(2024-05) S & V - Review of Magnetar Disc Player

[kenm]

https://www.soundandvision.com/content/magnetar-udp800-ultra-hd-blu-ray-disc-player-review

(I don't think this has been posted in QQ yet)


Kirk Bayne

Side note: Boy, I was so happy to pick up a used OPPO player at a great price about 4 years ago to replace my old Sony Blu Ray player. I jumped at it since it had RCA audio outputs, so I didn't have to replace my A/V receiver (no, can't afford going full ATMOS this stage of my life....LOL). The first disc I put on was ROXY Music, Avalon SACD surround, the music exploded around me, my old SONY didn't have SACD surround playback. All my old SACD surround discs took on a new life, like listening to the music for the first time. My OPPO was way under $1,600. I was worried why I got it at such a low price fearing something was wrong but came in immaculate condition, plays every disc I put into it.

 

[Atomic Punk]

I will suggest to buy up any and all disc players you can. Does anyone under 30 even own a Blu-ray player these days?

There may not even BE any disc players on the market 10 years from now. Let alone universal players.

A couple of those Sony players in storage might not be a bad idea for the future.

i have 4 blu ray players. 3 of them play the SACD and DVD Audios that are a must for me and 3 of them play 3D. and i'm still on the lookout for more. it's a sickness.

 

[Atomic Punk]

If new model Oppos were still being manufactured today you can bet your sweet bippy a flagship Oppo today would be priced much higher. Ref: Magnetar UDP-900

a blast from the past. wasn't that said on Laugh-In a lot?

 

[par4ken]

People that prefer/use older pre-HDMI amplifiers I imagine.

But if not for different features such as analog outs, what are you getting with this player over the Sony for the extra $1300?

Give me analogue outputs or give me death!

 

[Tribby2001]

205s were a lot less expensive than 105s (which is what I bought and use almost daily).

IF the Oppo UDP-205 were still manufactured today the rate of inflation would price it at over $1,600. What the price of a new flagship model Oppo UDP-nnn be priced at today would almost certainly be north of $2,000. Easily.

 

[key_wiz]

That's the sort of thing I'd be looking at if I didn't have three Oppos. But note it has no manufacturer's warranty (presumably because of a multi region mod being fitted) and there's no statement on burned DVD-A.

Does any player make a “statement” that they play burned DVD-A or SACDs? Seems it takes testing these to know, doesn’t it?

 

[key_wiz]

And Korea and India.

Korea is the new Japan. Its flagship brands like Samsung and Hyundai have matched or overtaken the Japanese in terms of quality.

 

[hipp]

Give me analogue outputs or give me death!

I absolutely agree with this statement. !

 

[weekendtoy]

Korea is the new Japan. Its flagship brands like Samsung and Hyundai have matched or overtaken the Japanese in terms of quality.

My wife and I bought a new SUV a couple of years back.

No other manufacturer could beat the value and warranty of the Kia Telluride (Korean home country). We also preferred the Kia in our test rides to those of its American, Japanese, and German counterparts.

It was also designed in California and assembled in Georgia. In that regard, it was more 'American' than a Ford150 as example.

 

[stoopid]

IF the Oppo UDP-205 were still manufactured today the rate of inflation would price it at over $1,600. What the price of a new flagship model Oppo UDP-nnn be priced at today would almost certainly be north of $2,000. Easily.

Except that electronics have gotten cheaper over time to produce. Economies of scale would be the determining factor on price. There seems to be solid demand for the Sony universal player, so you'd expect they'd move some units even at say $1000.

Is the Magnetar even a direct replacement for an Oppo UDP? Wouldn't we need to wait 5 years to answer that, to see how the support and reliability for the Magnetar pan out?

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

Is the Magnetar even a direct replacement for an Oppo UDP? Wouldn't we need to wait 5 years to answer that, to see how the support and reliability for the Magnetar pan out?

Given that the cheapest OPPO UDP(-203) player offered multi-channel analogue outputs an HDMI input and HDMI ARC functionality, even the most expensive Magnetar is not there in terms of feature-sets!

 

[stoopid]

Given that the cheapest OPPO UDP(-203) player offered multi-channel analogue outputs an HDMI input and HDMI ARC functionality, even the most expensive Magnetar is not there in terms of feature-sets!

Yeah that's why I think the Magnetar overpriced. Overpriced being the key, as any Oppo coming out with identical features would be overpriced at $1600 as well. But referring back to my prior post, it's unlikely they would price it (or need to price it) that high. Boutique electronics makers can slap whatever price tags they want to match their vaporous claims, but rubber-meets-the-road solutions like Oppo offered need to live up to their claims and be affordable by enough interested buyers to thrive and survive.

 

[kfbkfb]

https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/022024-1000

Sorta related, Sony has an added incentive to continue making optical disc players (my [purchased in 1985-08] Sony D-5 still mostly works - plays about 30 minutes, then stops).


Kirk Bayne

 

[mandrix]

I have 3 Oppo's, a Sony, and an ancient Samsung. None play 4K video, but I'm not a movie guy anyway. I can play 4K on the pc though or the big ass tv via .iso and or usb stick.
I think what I have will hopefully last until I expire.
Keep buying music, the only thing that lasts, and where my premium retirement dollars (sic) go.
When the music's over, turn out the lights.

 

[stoopid]

I have 3 Oppo's, a Sony, and an ancient Samsung. None play 4K video, but I'm not a movie guy anyway. I can play 4K on the pc though or the big ass tv via .iso and or usb stick.
I think what I have will hopefully last until I expire.
Keep buying music, the only thing that lasts, and where my premium retirement dollars (sic) go.
When the music's over, turn out the lights.

Yup, we are all operating on different parameters. Some of us are age constrained, some financially, some both. By averages I have 25+ years left to enjoy my library, so my immediate and future needs require a bit more foresight/planning.

4K bluray looks like the best format to come around since DVD, assuming the discs are properly manufactured. Offers a great resolution for nearly all home theater size screen situations and lots of storage for high res audio. I'm planning to eventually get a few favorite films in 4K as the 'keepers'.

 

[mandrix]

Yup, we are all operating on different parameters. Some of us are age constrained, some financially, some both. By averages I have 25+ years left to enjoy my library, so my immediate and future needs require a bit more foresight/planning.

4K bluray looks like the best format to come around since DVD, assuming the discs are properly manufactured. Offers a great resolution for nearly all home theater size screen situations and lots of storage for high res audio. I'm planning to eventually get a few favorite films in 4K as the 'keepers'.

No argument here.
My preparation started with ripping discs early on so I would not be constrained by devices.

 

[Tribby2001]

Except that electronics have gotten cheaper over time to produce. Economies of scale would be the determining factor on price. There seems to be solid demand for the Sony universal player, so you'd expect they'd move some units even at say $1000.

Is the Magnetar even a direct replacement for an Oppo UDP? Wouldn't we need to wait 5 years to answer that, to see how the support and reliability for the Magnetar pan out?

Could you provide some real world examples to support your hypothesis that [high end premium audio] electronics have become cheaper over time due to economies of scale? High end premium products in general don't sell enough "units" to support "more for less". Sorry but Sony has not been "high end" since Akio Morita's death.

Bear in mind that I'm not referring to cheap, throw away, made in Chyna electronic toys you buy at Wally's world. And waiting around for five years to determine what is a company's rep before purchase would render the product under consideration obsolete by five years.

Economies of scale for state of the art products?

High end Apple iPhone/iPad/etc...? - Nope!
High end personal computers? - Nope!
High end 4K TVs? - Nope
High end drones? - Nope!
High end cars? - Nope!
High end home appliances? - Nope!
High end HVAC systems? - Nope! [New AC system prices will rise 30% next year.]
High end building materials? - Nope!

If you're satisfied with a $200 Sony BR player then go for one.
There is a reason why a decade old discontinued Oppo 205 still commands a premium price.

 

[Tribby2001]

 

[JediJoker]

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I just can't help but laugh at products like this. I'm a sucker for eye-catching visual/industrial design and quality materials, but as a justification for highway robbery? Fuhgeddaboutit!

 

[Owen Smith]

Yup, we are all operating on different parameters. Some of us are age constrained, some financially, some both. By averages I have 25+ years left to enjoy my library, so my immediate and future needs require a bit more foresight/planning.

I'm in the same boat of averages giving me 25+ years. By then my speakers will be almost 50 years old, though they may be the least of my problems (no electrolytics in the crossovers). I can't be bothered with ripping discs, but I don't rate the chances of keeping Oppos running that long as they'll be over 30 years old by then. Hell even HDMI may have bitten the dust in 25 years.