This listing is for a PlayStation that has been restored and modified to make an excellent CD player. This model is the SCPH-1001, the original US release. It has very good sonic characteristics and a clean sound almost three decades after its release, due to the use of an AKM AK4310 DAC for sound processing. Later models lost the high-quality DAC and the clean sound of the original. This unit, like the vast majority of first generation units, was made in Japan.
Stereophile magazine PlayStation measurements: https://www.stereophile.com/content/sony-playstation-1-cd-player-measurements
Stereophile review of the PlayStation as a CD player: https://www.stereophile.com/cdplayers/708play/index.html
FEATURES:
As can be seen in the close up picture of the mainboard, the audio signal from the DAC has been diverted from the mainboard and is now directly connected to the audio RCA jacks . The traces that originally connected the RCA jacks to the audio signal have been cut, so there is nothing remaining in the path of the audio after it leaves the DAC except the new wires. Unfortunately with this particular unit, the solder pads for the DAC outputs were damaged beyond repair and could not be used. Instead I soldered the leads for the Nichicon Fine Gold capacitors directly to the legs of the DAC.
- Both the mainboard and power supply have been fully re-capped using Console5 capacitor kits. https://console5.com/store/sony-playstation-ps1-smd-cap-kit-rev-pu7-pu8.html for the main board and https://console5.com/store/sony-playstation-ps1-power-supply-cap-kit-mitsumi-100v-120v.html for the power supply. The jack that connects the power cord to the power board has been de-soldered and re-soldered, as this connection can fail overtime due to plugging and unplugging the power cord from the rear of the console.
- The case has been retrobrited to remove the majority of the yellowing that is common on ABS plastic shells from consoles of this era.
- The disc lid detection switch that only allows the console to read a disc when the lid is closed has been removed and the contacts bridged so the console always reads the lid as closed.
- All connection points on the mainboard that make contact with the RF shielding have been re-tinned.
INCLUDES:
- PlayStation 2 DVD player remote and corresponding adapter. While the majority of it is non-functional on the PlayStation, it does allow you to play/pause (triangular button at the bottom), stop (rectangular button at the bottom), next track (R1), previous track (L2), fast forward (R2), and rewind (L2). When you power on the PlayStation with an audio CD inserted, it reads it and then goes to the CD player automatically, so all you need to do after it boots is to press start on the remote. No display is required if you don't want to use one.
NOTES:
- The removal of the lid detection switch can cause issues with playback when switching CDs. If the console fails to read a CD when play is pressed after swapping, simply press the reset button on the console and let the console reload with the new CD. This takes only a few seconds.
- The functionality of the multi-out port is not guaranteed. I do not guarantee functionality of the multi-out video signal, and the modifications made to the audio path remove audio signal for the multi-out.
- I do my best to make the consoles look as good as possible but sometimes there is superficial damage that cannot be removed without causing further issues. When purchasing consoles for refurbishing and upgrading, I try and select ones that are physically in good condition.
- I fully test every console for the functionality described in this listing after completing my modifications and again before shipping, but these systems are almost three decades old and can occasionally exhibit issues, even after testing. More often that not, resetting the console using the reset button or by powering it off and on will fix the majority of issues.