- Two Blu-ray players from the specialist Magnetar Technology Co. Ltd. are now available for home cinema enthusiasts, namely the Magnetar UDP 800 and Magnetar UDP 900 solutions.
Home cinema enthusiasts naturally appreciate the versatility and constant availability of streaming content, with providers such as Netflix, Disney+, Paramount, Amazon and Apple TV offering an immensely wide range of TV series and films. This content is also available in the highest resolution and in every conceivable sound format, so you might think that this is the best way to enjoy TV and films at home.
The fact is, however, that many home cinema enthusiasts are not always really happy with the quality offered by the aforementioned providers via their streaming services, with many still swearing by optical data carriers, especially Blu-ray, of course.
Hardly any products left on the market
Unfortunately, home cinema enthusiasts who still want to rely on Blu-ray players have to come to terms with the fact that the range of corresponding products is constantly shrinking. Many companies that for decades were regarded as leading suppliers of CD players, DVD players and Blu-ray players have long since left this segment and ceased production.
One of the few remaining specialists still focussing on Blu-ray players is the Hongkong-based company Magnetar Technology Co. Ltd. The company sees itself as a provider of high-end Blu-ray players, or to be precise, one would even have to speak of high-end universal Blu-ray players, as the Magnetar UDP 800 and Magnetar UDP 900 systems, which represent the current product portfolio of Magnetar Technology Co. Ltd. are capable of playing all relevant types of optical discs, i.e. audio CD, DVD, Blu-ray Ultra HD Blu-ray, DVD-Audio and SACD.
In addition, the two players also allow playback of content provided to them via USB; the external storage media can hold up to 16 TByte.
But that’s not all, as the two players can of course also be integrated into the network and access network shares via UPnP, SAMBA and NFS, audio and video playback is also possible via streaming.
For the best sound and picture quality
The manufacturer states that the two UHD players Magnetar UDP 800 and Magnetar UDP 900 should initially impress with their high-calibre features and that they are designed for first-class audio and video performance.
Both solutions are based on MediaTek’s MT8581 quad-core chipset, which is highly acclaimed among home cinema enthusiasts. According to Magnetar Technology Co. Ltd, this ensures an exceptionally vivid image display, impressive dynamics and vibrant colours.
Even content with a lower resolution is upscaled to 4K in the highest quality. The UHD Blu-ray players support the HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision standards. They also support all current audio formats, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS Virtual:X.
The Magnetar UDP 800 and Magnetar UDP 900 are each equipped with two HDMI outputs for flexible integration into the home cinema.
Magnetar UDP 800 4K UHD Universal Blu-ray Player
Even the ‘smaller’ model, the Magnetar UDP 800, has an extremely solid build quality. The double-layered metal chassis with a front panel made of brushed aluminium not only guarantees an elegant design, it also forms the best basis for impeccable quality, as disruptive external influences are prevented. Spatial separation of the various components within the housing also helps to ensure that the Magnetar UDP 800 can offer impeccable picture and sound quality.
For audio, this player is equipped with TI PCM1795 Burr-Brown converters from Texas Instruments, with analogue signals being output unbalanced via a pair of RCA sockets and balanced via a pair of XLR sockets. In addition to HDMI, an optical and coaxial S/PDIF interface is also available.
With dimensions of 430 x 300 x 90 mm, the Magnetar UDP 800 4K UHD Universal Blu-ray Player weighs 6,8 kg, as the data sheet reveals.
Magnetar UDP 900 4K UHD Universal Blu-ray Player
The Magnetar UDP 900 goes one step further, starting with the housing, which has an even more solid design, so that this player weighs a considerable 15 kg with dimensions of 445 x 321 x 133 mm. According to the manufacturer, this solution also has a particularly sophisticated power supply, utilises a six-layer motherboard and converters from specialists ESS Technology Inc. guarantee the finest sound in both stereo and surround.
For the 7.1-channel multi-channel signal, ESS9028PRO D/A converters are used and output via RCA connections. ESS9038PRO D/A converters are used for stereo, and the signals can be output unbalanced via a pair of RCA sockets and balanced via a pair of XLR sockets. In addition to the two HDMI interfaces, this solution also offers optical and coaxial S/PDIF as digital audio outputs.
Prices and availability
The two UHD players from Magnetar are available immediately from selected specialist retailers. The recommended retail price for the Magnetar UDP 800 is € 1.799,- and that for the Magnetar UDP 900 is € 3.499,-.
Getting to the point
The choice of Blu-ray players on the market has been dwindling for years, with hardly any models left. It is therefore all the more pleasing that specialists such as Magnetar Technology Co. Ltd. from Hongkong remain loyal to optical discs and even develop particularly high-quality drives. Such as the Magnetar UDP 800 4K UHD Universal Blu-ray Player and Magnetar UDP 900 4K UHD Universal Blu-ray Player solutions, which are said to offer impeccable quality and can also play Ultra HD Blu-ray, DVD-Audio and SACD from audio CD to DVD and Blu-ray.
| Product | Magnetar UDP 800 and Magnetar UDP 900 – Two 4K UHD Universal Blu-ray players |
|---|---|
| Price | Magnetar UDP 800 4K UHD Universal Blu-ray Player € 1.799,- Magnetar UDP 900 4K UHD Universal Blu-ray Player € 3.499,- |
| Brand | Magnetar Technology Co. Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Magnetar Technology Co. Ltd. |
| Distribution | Audio Reference GmbH |
| More about this manufacturer at HiFi BLOG |
