I have a PSX that skips during FMVs and CD audio when using CD-Rs (the same discs work fine on my PS2) and no amount of POT tweaking will fix it so I was considering getting a replacement laser off ebay as they seem cheap enough. Would that fix my problem or do those lasers have problems too?
i buy all my console parts traight from china, chips are fine, disc drives are fine, alot of stuff is just fine, but psx lasers o my god, they are a disaster, my last order had 5 of them and 4 where broken , 1 had the whole gear system messed up. they do a lauzy job at refurbishing.. make sure the laser is well tested, and ask if its new or refubished (probally just refurbised i think, psx is pretty old console). I am not to familer with tweaking the pot on psx lasers, but did you turn any pot on the motherboard? i dont know what model psx you have, i know the old ones serie 1000 had them on the motherboard as well. if so, i would return does to orginal value, when replacing the laser lens.
o and another thing.. use top quality disc's if it's modded. cheap media and scratched up media will kill the laser lens eventually. The lens is then giving more voltage so it can read through the scratches i think it also gives more voltage for cheap media cause of the lesser reflection do to the cheap dye.
The complete opposite for me. I have bought a few cheap HK laser units and all work perfectly. Paired with some Taiyo Yuden discs, brings new life back into once knackered systems.
I've got an SCPH-5502 (I think - it's in the other room and I can't be arsed to look), and I managed to find an old barely used 9000 series PSX and simply grafted the laser assembly into my 5000 series PSX, works like a charm. If you can find a PSX from somewhere (usually easier than finding lasers on their own) with a clean 'medical' history that would be the way to go. I too have been burned by the ebay crappy laser problem. Let's face it, it's a very old console now, just try to find a newer model than the one you have now and do a transplant would be my advice. The reason I transplanted was because my 5xxx PSX is chipped and I don't like that 'paint thrown at the wall' look of the newer BIOS. Also as 360owns and braders already said, a good laser is only half the story! Get some decent media as well and burn at 1x if possible, that can mean the difference between being able to watch an intro and seeing choppy videos and audio when playing.
I think this is the path I will take. Unfortunately the only spare laser I have is from a PSone with the short ribbon cable (only suitable for 1xxx models from what I have read) but it shouldn't be too hard to stumble across another PSX. Thanks for the input folks.
in my country you can buy lasers (short ribbon) for the psx and you get a longer ribbon with it, that you can attach, i havent stumble upon those on foreigh country's. but these extendid ribbons exist
I have been to a couple of boot sales recently, both myself and a friend bought some PS1 consoles for £1 each. I personally wouldn't bother repairing it unless it was something worth hanging onto (modded/painted etc)
