared to the Vista in my system the instrument separation and blackness isn't as good, but its not far behind!!
You cant nock the value of it albait the quality of it but lets be honest its whats inside that counts and its a good talking point with your friends, money cant by that.
Its worth having one in the set up for good, just leave it on!

 

[Anonymous]

Just to clarify... Is it ANY playstation 1? Or is it a specific series? I'm really curious now! How do you connect it to the amp, I mean I had one about 10 years ago, I don't remember how the audio out was...

 

[shooter]

As the record spot said its the SCPH-1002 and no other, the rest are basically rubbish. They have audio outs (RCA) on the back just plug it in and go. If you would like to read the reviews search for Harbeth Leben and you will find.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks! I think I'll go look for one!

 

[the record spot]

Actually, you could use one of the SCPH-5000 series which has the same DAC. I'd need to find that thread, but that would be an alternative. That said the SCPH-1002 variant is plentiful and cheap. Just get it on a BIN or the like off Ebay (search for the model number rather than PS1 to save a small lifetime or two) and away you go. Plug it in via the RCA phono connection.

Use the handset to control it; there's a diagram online somewhere (might be on the Stereophile site).

£10? Major bargain - if you're really strapped for cash and want a decent disc spinner, this is THE one to go for!

 

[shooter]

the record spot:

I used the QED Qunex 3 cable initially, but this gave a rather flat and uninvolving listen. Switching to the Audioquest Copperhead resulted in a different and more involving listen. Very similar, as a consequence, to the SA7001-KI.

Sound like the Audioquest Copperhead could be adding its own sonic picture to your CDP playback.

 

[the record spot]

Possibly, I did have a Nordost Blue Heaven previously, that was too bright. The 7001-KI is a good player, but a touch lean, with the Mrantz 6010-KI and the 752s, it was all a bit lacking in the end. All the detail under the sun, scale, etc., but the lower end - or lack thereof - left a bit to be desired. Spent too much time getting uncomfortable with the audio.

Visited a hifi shop in Glasgow (the excellent Audio Merchants) and the guy there recommended the Copperhead's. Never looked back but the biggest change was really swpping out the Marantz amp for the NAD. That made the biggest difference to this set-up as is. It's a stop-gap to a degree, but it'll be in for a service and an overhaul soon I hope. £100 well spent I think.

That said, the sound for the PS1 could have been limited by the QED interconnect. It does a good job handling the audio-out on the DVD player (Samsung DVD-950H) but it falls away on the 7001 and I noticed the same on the Sony.

 

[Anonymous]

the record spot:Not so sure about the urban myth aspect, what with Art Dudley's good write up in Stereophile last year

If I were being uncharitable, I might suggest that this is more a reflection on Stereophile than the PS1.

This type of thing would make a great occasional feature in WHF though... HiFi myths exploded or confirmed. I can see it now... "This week: the PS1. Giant killer or games console that is surprising only inasmuch as it sounds as good as a mediocre budget CD player?"

The latter would be my guess, although until such time as I can listen to one, I shall, of course, refrain from commenting.

Oh, whoops...

 

[shooter]

I have a QED inter around somewere, cant remamber which one though. I'll have a swap around with the Zen's and let you know what i hear!

 

[the record spot]

tractorboy:
the record spot:Not so sure about the urban myth aspect, what with Art Dudley's good write up in Stereophile last year

If I were being uncharitable, I might suggest that this is more a reflection on Stereophile than the PS1.

This type of thing would make a great occasional feature in WHF though... HiFi myths exploded or confirmed. I can see it now... "This week: the PS1. Giant killer or games console that is surprising only inasmuch as it sounds as good as a mediocre budget CD player?"

The latter would be my guess, although until such time as I can listen to one, I shall, of course, refrain from commenting.

Oh, whoops...

You'll be telling me the sun revolves round the earth next...

 

[ElectroMan]

I remember a certain other 'choice' hi-fi magazine exploding the 'myth' some years ago that a £500 DVD player sounded better than all but the best CD players.

Funnily enough, the only time I had read this claim was in an earlier issue of the same magazine, which had a headline something like Don't buy a £1000 CD player until you've read this!

There was no mention of their previous claims when they debunked the myth ...

 

[shooter]

So the Qed has had the PS1 treatment and as the record spot said pretty uninvolving, dull.

Whilst Bat for Lashes was on i did read Art Dudley's review (only read 6 moon's before) on the PS1 and as usual, a good review.

Art Dudley quote.

Compared with the kind of performance I'm used to hearing from high-end CD players, the PS1 had a very un-hi-fi sound. Whether you think that's a good thing or a bad thing will depend on your point of view. If certain other audio reviewers are right, it may even have to do with the time of day when you were born.

🙂

 

[the record spot]

I'm quite interested why people are so quick to say it's a myth that it could be a half-decent player. Hey, I'm no snake-oil salesman, but coming at it with an open mind and recognising the minor limitations, it's a good performer. I won't be chucking the Marantz, but rather, tip my hat to whoever at Sony put that box together. Good effort.

 

[shooter]

the record spot:I'm quite interested why people are so quick to say it's a myth that it could be a half-decent player. Hey, I'm no snake-oil salesman, but coming at it with an open mind and recognising the minor limitations, it's a good performer. I won't be chucking the Marantz, but rather, tip my hat to whoever at Sony put that box together. Good effort.

Second that.

 

[chebby]

There must be a zillion good, working, used CD players on ebay for pocket-money prices that will sound better. Why bother with a 15 year-old, plasticky, game console with a tendency to buckle and/or get overheated?

 

[Anonymous]

just because its different i guess.

 

[shooter]

I'm sat here chuckleing to myself wondering what to say. If you put it like that whats the point!

Ah but there is and thats why were all here. I'd be quite happy listening to my Vista as you are your CD5i but what's the point when there are adventures to be had.

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

Moving forward 10 years console-wise, I have to say how pleasantly surprised I was with the PS3's music Blu Ray playback.

Great for music-orientated Blu Ray discs (Neil Young, Woodstock, Jeff Beck) and brilliant at breathing new life into a hitherto dust-gathering DVD collection.

Most of my music DVDs were once only plays because I couldn't get very good audio from them, but now with the PS3 hooked upto the hi-fi via an external DAC it all sounds rather good.