SONY UBP-X800 universal player

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by High Fidelity, Mar 23, 2017.

  1. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    I actually think they will migrate to USB C, just because it's so universal and will soon be quite inexpensive to implement. Macs are headed in that direction, so presumably the rest of the industry will follow. Display Port never had the kind of support USB C now has. It'll be on everything by the middle of this decade.

    But I doubt any transition away from HDMI to USB C will happen in time for disc spinners to benefit. They'll be extinct by that point, especially in terms of new designs.
     
    Shawn likes this.
  2. Uglyversal

    Uglyversal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney
    They've been pretty stale for a while but I can only hope you are wrong as I like physical media and definitely wouldn't want it die.
     
    head_unit likes this.
  3. jeffmackwood

    jeffmackwood Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ottawa
    Update on that new X800M2: it failed after a week in service.

    Even though I ordered it at the end of January and it arrived early Feb, it wasn't until a week ago that I got to put it through its paces.

    When first connected all was well: great picture and sound. But when I started to play full-length shows and movies, I noticed some picture noise after ~30 minutes of continuous play, that got worse and worse until it was mostly noise. If I shut it off and started again the noise would reappear after a shorter period of time, and so on. I checked out everything else: cables, monitor, AVR, stray EM from other household appliances etc. Finally I swapped in my other X800M2 and it went for hours on continuous play without issues. Obviously the new one was at fault.

    I contacted Amazon.ca and even though I was ten days past the return date, they offered to take the failed one back and issue a full refund.

    Without other price-competitive options at hand, I ordered a new X800M2 (at the full $398 price) and it arrived this morning. I'll set it up today and cue a weekend's worth of streamed content to make sure it's not defective.

    For anyone ordering a "spare" X800M2, I suggest you do the same, during it's return period, before putting it in storage for future use.

    Jeff
     
  4. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    I'd also recommend that storage be "hot" storage - i.e. someplace where it's easy to fire the machine up once a year and spin a disc for an hour or two.
     
    Shawn likes this.
  5. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    Wow, that's $315 USD for an X800M2. They're clearly going up in price. Glad I scored mine while they were relatively cheap.
     
  6. ~dave~~wave~

    ~dave~~wave~ Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lincoln, NE
    Audiowannabee likes this.
  7. Blair G.

    Blair G. Senior Member

    Location:
    Delta, BC, Canada
    I got mine for $248CDN at Costco online, it’s only been down that low a couple of times and not recently.
    The last sale I saw (at London Drugs) was $298CDN
     
  8. Staxus

    Staxus Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Motown
    Got my "Sony 800" back in late 2017 for about 150.00 from Amazon.......Still going strong !!!
    I also picked up a Sony "X700M" a month ago (178.99) at Amazon. The "X700M" seems cheaper in the build than the 800, both handle SACD's very well too !
    [​IMG]
     
  9. Uglyversal

    Uglyversal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney
    I've got my first one about the same time, about two months ago started having problems freezing, I've bought a replacement mechanism -laser included- and is working fine again but I have now installed as my main player the latest 800M2. The 700 is of a cheaper built, the main components are just about the same, I have not had the opportunity of checking the mechanism inside that plastic box but I would say the chances of being the same as the 800 are pretty high. One very good point for the not technically oriented user is that the power supply can fail in the 800, on the 700 being external you can just replace it like you'll do with a laptop. In the 800 you need someone who knows what they are doing.
     
  10. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    You mean the -700 has like a wall wart? It won't play my DVD-Audio discs, but they all have a compatible DVD-Video layer...
     
  11. Bill Mac

    Bill Mac Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    How is the UBP-X800m2 at navigating DSD files from a connected USB hard drive? It's too bad that it only has one USB input and it's on the front.
     
  12. jeffmackwood

    jeffmackwood Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ottawa
    I'm now using both an X800 and two X800M2 and both handle DSD (DSD64 - stereo and multichannel) from USB without any issues. I've not tried anything "better" than DSD64 (and see no need to do so.) I keep a copy of my demo multichannel DSD files on stick.

    And as I've also said (likely in a previous post in this thread), contrary to both the X800 and X800M2's manuals, I've never had an issue streaming DSD files from my NAS. I do all of my streaming (music and video) using Ethernet, rather than wireless, to avoid potential buffering issues. Almost certainly not required even for multichannel DSD, however it had been, on occasion, when streaming 4k video.

    Jeff
     
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  13. Uglyversal

    Uglyversal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney
    I don't understand how you know it won't play your DVD-Audio but don't know about the PS or does it says so on the specs?

    It uses one of these PS,
    [​IMG]

    it is probably not as good PS as what is inside the 800, much less what is inside the 1100 but if you want to find a good point about the 700 is the external PS. Not only when it fails is easy to replace by someone without technical knowledge but should you want to upgrade and use a superior power supply it can be done in an easier manner than with the 800.

    The 800 and M2 cases are much better constructed and shielded, I don't own any DVD audio or a 700, I don't have present in my mind what formats they play, there could be a problem with the player but more likely your settings. The settings for how it handles the discs should be accessible through the home screen when you are NOT playing discs, have a good look through there. Before I used to know the settings back to front but it's been ages since I needed to touch them, they are the same as in the 800.

    The only default setting I can advise anyone to change for movie -you should only need to change it once- when you are playing a disc, on the remote press Options>video settings make sure it is not in "Auto" that will engage the noise reduction which is awful picture wise and cause all sort of weird freezing and movement of the grain, plus you loose definition. Choose Direct, Bright, theater, or the user options have to be set by you, there you can add again noise reduction but have a bit more control on how it works, for me is bad either way.
     
    head_unit likes this.
  14. ca1ore

    ca1ore Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stamford, CT, USA
    $250 on Amazon at the moment also.
     
  15. Audiowannabee

    Audiowannabee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    Just ordered me a backup for the backup bestbuy open box aprx $214 + tax

    Stacking players im crazy will now have 2 oppos n 2 sony x800s n a sony dvd/sacd player

    Hopefully ill be set for playing discs till i die
     
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  16. ca1ore

    ca1ore Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stamford, CT, USA
    Just ordered a spare chez moi also. My original 800 crapped out right after the beginning of the year. I keep meticulous records of all audio components bought for more than $200 …. but I must have paid less than that because it’s not on the list. I ‘think’ it was about 8 years old when it failed, but could have been 10. Anyhow, now I should be set for the foreseeable future. If only I had bought a spare Oppo 203 …..
     
    head_unit likes this.
  17. dwm67

    dwm67 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Alberta, Canada
    I am considering a X800M2 that has been modified to allow region free playback of DVD’s and Blu rays … has anyone had any experience with this scenario? I will likely order from 220 electronics. It would mainly be used for that purpose unless it eventually is moved to another system. I already have a primary 4k player (Panasonic).
     
    head_unit likes this.
  18. Uglyversal

    Uglyversal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney
    Yes, I've made the modification myself, it is likely most mod chips around on the 800 players you buy are the same. DVD works straight away no matter what region. BD you must switch off the player then through the coloured buttons on the remote you choose the region by holding one of them, then the player switches on by itself an is ready to go on the chosen region. 4k remains region free as per default. So far it has worked flawlessly.
     
    head_unit likes this.
  19. Uglyversal

    Uglyversal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney
    BTW: The original Sony warranty would be void of course. So should there be a problem, make sure whoever you buy a multiregion player from is someone trustworthy that will fix the player for you.
     
    head_unit likes this.
  20. dwm67

    dwm67 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Alberta, Canada
    Awesome … thanks for the feedback / warranty info :)
     
  21. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    The -800 specs list "DVD-Audio" and the -700 doesn't, matching my recollection. Jeez let me complain again to the universe that I wish I had bought one of the last Oppo...too broke at the time :(
     
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  22. Uglyversal

    Uglyversal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney
    Chances are that if the 800 list it the 700 does it too, Of course I can't guarantee it to you, I haven't looked for a while but the main board is almost the same between the 700 and the 800M2, I think I did spot some minor difference in the board but I don't remember what. The main visual difference inside is that the case is not as solid, neither shielded, 800 has power supply inside and the computer style drive UPX-1 while the 700 has no PS and the driver box on the outside is all plastic and marked as a different model. I do have a strong suspicion that if you open that driver box in the 700 you will likely find it not too different to the other KES/KEM481AAA mechanism, laser.
     
  23. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    I don't think the 700 does DVD-Audio. The original 800 made a big splash when it came out because Sony was finally supporting DVD-Audio, about a decade too late.
     
    lv70smusic and ~dave~~wave~ like this.
  24. Uglyversal

    Uglyversal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney
    Well I've decided to take any uncertainty out of this, I've just checked the manual on the plain 800 and on the 700. 700 says specifically on page 29 that DVDaudio Cannot played while the 800 says it does. As I've mentioned earlier the main board on those players is "almost" identical, I guess the tiny differences I've noticed might be where this comes from. I think the three players (700, 800 and 800M2) also use different firmware which could also have something to do with it.
     
  25. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    As far as I know, a DVD-Audio disc is physically identical to a DVD disc. I don't know if the drive mechanism itself needs to be different / have different firmware to decode DVD-Audio, or if that's just down to the firmware on the player itself.
     

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