Sony or Panasonic 4K Player vs. Magnetar or Reavon Universal Player

From experience I can say that as a CD player, the Oppo 205 is average (6/10). But use it as a DAC and you will start wondering what high end DACs might bring to the table (8/10). It is that good.

I don’t have any complaints about SACD playback quality with my Oppo 205.

Not from personal experience.  The reviews have been favorable, and I don’t agree with the statement that you made about the 205

Didn’t know Magnetar is made by the same group that was responsible for Oppo blu ray players! At the time when Oppo still made players I was considering their 205 for surround SACD duty but was always put off by comments online that Oppo sacd playback quality was sterile and not on par with the caliber of DACs that they used. Can anyone comment on Magnetar SACD capabilities in multichannel?

I have the Oppo 205 and for me it’s not leaving anytime soon, unless it quits and can’t be repaired. If I did have to get another player I would most likely go for the Magnetar. The Oppo has far more digital inputs than the Magnetar and they both use the same dac chips although the dac chip for the surround domain in the  Magnetar is actually a lesser version than in the older Oppo 205.

The Panasonic is a nice player if you don’t need SACD.  
I saw and ad for Oppo 203 , obviously used, for 3K.  I barely use mine which I bought as a safeguard for my 105 when Oppo announced it was discontinuing players.  My 105 is showing no signs of slowing down (I use it primarily for audio so 4 K isn’t an issue).

  I wouldn’t spend 3K for a used Oppo when that will get you 2 new Magnetars.  Same engineers and menus but better parts in the Magnetar

I’ve had Panasonic 820 since its lunch in US and have not had any issues with it. Its online app capabilities are hopelessly outdated from the very beginning but I only use it to play disks. It’s an amazing upscaler. Can play media from usb. Only thing it’s lacking is sacd support. For that I’d go with Sony X800 but I’ve heard that it suffers occasional hang when playing UHD disks. I wouldn’t bother with Oppo at this point. 

I was in a similar situation not long ago, the Oppo was actually starting to have issues with HDMI handshake failing. I was told it would potentially be an expensive fix with no guarantee of success. Went with the UB9000 and have been really happy with it. If we slap an Oppo label on it, you would believe it was a new model from them, it's built really well.

My Dad has the UB9000. It’s an awesome machine. And it sounds great with CDs and BR Audio  through it’s XLR outputs. Excellent player

@nonoise $425 for the UB820 and $750 for the UB9000.  As I mentioned above, I think the UB9000 is probably more than I need, but I am having a hard time passing on it at $750.

Good luck.

I've been thinking of replacing my aging OPPO-103 and was torn between the two Panasonics you mentioned, the DP-U9000 and the DP-U820 and will most likely go for the DP-U9000. 

From what I've read, both have fans and the one on the U820 can be heard on quiet scenes from a distance of about 8' and the image quality is marginally better on the U9000. The U9000 is also built like a tank, just like an OPPO. That would do it for me. Also, both Pannys automatically switch to Dolby (if available) so no need to go into the menu to select what's optimal for each disc you choose to play. 

Good luck in your decision. By the way, what is the price you found, if you can reveal it? 

All the best,
Nonoise

Thank you for your responses.  Very good information.  I’m looking at a Panasonic right now.  It’s between the UB820 and the UB9000.  I know the UB9000 may be more than I need, but there’s one for sale now at a price that’s hard to pass up.

Panasonic UB820 is the sweet spot for bang for the buck. If you go over to 4kbluray subreddit this is what everyone strives to get

When our ES died we went with the Sony X800.  A lot of that decision was based on the needs of our screen and the BLU-RAY processor.  The hard truth is that with the rate of technology improvements it was not worth it to us to go with a Panasonic or the new ES model.  Next year there will be better processors.  My thoughts are get the Sony X800 M2 for now.  Sit on the fence and see what happens with 8K, if anything.  As for 8K until you reach a 70" screen all indications are it is irrelevant.

If you are waiting for the 105 to die it might be a long wait.  If the priority is for video I would spend a few hundred for a nifty Blu Ray player that isn’t a Universal Player.  If you play SACD/DVD-A/Blu Ray Audio continue to use the Oppo 105 until it dies.  My guess is it will outlive the BRP.  When the 105 finally goes see what Universal Players are available at that time.  The choice may be different than at present 

Thanks.

So, are you recommending that I get a top of the line 4K Panasonic Blu-ray player, or the Magnetar universal player?

I think you support the former, and wait until my Oppo 105 fails, and evaluate my options in the near future.

Thanks!

seems you have done your research and now are confronted with, how much money should i spend.  This is going to be what your willing to live without. My bet is the more expensive players will give you better picture quality maybe features. What do you require as a min? this should answer your question. 

As for keeping your Oppo, well it is getting on in years and mechanical systems will fail eventually. 

If it was me I'd buy the best you can afford and hope it out lasts your system until you need something else down the road as formats change, new tech comes available, etc.