Playstation audio quality: multiple best versions?

We've discussed this topic before, but as we all know, the first version of the Playstation has hardware that gives it high quality audio. My question is: is this simply thanks to the DAC it uses? In that case, multiple early revisions of the console use the same, separate DAC, so wouldn't all these consoles produce the same quality audio? I have a console that has a PU-20 board and as I recall, it uses the same DAC as my launch model Japanese PS1. I also heard the slightly later revisions have slightly better audio quality, as the AV connector supposedly doesn't have some extra components between the DAC and the output like the RCA connectors do. This apparently improves the audio output.

What do you think guys?

 

I think I read somewhere the SCPH 9000 series had the best audio quality due to it having a high quality laser. I could be wrong though.

 

I think this hi-fi PS stuff is bullshit and has gotten way out of hand since it was first reported 7-8 years ago. Maybe some PS have superior characteristics to a typical 90s CD player (has this ever been confirmed by anything but a few pairs of golden ears?), but big deal, today you can get a commodity $5 DAC with >>24-bit SNR @ 192 kHz+ and nearly brick-wall reconstruction filters with very low group delay. In other words we effectively have ideal DACs now, but audiophiles still prefer their audio "colored" with whatever components or technology aligns with their ideology and fringe theories.

 

Just be be clear, I'm not talking about using a PS for CDs or something like that, talkin' purely for games here. Though some games use CD audio, so I guess it counts.