This may be bounceback from the rejection of recently offering my entire disc accumulation – LPs, CDs, DVDs – to a dealer, and being told that at present they’re not worth much. Indeed, he declined to make a bid. I offered them to around a dozen resellers, and they all responded negatively or not at all.
My collection has great music filmed live, much of it not available on CD, and there’s a many discs to be found discarded out in thriftland. I just realised that I have no way to play these 250+ DVD and Blu-ray discs in my now preferred listening space, except an old ‘entry-level’ Samsung BD-E5300 SMART Blu-ray Disc Player.
On investigation, I find that currently available disc players that more or less fill the audiophile space that revered Oppo machines occupied can play Blu-ray, DVD-A, SACD/CD, and more, as well as play lossless files from an external hard drive (over USB or Ethernet).
In addition to DVD and Blu-ray, many of my CD sets have DVDs, and I have quite a few SACDs.
What if I could play them in crisp, clear, dynamic video with hi-fi sound? I’m pondering the value of this, as the two seemingly appropriate models – Reavon UBR-X110 and Panasonic DP-UB9000 – are priced in the region of NZ$2300, which is a way beyond my idea of super-affordability. Indeed, the description for the Reavon reads suspiciously like an audiophile brand specification, and I note that I can’t find any measurement data to confirm the manufacturer’s claims. As is usual, selecting among product options can be a challenge, when faced with technology changes and extensive arrays of features. Relevant performance and useful functions are what I buy. Comparisons and assessments of relevance and capability can be fraught with proprietary terms, jargon, and puffery (which I discovered is legally understood as futile speech, which does not create legal liability).
Well, it turns out that the Reavon models are discontinued, superceded by a Magnetar UDP800 at NZ$3000. After reading the measurements results at Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity, I can’t say I’m immediately motivated to buy one at that price.
The Panasonic model doesn’t play SACD and DVD-A.
For now, this little problem-solving project is going on my backburner, until I can find another less expensive universal disc player option.
For now, I’ll be using my old Samsung player, which plays Blu-ray, DVD and DVD-Audio, and my Pioneer D6 SACD Player. It doesn’t play Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, but right now I don’t have any.
A very satisfying viewing and listening session with disc 2 of Runrig’s Party On the Moor (2014) has just ended. That’s what this is all about. I don’t need an expensive machine.
I came out of this investigation with a solution I already had, and also frustrated by the unreliability of website content of both manufacturer and resellers, as all show these products when they have already been withdrawn and there is no local stock available for sale. Nor did I see any news report of the change to the new product.
Music & Hi-fi Appreciations 