Throughout this Chinese New Year 2023, I am quite preoccupied with my love ones and audio/ video components reviews. The local audio/ video distributors have been most generous to this blog (AV DESIGNS, ACTSESSORY SHOPPE, CREATIVE AV, CENTRE CIRCLE AUDIO VISUAL and last but not least, YY SOUND SYSTEMS/ REFERENCE AUDIO)…thank you all.
Today, the main talk would be at the titled IPUK UHD8592 (PRO) 4K Blu Ray Universal Player. Having experienced the MAGNETAR UDP-800 4K Universal Player, I thought there would be no better player out there,…”that was the peak performer already(?)” Until most recently, I plugged in the IPUK UHD8592 4K (PRO), I realised that the MAGNETAR may have a competitor.
The following observations were done with the movie being played/ moving pictures instead of pausing certain scenes to verify…yes, it was pretty much based on (very) minute memory, sensitivity and sentiment.
Both players, the IPUK UHD8592 4K (PRO) and the MAGNETAR UDP-800 4K were connected to my SONY VPL-VW870ES Laser Projector and LYNGDORF MP-60 AV Processor via FURUTECH HF-X-NCF 8K V2.1 HDMI Cable.
Since the IPUK UHD8592 4K (PRO) did NOT have Stereo RCA nor XLR (BAL) output, whereas both types of output were available at the MAGNETAR UDP-800 4K (where it could be used as a direct CD and SACD player) , the review was done via HDMI output only.
Enter the necessary FURUTECH HF-X NCF HDMI cable
Initially, both players were connected via other unbranded HDMI V2.1 cables, the AV performances were good but not great,…however, both were better in AV perfomance than my reference PIONEER UDP-LX500, comparatively which was lesser in detail/ contrast especially in the black, and darker scene,…colors were flatter and,…in totality, less dimensional. In term of sound quality, both players were much better at the lower frequencies range,…the bass’ quantum, definition, articulation and attack were a few notches above.
The differences between both players were not so apparent, as their differences with the PIONEER. Only with the FURUTECH HDMI connected to both players (in turn, as I only have one cable) would I be able to enjoy both players’ AV performances.
I would start off by saying both IPUK (PRO) and MAGNETAR players were Top Echelon AV Performers…
Even after some repeated viewings at the same scene from the movies that I knew well; STAR WARS ‘EMPIRE STRIKES BACK’ (4K REMASTERED), ‘RETURN OF THE JEDI’ (4K REMASTERED), and JOHN WICK 3 (4K), I was hard pressed to find the differences in quality.
Both players’ rendition/ contrast/ differentiation at dark scenes were equally great. To me, the IPUK (PRO) may, at times, show an ever slightly blacker black. However, THE MAGNETAR showed slightly more detail and dimensional at those dark scenes.
Both players’ color rendition were great. However, at times, they may have presented “too much” of detail in colors that made the overall picture to be slightly “plasticky”. Here, the PIONEER may have a slight upper hand in color separation at the dynamic scene of the movie…as the color never get over saturated.
As for sound quality, with the FURUTECH HDMI connected, both players exuded such high clarity in (every bit of) dialogue, even in the most congested scenes,…the orchestra led soundtrack remained clear and present behind the movie,…the higher presence of surround and atmos channels,…and ultimately, the attack and punches were much harder, heavier and weightier.
CONCLUSION
In short and to be frank, one cannot go wrong with the IPUK UHD8592 4K (PRO) player as an AV source,…its one of the Upper Echelon…easily recommended.