There have been plenty of online commentators who have been speculating about the death of physical media, but here’s some better news. There are new 4K Blu-ray players coming.
There is a catch though. These new players aren’t from Panasonic or Sony but from high-end brand Magnetar as it launches its MkII versions of its five star UDP900 and UDP800 at CEDIA 2025.
The UDP900MkII and UDP800MKII are slated to go on sale later this year. So far, all we know is the US price, for which the UDP900MKII will costs $3299.99 and the UDP800MkII $1799.99. In both cases, that’s about a $200 increase in price.
The reference-grade 4K player
The UDP900 is arguably the best universal 4K player money can buy, and the MKII isn’t just a case of a creating a new look and calling it a day.
The audio processing has been redesigned to feature dual ESS 9038 PRO DAC, considered to be the most advanced digital-to-analogue converters, which when paired with TMDS retiming on the HDMI audio port, aims to “virtually eliminate jitter and preserve every sonic detail”.
USB audio playback now supports formats up to 768 PCM / 512DSD for reproduction of high-res audio libraries.
Network support has been given a boost with support for Roon Ready certification to expand its network capabilities. As a universal player, the UDP900 always had music performance in its sights, these upgrades look to make the UDP900MKII an even better hi-fi player in that respect.
New and improved step-down model
The step-down UDP800MKII also receives a refresh in terms of its audio support. It too supports Roon Ready certification for those seeking “reference-level playback performance” without having to splash out on the UDP900MKII.
There’s a newly designed 2.0 audio offering that incorporates sevent OPA1602 op-amps for “low-noise, high-precision audio, precision HDMI jitter correction and enhanced EMI (Electromagnetic interference) shielding.
Basically, audio through the UDP800MKII should sound clearer, cleaner, and more accurate than the older model.
The chassis has been upgraded to suppress vibration better for a quieter operation; while Magnetar has also looked to improve the stability and durability of the player so that it lasts longer.
AV specs for both 4K players remain the same as before.
More high-end excellence, but affordable 4K players are needed
Given both the original players received five-stars from Trusted Reviews, and made it onto our list of the best 4K Blu-ray players; odds are that the new models will be more of the same. These aren’t players that will bring new 4K fans into the fold, catering to home cinema and audiophile fans instead.
If only Magnetar made a more affordable player in the mold of the much loved Oppo players. Then there might be more belief that 4K Blu-ray is here for the long run.
