Sometimes we get these tips that come out of left field. We got one late last night from reader Riku, who talks about his dad's unusual acquisition for his high-end audio setup:
Hi!
My father's hobby is to search for "the perfect sound" making him a high-end audiophile. I was very surprised when I saw an old Playstation 1 (Version SCPH-1001/2) plugged into his super expensive audio rig. He told me, that that particular version of the console has RCA-inputs in the back which has a superb sound output. The console has become an underground sensation in the Hi-Fi scene. He told me to check out some articles at 6moons.com, an audiophile website.
So wait, the old beatup PS1 that I gave to my friend is a high-end audiophile machine? There's no way this can be true! Yet Riku was kind enough to provide us some links from 6moons that talk about the power of Sony's debut console. In one article:
During all this audio fun, my pal Pete Riggle stopped by with an audio underground digital favorite, the Sony PlayStation 1 (Model No. SCPH-1001). I had heard rumors of just how good this particular version of the PS1 is when used as a CD player and was curious to give it a listen. This kid's video game player really does have outstanding audio performance. I'm guessing you'd have to spend more than $6000 on a one-box CD player to equal let alone better it.
$6000? To eBay and beyond (the jump)!
[Thanks for the wonderful pic, Dyson!]
I'm impressed that Sony put together such high-end parts in the PlayStation 1 that it could produce such quality sound. Running a quick search on eBay for SCPH-1001 brings up consoles priced at $5-$35, way below the $6000 equivalent system. Another article provided to us says:
The Sony Playstation 1 SCPH-1001 is another giant killer that's a darling of the audio underground. If you're looking for audio sonic fireworks, the PS1 might not be your cup of tea but if you're looking for an outstandingly musical digital front end that can play music better than just about every multi-kilobuck digital source, look no further - way recommended.
Now, I want to ask all our audiophile readers out there (i.e. Dale North): what about the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3? Do these two later iterations of Sony's console keep up the good work and provide a great deal for audiophiles? Or instead, did Sony only provide mediocre parts for your sound system?
Contest:
11:38 AM on 06.04.2007
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What gives?
I doubt that the same applies for the playstation 2 tho...the audio and video output are combined into a single output socket. The reason that model of PS1 would sound better (from my basic understanding of electronics) is because it gives you the option to not use the single output and instead use the sound outputs (red and white) that are separate from the video (yellow).
o.O
Rather a strange find really. I won't be jumping to buy one just because of it's output, but pretty cool for the real audiophiles.
Oh ok. I was about to go Chuck Norris nuclear.
I have one of these old PS1's somewhere. I'll hook it up and compare it to my $1400 denon and see if it holds a candle.
Why would you have to leave it on for two days? That doesn't make any sense. Is it like a warm-up period? You'd think that, for a serious audio investment, something would just work when you turn it on... right?
It's what I read, but the logic is that the parts have to settle down, so there's warm up of components (getting to a steady operational temperature), and balancing of the rotation mechanisms so that there's limited vibration.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15484873/
There you go, the 6moons.com guy said in 2006:
"Before I started my listening tests, Michael had a warning for me: "Plug in the units — turn ‘em on — and don’t turn them off." It seems the PlayStations sound best when left on all the time. Michael was right. You shouldn’t even listen for the first three days. Both units need every second of the break-in period."
I sure did, and DAMN. You haven't lived until you've played Starfox in Dolby Digital 7.1 surround with flanger and reverb.
"D-D-D-DDOOOOO AAAAA B-B-BAARRRELL R-R-RRRROOOLLLL!!!"
CDs don't work like record players. Either the sound is read from the disk correctly or it isn't. The mechanism doesn't need to "balance out". You either get the sound from the disk or you don't. Either it plays or it skips.
I'm calling bullshit.
After trying a few more disks of various music types on my setup here, I'm still hearing much better sound out of my computer and kenwood than I am out of my Playstation.
You can notice the difference the best with Jazz, or with Techno music that isn't too much of a train wreck. Instruments sound muted in the Playstation, like the volume of every sound (all the instrument, and any vocals) is being normalized. With both the Kenwood and the computer the sound is much more diverse and full.
High end audio makers like naim in fact recommend you leave them on for months, or even never turn them off.
Go to any major recording studio and you'll see they leave every piece of gear on 24/7 unless they're doing maintenence. The componets perform better when they're left on, they also last longer.
If you're using some crappy PC speakers, you're not hearing the full potential of the audio player. Using an audiophile grade audio player with some random speakers, be it logitech, klipsch or whatever else speakers - you're not hearing the full potential. They aren't anywhere near close enough to audiophile grade quality.
Those closest you'll come (to hearing the player's potential) short of spending a small fortune is if you try using a really good set of audiophile headphones. Like some Grado SR325i or better, or maybe some Stax electrostatic earspeakers. (Not Sennheiser. Don't beleive the hype. Any audiophile who knows whats what will tell you Grado > Senn.)
Otherwise, if you're using crappy speakers - you won't be in a position to tell which ACTUALLY sounds better, a PS1 or PC or otherwise.
Actually, I modded my NES to have stereo output:P (the high bloops go on the left channel and the lower ones on the right).
Final Fantasy 1 never sounded sooo good;)
Clicky
http://www.tychus.com
This is all opinion slinging anyways. There isn't a meter that measures how "good" something sounds. Anyone can listen to anything and say that it's the best sound they've ever heard, or that it's terrible.
All I can make calls on is what sounds best to my ears, and that sure as hell isn't the old busted Playstation.
The people snatching these up on ebay aren't buying it to listen to cds on their wonky sub-100 dollar speakers. They know it won't do their highly trained ears proper justice. They have discovered that in order to experience the true fidelity this cd player has to offer, they have to hear it through high-end speakers. Thats the whole point.
Comapratively speaking, it might not sound so hot on entry-level speakers. Most people probably won't be able to tell much of a difference one way or another which sounds better, listening through proper speakers. Not until you have the means to properly produce the crispness and clarity of the original recordings - through proper speakers - will you begin to see what this model of PS1 has (or for arguments sake, doesnt have) to offer.
Also, the source materal, the quality of the original recording being listened to will make a big difference as well.
Reel-to-reel is still the best source of audio, listening to it is basically like having a master copy. However, can you imagine walking around with a huge reel of magnetic tape, listening to your favorite smooth jazz through a pair of wood chamber headphones? Yeah, not exactly as portable a CD and CD player. Oh wait, we have iPods now, even CDs aren't considered portable anymore. When can I just download the music directly to my head, when's that technology coming?
I'm pretty sure I have one of these old-style PSone's. Can't really verify as it's at my Mom's house, but for argument's sake let's say that I do have one. How much can I sell it to the right person for?
Cd's are digital right? but it's not just play or not play. It IS readable or not readable, but the sound of the output depends on the quality of the Digital to Analog converter (DAC).
So, This box has RCA jacks, which are old school and not particularly awesome, just kind of standard, but apparently it has a really freaking good DAC.
That bundled cables with audio and video are probably not that great, but it's not the output that would make this thing a good component or not.
The digital (optical output) is indeed HiFi, but it's different. Optical cables send the signal digitally, so essentially it'd just be passing the buck to your stereo receiver and the quality of your sound would depend on the DAC in your receiver.
I wouldn't get too excited about selling them though, I do tend to think a large amount of 'audiophile' excitement is really just being able to say, "look, I spent $$$$$$$$ on my CD player" and that wouldn't work as well if it looks like you sit around in your room playing bushido blade all day.
Digital audio using Surround sound or MP3/aac/wmv etc. codecs use compression to reduce the data size of the sound, so sound is 'missing'
but a standard CD uses PCM (16 bit 44.1 k) encoding which is NOT compression.
There are better things than PCM (like SACD), but it is a relatively un-tainted signal.
The RCA connectors you praise have little bearing on the sound compared to the DA converters on the PS1 (which are horrible BTW). A good DA converter costs more than $200 to manufacture. Unless a $5k CD player is overpriced - a big possibility in the audiophile world - then there is no way the PS1 is more transparent than a *true* high-end device.
This audiophile myth was popular a few years ago too. It was BS then and it is BS now.
and then theyre like "the future starts here" and shows the ps2
i remember thinking wow yeah playstations are going to be around for a long time...
and then theyre like "the future starts here" and shows the ps2
i remember thinking wow yeah playstations are going to be around for a long time...
and then theyre like "the future starts here" and shows the ps2
i remember thinking wow yeah playstations are going to be around for a long time...
im barely in wireless reception here so its slow as balls