Caps for DC blocking in Playstation 1.

[blakey72]

Hi. I've removed the original DC blocking Caps after the DAC in the PS1 and now need to replace them with 2 100uF or equivalent Non-polar caps (so the guide says). There are so many on the market I really don't know where to start. I've read that Panasonic and Rubycon are good. Any suggestions. Here's the guide I'm following:

http://www.dogbreath.de/PS1/output/output.html

Cheers
Blake.

[ReverendJones]

Re: Caps for DC blocking in Playstation 1.

I have used Panasonic SU series in quite a few pieces of audio equipment with good results.

Digikey - Panasonic SU, 100uf 16v

Panasonic SU datasheet

[Logistics]

Re: Caps for DC blocking in Playstation 1.

I don't have the patience to read that page in detail, right now (too much sugar in my system) but it appears all this mod does is take the line-level signal from the DAC and bypass the internal output stage to exit directly through the RCA jacks. If this is so, then I would try two things: First, just try it without the filter caps. Why? Because most anything you output it to is going to have it's own input filter caps as a safeguard against offending devices who don't utilize output caps. Second, if it does end up being a problem without the output caps then I would decide against using internal output caps, rather moving them out-board. Why? Because this way physical size is not a problem. And since this appears to be only line-level and not an amplified signal, it's not likely that you need something as gigantic as a 100uF capacitor. As an example, one of my heavily modified SbLive! soundcards had a 10uF electrolytic between the DAC and a line-level preamp IC which I changed to a 0.47uF polyester film with no adverse effects--in fact it only improved the sound, but with no capacitor I had crazy noise so it WAS NECESSARY, but the 10uF was not warranted. My point was going to be that I would update the output capacitors to a film since they sound so much better than electrolytics and they become quite physically large above 0.47uF so moving them outboard, perhaps into a small break-out box would be ideal. Especially, since every device reacts differently/requires different values of blocking caps and you could play with different values on a given device.

If you insist on using a bipolar electrolytic then the Panasonic SU which RJ suggested would be my recommendation as well... although, I think Digikey has two values of Nichicon MUSE ES in stock, one of which happen to be a 10uF IIRC and that would be fine, too.