Sony Playstation 1 for a CD player ???

Boy_lah .. I have read several post from different forums around the States about the PS1. Most of them are very harsh and flames the people who support and actualy talk about their personal experiences. Those same people who took there time letting their units warm for a few days and take care about vibrations and stands, etc. My own experience is, you need to be patient. For whatever reasons, these PS1 need time to sound its best. In no way it sounded like the first time, after a few days connected. I tried the unit on a friends system that included Artemis Pre, Stealth PLC, Jena/Sonoran cabling, Plinius Amp ($8K) and Spendor Speakers. My friend expected NOTHING from it and it took a few seconds to change his mind. Considering that he is an audio distributor and a long time audiophile, it was nice the way he was impressed with the PS1. A few friends reacted as well after an audio session with the Sony PS1. So, although some people said it was an aprils fool day kind of news ( the starting poit) I really like what the PS1 does. A friend just said: " It plays music and get out of the way, in a form that you don't pay attention to the system, but just the performance".. It's not perfect and it will not surpass a $6K unit for sure, but I can live with it happily...Enjoy!!

I have been promoting this for years, after my kids got one. You can check out my threads. With the exception of good air flow around the device (they can overheat), Sony invested millions of R & D into this device. It will never be equalled again.

thanks everyone - really apprecite the tips and feedback but unfortunately my unit has STILL not arrived. Will it every? who knows. i bought is for $40 equiv!? The fig 8 to IEC i bought cost nearly half that and that's arrived! oh well...one can hope. In the meantime, i'm really enjoying my audiomeca with the Ack! Dac non oversampling/filterless DAC. nice but correctly tweaked, my audiomeca still sounds best to my ears. Can't wait to compare the PsOne.

I've posted my findings on the PS1 on this thread:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ddgtl&1176210779&read&keyw&zzplaystation

For a little fun in changing the appearance of the PS1, check this out:

http://www.interesting-devices.com/asp/product.asp?recorprod=1&product=192&cat=62&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=

I'm going for the smoked black case myself, but the blue one is attractive too.

As for trying the cro-treated IEC/C-7 adapters with IEC power cords, my friend tried one with his Kimber Select power cord and thought my PS Audio Power Punch C7 sounded better. Afterwards, he bought one himself and hasn't looked back. I have no doubt that the Kimber Select PC is a fine power cord, but one more interface in the power chain might compromise the sound a bit. On top of that, the PS Audio Power Punch C7 fits snugly inside the Playstations C8 recepticle. For only $50, I was very impressed with the quality of construction and the flexibility of the cable. Since the PS1 uses a potentially noisy (RF noise) switch mode power supply (SMPS), the shielding drained to the ground pin on the PS Audio power cord really helps in improving the dynamic range and frequency extension at both ends. My recommendation list on improvements with highest to lowest priority is:

1. Good-excellent RCA interconnect cables
2. Isolation feet like Isonodes or round 3M Bumpon feet (x3, two under front and one under rear)
3. Power cord replacement with PS Audio Power Punch C7 or other C7 power cords like the Furutech G-320Ag-18F8 or Oyaide L/i 15 dpc (recommend using a continuity checker to identify correct polarity)
4. Clean all audio and power contacts with residue-free contact cleaner
5. Replace power supply fuse with either Isoclean or Hi Fi Tuning 5mm x 20mm audiophile fuse. These really make a big difference and for only $25 or $30, it's a bargain.

Reviving this thread, as I've had a Playstation in my system for a week now and couldn't be happier. With no warm-up at all, I plugged it in and spun a disc, and my wife and I looked at each other and broke out laughing it sounded so good. I've kept it on since, and I don't know that the sound has improved, but it's stayed steadily, delightfully great. It resolves enormously well--there's a sense of palpability to vocals, a timbral rightness to acoustic instruments, and low-level detail emerges from a clear backdrop. I could go on, but the point is this: if you're shopping for a CD player, spending $25 bucks on one of these might save you a few hundred or more. Look on half.com, where the prices are low and firm. I have the 5501 with the A/V multi out, which doesn't let you use great interconnects but to my understanding bypasses an op-amp leading to the RCAs in the 1001 version (same DAC). Some prefer the A/V out and build cables for it; I haven't felt the urge yet.