The people who tried to experiment a little with the console say that the CD transports may not be worth much, but it turns out that Sony put a pretty high-class DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) in the launch-edition (the very first model) of the old Playstation…

Some people also say that if you properly modify the console, it can beat some of the very high-end cd players. I know it’s pretty hard to believe for most audio maniacs, but check out Mick Feuerbacher’s website for articles, in which he describes the most imporant repairs and modifications in order to take the old Playstation to the next level and use all of it’s hidden HiFi potential.

Also, check out Michael Methel’s website (the text’s in German, but he put up a lot of pictures). Michael, a DIY audiophile from Germany, did probably one of the most extreme modifications of the old Playstation console. To name a few:
he made a very professional looking body, took out all the unnecessary parts (he only left those which are needed for audio playback capability), turned the console’s power supply unit into an external one and he even replaced the Sony’s output stage with tubes !

After reading through those websites and the original forum thread that hooked me up with the topic over at Steve Hoffman’s Music Forums, I’m starting to believe that it’s not a joke and right now I’m also really tempted to fetch an old Playstation and see if it really is true. It can’t hurt, because they’re pretty cheap nowadays and you only need the unit and one controller in order to use the console’s CD player functions. It’s an even more tempting proposition for all those who are into DIY.

On a sidenote: I’m also considering learning something about electronics. DIY skills really are useful, especially in the audio hobbyist’s world.