Universal new Blu-ray player suggestions? (July 2021)

QuadraphonicQuad

Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Dec 4, 2018
Messages
48
Location
USA
I'm in need of a new blu-ray universal (DVD-A, SACD) player, preferably region free if possible. Any manufactures or models you recommend? I've done some google searching, and found some older dated info here but I'm not having much luck. I've only found the Sony X800. I'm hoping some hardware technophiles that keep up with the latest hardware news can point me in the right direction. My budget is around $500, but I could go more if it's a fabulous unit (price/performance ratio). Thanks for any advice, appreciate your time!
 
Last edited:
I thought I saw one that could? I would think sacd playback would be priority because any drive can read at least the dvd portion of dvda but having sacd is a completely different story
 
Don't think LG plays DVD-A and SACD?
I thought I saw one that could? I would think sacd playback would be priority because any drive can read at least the dvd portion of dvda but having sacd is a completely different story
DVD & SACD use the same laser wavelength 650nm, so its down to the player's ability to read and decode the data stream, so I would say that the chip set they use doesn't have the capability.
 
I'm in need of a new blu-ray universal (DVD-A, SACD) player, preferably region free if possible. Any manufactures or models you recommend? I've done some google searching, and found some older dated info here but I'm not having much luck. I've only found the Sony X800. I'm hoping some hardware technophiles that keep up with the latest hardware news can point me in the right direction. My budget is around $500, but I could go more if it's a fabulous unit (price/performance ratio). Thanks for any advice, appreciate your time!
Might look at this French oppo clone, but more moola and not sure on an USA distributor yet.
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...e-reavon-coming-out-in-april-in-europe.30074/
I agree with GaryG, might also consider a used oppo BDP-103 or BDP-105.
 
Last edited:
I'm in need of a new blu-ray universal (DVD-A, SACD) player, preferably region free if possible. Any manufactures or models you recommend? I've done some google searching, and found some older dated info here but I'm not having much luck. I've only found the Sony X800. I'm hoping some hardware technophiles that keep up with the latest hardware news can point me in the right direction. My budget is around $500, but I could go more if it's a fabulous unit (price/performance ratio). Thanks for any advice, appreciate your time!
I'd also note that the Sony BDP-S6700 will do everything you want except play the lossless portion of DVD-Audio discs. It also won't play 4K discs, but you haven't indicated that's a need, and it will also play pretty much every file format including FLAC and DSD. And Amazon will sell it to you for $88: Amazon.com: Sony BDP-S6700 4K Upscaling 3D Streaming Home Theater Blu-Ray Disc Player (Black): Electronics. They've stopped mentioning that it supports SACD unless you dig into the specs, but it does.

Edit to add: I'm seeing some discussion online that it can be made region free too. I've never tried, but not expensive if you want to give it a shot..
 
Last edited:
Appreciate all the responses, thank you!! I didn't consider the used market because that's always somewhat of a gamble. But, if the price is right and it's not too used, that maybe an option. It looks like the X800 might be the one, except for the region free. Most of us have amassed a large collection of optical surround discs over the years, I'm just concerned fairly soon, there won't be any universal players manufactured anymore to play them on. Are any members here buying extra players and keeping them unopened on the shelf for such a time?
 
Start ripping your discs now and eventually you’ll never need a disc player again. No need to buy ‘spare’ disc players or worry about where you’ll buy one when your current one dies. (Ripping also removes region protection).

My advice: Buy a BD player that supports ripping SACDs. All other disc formats can be done with a computer BD drive.
 
the lack of any reliable "universal" players is the reason most of us have started ripping our collections...
I personally do NOT have any SACD player capable of ripping them BUT I do have a lovely MOTU 828es rack module that is connected to the analog out of my Marantz receiver so I am slowly ripping them at 96/24...

Good luck!!!
 
Start ripping your discs now and eventually you’ll never need a disc player again. No need to buy ‘spare’ disc players or worry about where you’ll buy one when your current one dies. (Ripping also removes region protection).

My advice: Buy a BD player that supports ripping SACDs. All other disc formats can be done with a computer BD drive.
This is where I am at as well. The BluRay 4K capable drive in the computer is the most important drive to me. Even my 4K discs are ripped to hard drives as M2TS files.
 
The Sony 800m2 plays 4k, 3d, sacd and dvd-audio, it is not region free but amazon have some region free ones (although they are £120 extra in the UK), i’d buy this and get a cheap sony that can be easily made region free cheaply by way of a small remote control like device to play your other dvd’s.
The 800m2 is an amazing player, it has dolby vision and atmos capability although the dolby vision is a bit of a hassle to use, it has built in netflix, amazon prime and you tube also
 
I wouldn't be too worried about used Oppo players, although if your luck is bad then you could buy a can of worms I guess.
I've never owned a "brand new" universal player. I started out with what were supposedly "refurb" Samsungs, the HD841 and HD941.
Then I bought from Oppo USA a used DV-970HD, I guess actually a refurb, then from them a used BDP-80, and off Ebay a BDP-103.
So technically they were all "used".

But the only one to have hardware failure (an IC chip specifically) was the Oppo DV-970HD after years of service...I sent it back to the service organization handling Oppo's and they fixed for I think about $48 and shipped back the same day.

I've been waffling about buying the Sony player myself but keep thinking the money would be better spent toward a better atmos capable AVR.....
 
Two things about the Sony X-800 (and m2): they won’t play burned at home SACD-R nor DVDA-R, only commercial SACD and DVD-Audio.

They can be made region free (for DVD and blu-ray) relatively cheaply (50€) by buying a kit from RattleByte, but installation (I’ve done it) is pretty involved and requires good soldering skills, a fine tip iron and a magnifier! (It will obviously void your warranty)
 
Two things about the Sony X-800 (and m2): they won’t play burned at home SACD-R nor DVDA-R, only commercial SACD and DVD-Audio.

They can be made region free (for DVD and blu-ray) relatively cheaply (50€) by buying a kit from RattleByte, but installation (I’ve done it) is pretty involved and requires good soldering skills, a fine tip iron and a magnifier! (It will obviously void your warranty)

Or you can spend the $$$ and buy it from this U.S. distributor which includes free s/h and NO sales tax outside Illinois and a 'lifetime' guarantee:

https://www.220-electronics.com/sony-ubp-x800m2-region-free-4k-uhd-blu-ray-player-multi-region.html
 
Or you can spend the $$$ and buy it from this U.S. distributor which includes free s/h and a 'lifetime' guarantee:

https://www.220-electronics.com/sony-ubp-x800m2-region-free-4k-uhd-blu-ray-player-multi-region.html
This is the one I also have, inexpensive and does the job well, very small height so doesn’t take up much room. For my dedicated Blu Ray player I have the Panasonic DP UB9000 PK. Both together cost about $1300.00, and when stacked on top of each other about the height of a single OPPO.
The reason I added the Panasonic Blu Ray it had better reviews for Blu Ray function so I was getting the best of both worlds. Not sure it was necessary but I did it anyway.
I purchased both from Amazon US.
 
Back
Top