Magnetar UDP900 Review
Admittedly, our current test candidate isn’t from Oppo. After all, the legendary Oppo universal players haven’t been available for years now. With the UDP900 from Magnetar, however, we finally have a promising successor.
by Reinhard Paprotka
The disappointment was huge: In 2018, Oppo stopped making universal disc players. As an inevitable result of streaming and repeatedly cracked copy protection, audio and video fans could no longer get their hands on Oppo players, which had become true cult items. Pioneer did briefly shake up the market again with the UDP-LX800, but that didn’t last long.
Right now, high-quality universal players are available from Reavon and Magnetar’s own UDP800. Magnetar built our test candidate—the UDP900—on that foundation, and it already surpasses competitors in both build quality and overall appearance. Magnetar is asking $3000 for this player, which is over $1000 more than current rivals, including the legendary Oppo UDP-205.
By charging a hefty $3000, Magnetar is setting a new price standard for top-tier universal disc players.
The Chinese manufacturer Magnetar is headquartered in the high-tech hub of Shenzhen. Connected to the Blu-ray Disc Association, the player is bound by region code requirements for videos. However, for an extra $100, the UDP900 can be purchased without these restrictions, which also makes ISO file playback possible.
- 7Review earns Amazon affiliate commissions from qualifying purchases.
So, what makes a universal disc player, and who actually needs such a device in the era of streaming? Significant development effort was invested in video playback, especially for Ultra HD Blu-ray. This enables playing all types of optical discs—UHD-BD, BD, DVD, and CD (including R/RW). It also provides the foundation for the audio disc formats prized by high-end enthusiasts: SACD, DVD-Audio, and Blu-ray Audio, whether in stereo or multichannel. While budget UHD-BD players can handle video, high-end players—like those from Oppo—stand out thanks to superior audio components with high-grade D/A conversion and other top-notch electronics.
Plenty of heft, minimal noise
WELL EQUIPPED: The Magnetar UDP900 provides all the necessary outputs, as well as a high-grade USB port that lets you use it as a D/A converter. The RS232 interface allows you to control it via PC (Hyper Terminal).
TOP INFO: When you play DVD-Audio and Blu-ray Audio, the UDP900 displays the usual menus included on the disc. However, the on-screen information for SACD is unfortunately less detailed.
When it comes to playing UHD Blu-rays, having a device with considerable mass matters. These discs can spin up to 5000 rpm and cause powerful vibrations. As a countermeasure, Magnetar installs the Sony KEM481AAA optical drive (which doesn’t look especially refined in terms of its tray) in a separate enclosure. This forms a sturdy, well-matched system with a heavy base plate.
Together with the partly double-walled aluminum chassis and additional shielding, the entire unit weighs over 15.5 kilograms—5.5 kilograms more than Oppo’s UDP-205. The result is very good control of both vibration and noise: with no music playing and your ear close by, rotating CDs, SACDs, DVD-As, or DVDs is barely audible. BD/BDAs are very quiet, and UHD-BDs produce only subtle noises, much less than the Oppo. The minimized vibration also helps deliver a very clean output signal, for instance providing top-level error correction.
DOUBLE-WALLED: The housing of the UDP900 is largely double-walled. The outer part is made from 5 mm thick aluminum.
SEPARATED BUILD: On the left you can see the dual power supply, in the middle the shielded optical drive. Behind it are the multichannel outputs, and on the right is the main board (top right).
USB CONNECTION: The highly integrated XMOS chip allows the UDP900 to function as a D/A converter with up to 32-bit/384 kHz resolution (right).
Just like Oppo and other universal players, the UDP900’s core is the Mediatek MT8581 quad-core system chipset featuring an ARM Cortex core. In combination with the ARM Mali-T860 MP2 graphics processor, it supplies the needed computing power for handling UHD video data. The main board uses a six-layer gold immersion process and carefully selected components. This includes LDO voltage regulators, multilayer ceramic capacitors, and electrolytic capacitors made by Japanese companies like Murata and NCC.
Power is delivered via a switching power supply for the digital section and a linear power supply for the audio section, featuring a 60-watt toroidal transformer and quality Rubycon capacitors from Japan. Different functional areas are shielded in metal enclosures, so vibration, noise, and interference are effectively mitigated.
For video playback, the UDP900 supports all current standards such as HDR10+ and Dolby Vision with HDR-SDR conversion, making use of the BT.2020/BT.709/BT.601 color spaces. The Oppo did not yet offer HDR10+. Supported file formats include MKV, AVI, MP4, and M2TS, but not WMV.
Output can be sent through two HDMI ports—one with and one without video—and audio can also be output via analog connections. These include stereo outputs (via the ESS 9038PRO chip), XLR, or RCA. There are also analog 7.1 outputs using ES-S9028PRO D/A conversion. Alongside top audio formats for movie soundtracks, up to Dolby Atmos, the UDP900 plays DSD64/128, DSD64 multichannel, and 192 kHz/24-bit sources, supporting FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, APE, and WAV, plus MP3 and other compressed audio formats.
The UDP900’s commanding appearance is highlighted by a 1.5 cm-thick aluminum front panel with a single-line dot matrix display and basic controls. This allows you to handle all audio discs, including SACDs, DVD-As, and BDAs. The response is quick, but track changes in a quiet room are accompanied by a faint relay click. The front also features a headphone jack that automatically turns off the main outputs, plus a hidden USB port.
You get full control of the UDP900 only when using a display and the backlit remote. For DVD/BD, including DVD-Audio and BD-Audio, the usual on-disc menu is provided; CD text is missing sometimes. The SACD playback menu was better on the Oppo.
The UDP900 can access network storage, but without app support, you can’t use music services
Only when connected to a display can you play audio, video, and photo files from USB or network storage. The interface for browsing these files is fairly straightforward, and in testing, we saw no cover art, nor was gapless playback possible. Even though the UDP900 can act as a UPnP player, you cannot control it as a UPnP renderer using UPnP apps—unlike the Oppo. As a result, you don’t have access to music services or NAS-stored music without a TV. Finally, WLAN and Bluetooth are missing entirely.
In terms of video quality, the UDP900 performed almost identically to the Oppo UDP-205. Its ultra-sharp image is outstanding, maybe even a bit crisper than the Oppo. Color processing is very similar, with no added effects, making for a purist approach. Image quality is certainly top-notch; if you prefer a softer image, you can adjust it in the extensive settings menu.
For our listening test, we used the track “For A Thousand Years” from the wonderful DVD-Audio “Like Minds,” recorded by jazz greats such as Gary Burton, Dave Holland, Chick Corea, and Pat Metheny. We tested both the stereo and multichannel (5.1) versions via the analog outputs. The Magnetar delivered Burton’s vibraphone with the same easy clarity and realism as Metheny’s airy guitar phrases. Naturally, multichannel playback offered a larger soundstage, but the precise stereo image also shined. We noticed almost no difference when comparing discs versus UPnP music files in selected pop and classical tracks; the discs maybe had a touch more bite. The new player can certainly stand toe-to-toe with the Oppo’s excellent sonic performance, though the Oppo’s overall sound signature might be slightly softer.
Magnetar UDP900 Measured Performance
Video frequency response in Ultra HD (luma resolution): 9/10, the finest details appear with full contrast. Audio frequency responses: 10/10, linear up to 20 kHz with various audio formats, from top: USB-Audio at 384 kHz; DTS-HD at 192 kHz; PCM at 96 kHz; and Audio CD (with/without pre-emphasis). Excellent audio quality, THD+N 0.02% (unweighted), signal-to-noise ratio 119 dB (A-weighted, RCA/XLR), CD playback 122 dB (97 dB with residual signal). Maximum output voltage: 1.9/4.5 V, output impedance: 56/290 ohms (RCA/XLR). The headphone output is well-suited to models from 60 ohms with normal efficiency: 1.1 V into 32 ohms (40 mW), 3.9 V into 300 ohms (50 mW), output impedance 40 ohms. Power consumption (standby/operating): 0.3 W/31 W.
Tech Specs
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Model | Magnetar UDP900 |
| List Price | $3000 |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| Dimensions (W × H × D) | 44.5 × 13.3 × 32 cm |
| Weight | 15.5 kg |
| Audio-CD / SACD / DVD-A / BDA | yes / yes / yes / yes |
| DVD / Blu-ray / UHD-Blu-ray | yes / yes / yes |
| Streaming Client | UPnP, SMB, NFS |
| Network: LAN / WLAN / Bluetooth | no / no / no |
| Remote Control / App | included / no |
| Analog Output (adjustable/fixed) | yes / yes |
| Analog Output (Cinch / XLR) | 2.0 + 7.1 / 2.0 |
| Digital Output (coax / optical / HDMI) | yes / yes / 2 (AV + audio only) |
| Headphone Output (fixed/adjustable) | yes / (6.3 mm jack) |
| Inputs (analog / coax / optical) | no / no / no |
| USB Host / USB-DAC In | (USB 3.0) / yes |
| Maximum Resolution | 24/192; up to 32/384 via USB In |
| Special Features | 7 selectable audio filters |
Verdict
A new Oppo? Indeed! With the UDP900, Magnetar delivers nearly the same top-tier audio and video quality as the legendary UDP-205 and even supports the latest HDR+ technology. This makes the UDP900 arguably the best universal disc player on the market right now, though its $3000 price tag is steep.
Magnetar did skip app-based controls but invested significantly more effort in build quality. And concerning noise emissions, the UDP900 clearly outperforms the Oppo reference. All in all, this is a leading recommendation for audio and video enthusiasts looking for a disc player.
When you purchase through links on our site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Magnetar UDP900 Review | The Last Disc Player You’ll Ever Need
If you are an audiophile, videophile – or both – with lots of money and very little time, then you have my blessing and assurances ...
Founded in July 2014, 7Review is a free audio resource for beginners, and we're dedicated to helping you create the ultimate movie-watching experience right at home. We pull insights from top audio magazines and trusted industry sources to bring you well-researched, reliable reviews and tips. Whether you're a home cinema pro or just starting out, we aim to give you the info you need to make the best choices for your setup.
