For those seeking HD audio today, the amount of source material can be a determining factor. In my search for HD audio, I've found more current blu-ray audio releases than any other format. Check out the selection at Elusive Disc and Amazon. https://elusivedisc.com/music/digital/blu-ray-audio/
Recent super deluxe releases from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, and others are providing HD music content. And many are offering lossless FLAC downloads as well. Those downloads can be played on blu-ray players via the USB port or burned to disks on DVDs and Blu-rays.
When it comes to high-fidelity audio formats, Blu-ray Audio, SACD (Super Audio CD), and XRCD (Extended Resolution Compact Disc) each have their own characteristics and advantages. Here's a breakdown to compare them:
1. Blu-ray Audio
Audio Quality: Blu-ray Audio can offer very high audio quality, as it supports up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution. This is significantly higher than standard CDs (16-bit/44.1kHz). Blu-ray discs are capable of lossless formats like Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and LPCM (Linear Pulse Code Modulation).
Capacity: Blu-ray discs have a much higher data capacity compared to CDs and SACDs. A standard Blu-ray disc can hold 25GB or more, which allows for high-resolution audio tracks along with additional content (like music videos or album artwork).
Surround Sound: Blu-ray Audio supports multi-channel audio formats, meaning it can handle 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound, providing an immersive experience for home theater enthusiasts.
Compatibility: You'll need a Blu-ray player or a compatible device that supports Blu-ray Audio discs. However, not all Blu-ray players are equipped to output the highest-quality audio formats.
Popularity: While the audio quality is top-notch, Blu-ray Audio discs haven't seen as much widespread adoption as other formats like SACD or vinyl, partly due to the cost and the fact that most people use Blu-ray for video, not audio.
2. SACD (Super Audio CD)
Audio Quality: SACD uses DSD (Direct Stream Digital) encoding, which is a very high-quality format known for its natural, analog-like sound. SACDs can offer up to 5.1 surround sound in high resolution (up to 24-bit/176.4kHz or DSD64).
Capacity: SACDs are typically single-layer discs (or hybrid with both SACD and CD layers). The disc capacity for SACD is about 4.7GB, which allows for high-quality stereo and surround tracks.
Surround Sound: SACD supports multi-channel audio (typically 5.1 surround), and the DSD format is often praised for its transparency and dynamic range in stereo and multi-channel formats.
Compatibility: SACDs require a specialized SACD player to fully appreciate the format. Many standard CD players won't be able to read SACD discs, although hybrid SACDs will include a CD layer that can be played on regular players.
Popularity: SACD was developed as a premium audio format by Sony and Philips, and it has a dedicated following among audiophiles. However, it has not seen widespread mainstream adoption. Many of the best SACDs are classical, jazz, and high-end audiophile releases.
3. XRCD (Extended Resolution Compact Disc)
Audio Quality: XRCD is a mastering process, not a physical format. It's designed to extract the best possible sound quality from standard CDs. The technique involves careful mastering using higher-quality analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs) to improve the clarity and detail of the final product. The resulting CDs are still standard 16-bit/44.1kHz in terms of the audio data format.
Capacity: XRCD discs are regular CDs in terms of storage capacity (about 700MB), but the enhanced mastering results in a more detailed sound than a standard CD.
Surround Sound: XRCD is a stereo-only format. It does not support multi-channel audio or surround sound.
Compatibility: XRCDs are playable on any standard CD player, as they follow the same physical format as regular CDs.
Popularity: XRCD is less well-known than SACD or Blu-ray Audio but is respected among audiophiles for its sound quality improvements over standard CDs. It’s often used for classical, jazz, and other high-fidelity releases.
Which is Best for You?
Blu-ray Audio is the top choice if you're looking for the best in terms of audio resolution and surround sound, but it requires specific hardware and hasn't been widely adopted for audio-only purposes.
SACD is ideal for audiophiles who want the highest quality in terms of stereo and surround sound, particularly in DSD format, but you'll need an SACD player.
XRCD offers an improvement over regular CDs in terms of mastering quality, but it’s still limited to standard CD quality and doesn't support surround sound.
If you're not invested in a home theater system and want excellent stereo sound, SACD or XRCD might be your best options. However, if you're after something that supports both high-quality audio and a variety of formats, Blu-ray Audio could be the way to go—just be prepared for the higher cost and the specialized equipment needed.
Blu Ray 4K UHD players are my new standard for playing audio. The below 3 models from LG, Samsung, and Sony offer UHD 4K video upscaling, 24-bit/192kHz resolution audio DAC, USB input, and Wi-Fi streaming from Netflix, Pandora, and YouTube. They also offer superior cable connections via HDMI ports. They are readily available on Amazon and eBay. Put your library of FLAC audio and HD video on a 256GB USB drive, and you can listen and watch your entertainment library for days.
You can also find older similar models that have the same features. Samsung had the K8500. LG had the UBK8 series and UBK9 series. In side by side listening tests, I found the LG blu ray players had better sound, being more open and dynamic, with fuller bass. The Samsung sounded bright, bass was well defined, but thinner sounding.
In terms of audio technology, the 4K UHD blu ray player will have an updated DAC, able to handle all of today's music formats. Some may look for older CD or blu ray players players, but these are certified for UHD PCM audio files up to 24-bit and 192 khz resolution. The Sony also supports SACD audio CDs.
Managing a music library is getting more challenging with physical CDs taking up more and more room. So storing & burning FLAC files on DVDs, Blu Ray discs, or a file server, is more efficient. Look at FLAC files for preserving your music collection and you have a lossless music collection! Although I am reluctant on parting with my precious physical CDs like a lot of folks. What to do?
Below are some 4K UHD Blu Ray players that I have and can recommend: Enjoy.
LG UBK90 Streaming 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray Player with Dolby Vision
Ultra
HD Premium, Multi-HDR, 4K Blu-Ray Disc Playback, 3D Blu-Ray/ DVD
Playback, 4K Streaming Content, Built-in dual band WiFi, USB media input
Get the best out of your 4K TV
Since
I upgraded to my LG OLED 4K TV, everything I watch looks better. But I
geek out the most over shows and movies in true 4K. They just seem to
pop off the screen. And the LG UBK90 4K Blu-ray player will play Ultra
HD Blu-ray discs with Dolby Vision — the absolute best-quality video
source available today.
Ready for the best HDR formats
Ultra
HD Blu-ray discs with HDR (High Dynamic Range) allow compatible TVs to
display extremely bright and dark black picture content together within
the same image. HDR content makes for serious eye candy on my new OLED
TV — it stands out even among other, stellar-looking 4K videos.
And
this player supports the required HDR 10 format, and the more
sophisticated Dolby Vision format. Dolby Vision is one of the reasons I
ended up going with the LG OLED. Dolby's dynamic system can adjust
brightness and color levels on a scene-by-scene basis.
Netflix
has a bunch of shows in Dolby Vision, and some of them look so realistic
and vibrant that it actually adds to the storytelling. Take the brutal
Western show Godless: the beautiful yet nightmarish landscape is
practically one of the characters. Watching sunlight peek over a
mountain and spill over the dusty terrain with true-to-life shading is
truly a sight to see.
Top movie sound formats and flexible connections
This
player has built-in support for the highest-quality surround sound
formats, like Dolby® TrueHD and DTS Master Audio™. It also plays Dolby
Atmos®-encoded discs. You simply set the HDMI audio output to
"bitstream" when connected to an Atmos-capable receiver.
There
are two HDMI outputs: one for sending audio to your home theater
receiver and one for video directly to your TV. That means you can still
play sound through receivers that don't have a free HDMI input that's
HDCP 2.2 compatible. You can also use an optical digital connection to
get surround sound from the player to your receiver.
Dual-band Wi-Fi means smooth 4K video streaming
Along
with playing discs, you can use the UBK90 to stream Netflix® and
YouTube. These are the two video services that offer the most 4K
content available right now. And this player's dual-band Wi-Fi gives you
the strong connection needed for streaming 4K. (We recommend having an
internet speed of 20Mbps or faster for 4K streaming.)
Product highlights:
Plays Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, 3D and standard Blu-ray discs, DVDs, CDs and rewriteable discs full 4K resolution video for use with Ultra HD TVs 4K video upscaling for standard Blu-ray and DVDs HDR (High Dynamic Range) for extended picture contrast and brightness on compatible TVs supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision Dolby Vision adjusts brightness dynamically for premium shading and depth supports lower resolutions when used with non-4K TVs plays Region A Blu-ray discs and Region 1 DVDs
Wireless Features and Technical Specs:
-Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi for smooth wireless streaming from Netflix and other video streaming apps -HEVC for watching streamed 4K content from Netflix (requires internet speed of at least 20Mbps) -Selectable video resolution up to 3840 x 2160 pixels -Built-in audio decoding for Dolby® Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS®, and DTS-HD Master Audio -Can pass Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks when HDMI output is set to "bitstream" for decoding by a compatible receiver
-Plays high-resolution digital music files via USB storage device; PCM files up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution
-BD-Live and BonusView support for added bonus features with compatible discs (requires external USB storage device)
Connections and General Info:
Front-panel USB port to play music, movies, and images from external hard drives, thumb drives, or Android phones 2 HDMI outputs for separating audio and video signals
HDMI 1 output is HDMI 2.0a (connected 4K TV and/or receiver must have
an HDCP 2.2-compatible HDMI input, and must have HDMI 2.0a to support
HDR) HDMI 2 input does not output video signal (audio only) optical digital audio output dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Ethernet port for downloading firmware updates remote control 16-15/16"W x 1-13/16"H x 9-3/8"D warranty: 1 year
4K
Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc playback provides the ultimate in audio/video
quality with a stunning 4K picture and state-of-the-art audio. Pop in a
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc and prepare to be transported 4K streaming
content - this internet-ready LG device is capable of delivering an
uncompromising Ultra HD 4K streaming experience. (Additional
subscriptions services may be required) High pressure audio playback - this UHD Blu-ray DVD player Supports high Resolution audio HDR
playback - this LG Blu-ray Disc player is HDR compatible with Dolby
Vision and HDR10. (HDR/Dolby Vision TV sold separately and required for
Dolby Vision playback) Blu-ray & DVD backward compatible - this
LG UHD Blu-ray Disc player is backward compatible supporting both of
these popular legacy standards.
Samsung UBD-M8500 4K Blu Ray Player
If your new 4K TV just arrived, you're probably chomping at the bit to see its best picture. Place an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc into the Samsung UBD-M500 4K Blu-ray player's tray, and savor your movies in true 4K resolution — a staggering 3840 x 2160 pixels. This player delivers an incredibly sharp, realistic picture, even when you sit up close.
The Samsung UBD-M8500 features a sturdy disc drive to prevent vibration. Beautiful, lifelike picture contrast
I think High Dynamic Range (HDR) is the most exciting aspect of Ultra HD Blu-ray. It allows compatible TVs to display extremely bright and dark black picture content together within the same image. (Think tiny stars peeking through the pitch-black night sky.)
This also has Hollywood buzzing. It's given directors a brilliant visual palette to play with — subtle, delicate lighting, sparks of brightness, and true-to-life shading and shadows. Samsung gives you more 4K viewing options — yep, including Netflix®
Have you ever seen the vibrant Colombian landscapes of Narcos in 4K? It is really something else. And the deeper shading and detail make scenes in small cafés feel even more claustrophobic.
When you connect this player to your home network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, you get several 4K streaming options including Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and M-Go. Plus, you can watch 4K video clips on YouTube. Don't throw out your old discs!
You can still enjoy all your old standard Blu-rays and DVDs on this player. Samsung made 4K upconversion a top priority for the UBD-M8500. Their UHD Upscaling automatically upconverts any signal to 4K resolution. All of your movies and shows will look better than ever. QLED TV
Find out how great the picture is on your new QLED TV (sold separately) with the Samsung UBD-M8500
Impressive sound and music options
Along with the state-of-the-art picture, your movies will sound amazing too. The Samsung UBD-M8500 has built-in support for the highest-quality surround sound formats, like Dolby® TrueHD and DTS Master Audio™. It also plays Dolby Atmos®-encoded discs (just set the HDMI audio output to "bitstream" when connected to an Atmos-capable receiver).
This Ultra HD player's no slouch when it comes to music, either. You can play music from a CD or stream tunes from services like Pandora® or Spotify®. You can even wirelessly connect to a compatible networked PC via DLNA technology and play songs from your computer. Samsung's smart hub is smarter than most
This player's brain is a super-speedy eight-core processor — the same found in Samsung's latest high-end TVs, Galaxy phones, and tablets. It lets you do serious multitasking. You can browse the web without having to interrupt your movie, or use one app while downloading another. Plus Samsung's on-board selection of apps is pretty stacked — streaming video, sports leagues, music, games, you name it. Project images to your screen
While newer phones are getting harder to cram into pockets, sometimes the screens still aren't large enough for certain tasks. Maybe you want to share a video or picture with a group of people. Wirelessly "push" the display to your TV's big screen through the Samsung UBD-M8500. Allshare™, Samsung's take on Miracast™ technology, mirrors the screen of your compatible mobile device, tablet, or computer screen for everyone to see. READ LESS
Product highlights:
Plays Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, standard Blu-ray discs, DVDs, CDs and rewriteable discs (no 3D playback) full 4K resolution video for use with Ultra HD TVs 4K video upscaling for standard Blu-ray and DVDs supports lower resolutions when used with non-4K TVs HDR (High Dynamic Range)-ready for extended picture contrast and brightness on compatible TVs supports HDR10 format plays high-resolution digital music files via USB storage device; PCM files up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution this player accepts Region A Blu-ray discs and Region 1 DVDs
Wireless Features:
Dual-band Wi-Fi for streaming video and music (subscriptions required for some services) streaming video services: Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Vudu, and more streaming music services: Spotify, Pandora, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn HEVC for watching streamed 4K content from sources like Netflix, Amazon Instant, or YouTube (requires Internet speed of at least 20Mbps) Samsung's Smart Hub lets you scroll through apps and menu while you watch a disc AllShare lets you stream content and mirror screens from compatible Samsung smartphones and tablets Multiroom Link for syncing wirelessly with Samsung Shape wireless speakers on-board web browser
Technical Specs and General Info:
Selectable video resolution up to 3840 x 2160 pixels built-in audio decoding for Dolby® Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS®, and DTS-HD Master Audio can pass Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks when HDMI output is set to "bitstream" plays AAC, AIFF, ALAC, , FLAC, MP3, WMA, and WAV audio file formats front-panel USB port for use with external storage devices 1 HDMI output HDMI 2.0a (connected 4K TV and/or receiver must have an HDCP 2.2-compatible HDMI input, and must have HDMI 2.0a to support HDR) Anynet+ simplifies control of compatible Samsung components via "MAIN" HDMI connection (HDMI-CEC) optical digital audio output remote control Ethernet port for wired network connection 16"W x 1-7/8"H x 8-15/16"D warranty: 1 year
Sony UBP-X700 review: More 4K HDR Blu-ray goodness for less money-CNET
4K Blu-ray is growing up. Current players offer better performance
and cheaper prices than their predecessors. The latest batch of UHD players are available for between $100 and $200 and offer things the early adopters couldn't, including compatibility with Dolby Vision discs.
The Good
The Sony UBP-X700 is a compact powerhouse that offers similar
performance and better features than the X800 for a $50 discount. The
player includes a host of streaming options, and Dolby Vision support is
forthcoming.The time it takes for the player to load Netflix is
insanely fast.
The Bad
Only supports streaming 4K HDR from YouTube. Both cheaper
competitors and Sony's own X800 offer better DVD performance.
The Bottom Line
The Sony UBP-X700 is at the cutting edge of 4K Blu-ray
technology and rewards with a solid performance at a reasonable price.
With a software update available later this year,
the Sony X700 will work with Dolby Vision-encoded discs, lending owners
of DV-equipped TVs a sense of future-proofing.
Unlike the cheaper
LG
UP870 and the
Oppo
UBP-203, which are strictly disc players, the
Sony
UBP-X700 offers the best of both disc media and streaming. It's
relatively fast, offers all of the apps you need, and its picture
quality is top notch.
"But what about the Sony X800?",
you might say, especially as that one's not going away.
Performance-wise it's a wash between the two Sony players -- the main
benefit to the more expensive model is a nicer-looking box and
marginally better DVD performance. At a $50 saving and with the promise
of Dolby Vision in the future, there's no real reason not to buy the
X700. Don't need streaming, though? Save some money and get the equally
impressive LG UP870.
The Sony UBP-X700 is available for $199, £269 or AU$349.
Design and features
In terms of design, the X700 sits somewhere between the up-market, book-like X800 and compact HD models like the BDP-S3700 The
X700 measures a foot across and boasts a two-tone finish, but it lacks a
display on the front panel -- all you'll find there are play and eject
buttons. To the left of the front panel is a drop-down drawer that hides
the disc mechanism.
Apart from the design, what is the difference between the X700 and the $250 X800? Two words: Dolby Vision.
No one likes a format war, but Dolby's baby is one of a handful of HDR
technologies vying for your attention. While support isn't coming till
mid-2018, the X700 also includes the more widespread HDR 10, so you'll have most of the bases covered.
Connectivity is identical to the X800's with two
HDMI
ports -- one for audio and video and a second for decoding audio
from an older, non-4K-sporting AV receiver. The player also comes with a
coaxial digital port, which is a bit unusual, as most
TVs
and
sound bars
support optical, plus it offers a USB connection.
The
menu is sensibly laid out and pretty much identical to the X800's, plus
the X700 has most of the apps you can ask for, including
Netflix
, Amazon Prime Video, Panora, Spotify and Hulu. The player also supports 4K streaming from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube, but only the latter in HDR. Lastly, If you somehow still need it the player includes Miracast for streaming your mobile device's screen to your player as well as DLNA.
The remote control is compact and fun with easy access to most of the functions you'll need.
Performance
There's
a reason Sony players are so popular -- in our testing they have proven
to be consistently good performers -- and the X700 again acquits itself
quite well. We found it was equally comfortable with HD discs, 4K
Blu-ray and YouTube HDR streams. Compared to the X800 though, the
more-expensive player was a little bit better at playing DVDs, with less
moire on the edges of the buildings in our Star Trek test disc. The
X700 gives you a choice of two different settings for upscaling -- Auto1
(2K) and Auto2 (4K). As Auto1 (2) was better than Auto2 with this test,
which indicates that the scaler in our LG OLED TV was taking over the
heavy lifting to bring it to 4K. By contrast, we found both the LG UP
X870 and Sony X800 to do a better job of reproducing DVDs with less
jaggies.
So
the X700 put in a good show picture quality-wise and in terms of speed
it was equally adept. Most surprising was how quickly the player loaded
Netflix -- at only 1.89 seconds it's the fastest a player has ever
performed this test. It felt instantaneous. While we would always
recommend a dedicated
Roku
box instead of a Blu-ray as your main streamer the X700 is a very
good alternative. That said, the X800 is no slouch either -- since we
first looked at the X800, its loading times have also improved, and on
the disc side it is now the second-quickest at loading the Batman versus
Superman 4K BD.
Loading times
Load times (s)
LG UP870
Oppo UDP-203 (discontinued)
Microsoft Xbox One S
Samsung UBD-K8500
Sony UBP-X700
Sony UBP-X800
Netflix (until menu)
N/A
N/A
10.01
7.64
1.89
4.26
MI:III | player on | disk tray open
9.36
14.81
22.87
10.00
12.56
12.41
Batman vs. Superman UHD | player on
21.2
39.3
37.69
28.78
30.72
24.05
Finally,
we watched a number of HDR discs, both in HDR 10 and Dolby Vision. Why
Dolby Vision when it's not supported yet? We had some troubles last year
with the
Xbox One
overblowing HDR highlights on the Dolby-sporting Despicable Me 2
test disc and wanted to see if the X700 did the same. The answer is, no;
it simply read the HDR 10 layer and relayed it without issue.
Likewise, Mad Max Fury Road looked lovely, with a much more natural palette when played through the LG OLED55C8P TV
than we'd seen previously. When you first see the procession of
vehicles as they chase the war-truck (Chapter 2 17.00), the ultra-red
details of the flaming exhausts and the blind guitarist's velour outfit
"pop" but don't look completely unrealistic.
Should you buy it?
For
your extra 50 bucks, what does the X800 give you? The most obvious
answer is a premium build -- while the X700 looks like something you
keep in a motorhome, the X800 more befits a home AV system. The other is
that the X800 is a little faster with 4K load times. But things can
change drastically in 12 months, for while the X800 was the best player
at this time last year, that is no longer the case. In its place we
present two alternatives: for the shttps://www.cnet.com/reviews/sony-ubp-x700-review/treamers, this X700 is the best
option, while for people who strictly want a disc player, the LG UP870
is shaping up to be a budget superstar. Look out for a full review of
the LG player soon.
