It’s been a few months since audiophiles all over have shown keen interest in the first generation Playstation PS-1 models SCPH 1001 (NTSC) and SCPH 1002 (PAL). Someone accidentally realized the depleted PS1 is actually a goldmine of good quality audio and capable of generating some sweet music. After hunting down a SCPH 1002 on E-Bay I put myself through this review.
Various audiophile magazines and internet buffs have written rave reviews on the PS-1. The one written by Art Dudley for Stereophile is a definitive reference as it is very upfront and realistic.
Hearing Test
The SCPH 1002 was released in late 1994. I seriously didn’t have many expectations from the one I ordered because it was sure to be vandalized by come adrenaline pumped kids. This little game box is extremely well built especially taking into account the might of its hot blooded users.
To be fair on the little old timer I pulled out my old Kenwood DP-R4070 CD player and a Yamaha CD 555 owned by my brother-in-law, both from same era as the PS-1. To my surprise the PS-1 performed like a tiger in the company of jackals. The bass was way tighter, the midrange and highs were far well defined and sound staged than his rivals. In short, we were left gasping in disbelief. The PS-1 requires at least half an hour of warm up time for peak performance. I kept playing my short-listed CD’s for a week before sitting down to write this article.
The first few minutes of the title track from Zakir Hussain’s Making Music you have musicians adjusting their instruments. The background nuances of Pandit Hariprasad Chaursaia’s flute can be heard very clearly on a high-end CD player like the Marantz SA11s2. To my surprise these nuances (though not that obvious) were still audible on the PS-1.
After having a good listen to the PS-1, I put it against my sub-$1000 Rotel CD 1072 which is a well balanced, full bodied CD player in its class. The PS-1 for its size and age has a very well defined and detailed mid-range and decent highs. Tracks like Srinagar from the Remember Shakti album came out beautifully. The flow of each note from the Pandit Shivkumar Sharma's santoor filled the sound space. Shankar Mahadevan’s vocals on the otherhand, from Giriraj Sudha which on the Rotel, floated in thin air were getting pulled more to the right channel on the PS-1.
The PS-1 was never designed as an music CD player like the Rotel, which has immense oomph and punch in its bass. This was one of the reasons I chose CD 1072 over Rega Apollo. On tracks that demand heaps of dynamics from the system, like Jaya Jaya from Vishwa Vinayaka or Jai Hanuman from L. Subramaniam’s Global Fusion the PS-1 failed to deliver what I was expecting. The sound was not as ‘grunty’ or forthcoming, rather smooth and mellow like the Apollo.
SACD and HDCD technologies were not in existence when the PS-1’s were made, however the PS-1 played them hands down. I guess the DAC processing lagged behind in channel separation and could not produce the dynamic sound stage especially while playing It Ain't Necessarily So from Herbie Hancock’s Gershwin's World. What I noticed is the PS-1 is less forgiving to slightly smudged or scratched CD’s which the Rotel was accepting willingly. I had to make sure the disks were cleaned with an isopropyl based cleaner prior to use.
I would consider claims that 'A PS-1 can beat a $6000 CD player' outright ludicrous. Don’t take me wrong the PS-1 is a beautiful player when it was meant to be a game box. I don’t know of any CD players that can play games ;-). There are numerous articles on the internet to technically enhance the player by cutting short the unwanted circuits. Solders and circuit boards are beyond my skill set and I am not going to risk modifying this lovely vintage player.
If you own a SCPH 1001/1002 don’t give it away. Auctioning it right now won’t buy you a trip to Hawaii or a jet ski, but the PS-1 is sure to give you hours of lovely music. If anyone has reviewed the PS-1 against the Cambridge Audio Azur 540 or NAD 521 I would like to hear from you.
Listening List
Remember Shakti: Saturday Night in Bombay, Label: Umvd Labels, ASIN: B00005JJ95
L Subramaniam: Global Fusion, Label: Elektra / Wea, ASIN: B00000 JG3E, Format: HDCD
Zakir Hussain: Making Music, Label: Ecm Records, ASIN: B0000031 UA
Various Artists - Vishwa Vinayaka a Divine Symphony in Praise of Lord Ganesh, Label: Times Music, ASIN: B000M89XYO
Herbie Hancock – Gershwin's World, Label: Polygram Records, ASIN: B00000DBYQ, Format: SACD
Components used
Preamplifiers – Rotel RC 1070
Power Amplifiers – Rotel RB 1070
Loudspeakers – JBL S 312 floor standing
Cables – Chord Company Chameleon, Chord Company Odyssey 2 Speaker Cables
Accessories – Sennheiser HD555 Headphones
Verdict
Pros –
- Solid build, compact design
- Smooth and detailed high and midrange
- Best valued CD player for the money ($25)
Cons –
- No remote control or track display
- Limited bass extension
References
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation
Art Dudley’s article in Steroephile - http://www.stereophile.com/cdplayers/708play/
Mick Feuerbacher’s modifications and repairs to SCPH 1002 - http://dogbreath.de/PS1/index.html
Amazon Music – http://www.amazon.com/
