MSNBC Declares PS1 a High-End Audio Component

According to Gary Krakow at MSNBC, Sony's humble PS1 has a hidden power. Brought to bear on CD-playing alone, specific revisions of the old console are revealed as digital audio powerhouses, offering "terrific" quality competitive with top o' the line Sony SACD machines.

But only if you let it warm up for 3 days:

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.

A $500 polished wooden block uniquely crafted to dampen the PS1's ambient radiative sonic distortions will no doubt soon be forthcoming from the usual suspects.

Yes, it's hard to resist poking fun at the magical thinking indulged by audiophiles, and tempting to upbraid MSNBC for publishing it here. But for all I know, the PS1 vibrates until it's warmed up. Or, perhaps, it contains some kind of heat-sensitive component between its audio chip and the jacks which really does require a "burn-in" period.

So, what's the score? Is SACD burn-in like a sunrise to the PS1's morning bloom, or just another branch on the tree of pseudoscientific hogwash?

A second life for the PlayStation [MSNBC]

Other stories at Gear Factor:

• A visit to STARTUP: Albuquerque and the Personal Computer Revolution

• Hardware Hackers Adapt Xbox 360 DVD Drive

• Sweetskinz Tires: Safe and Stylish