Streaming may dominate home entertainment, but serious movie collectors and audiophiles still value the picture quality, lossless audio, and ownership benefits of physical media. With fewer premium universal disc players available, Magnetar’s UDP800 MKII and UDP900 MKII, introduced in 2025, address the demand for dedicated components capable of playing 4K UHD Blu-rays, SACDs, and other physical formats without compromising performance.
Both players have now earned THX Certification, providing independent validation of their audio and video capabilities. It’s another argument for keeping physical media alive, although buyers spending this much on a disc player should expect more than another impressive badge on the front panel.
The Road To THX Certification
After earning Roon Ready certification earlier in 2026, Magnetar’s MKII Series has now received THX Certification. Since its founding, THX has established rigorous performance standards for audio and video equipment, with certification awarded to products that meet its requirements through extensive testing. For consumers, the THX Certified designation provides independent verification that a component meets specific standards for audio fidelity, video accuracy, and signal processing.
The certification of the UDP800 MKII and UDP900 MKII reinforces Magnetar’s commitment to high-quality physical media playback, although it doesn’t introduce new features or change their underlying performance. The company continues to invest in premium universal disc players, including its recently unveiled Ultima Universal Player, which is still awaiting release. Whether the Ultima will also pursue THX Certification remains unconfirmed, but Magnetar is clearly not ready to abandon physical media while the rest of the entertainment industry continues pushing subscriptions.
“THX Certification is a critical independent validation that enthusiasts and integrators look for when building reference-grade systems,” said Rob Jones, President, Magnetar North America. “We’re proud to see both MKII models earn their certification. It reflects the engineering and feedback from customers and dealers that went directly into the creation of the MKII Series, and it gives customers added confidence that these players will deliver the performance they expect, whether that is in a dedicated home theater or a living room.”
“Magnetar is a strong force in premium disc playback, and the UDP900MKII and UDP800MKII earned THX Certification after our extensive testing and evaluation in the THX labs,” said Steven P. Martz, Vice President, Global Technology Partnerships, THX Ltd. “These media players are built for those who care deeply about seeing and hearing entertainment the way creators intended, which is the founding mission of the THX Certification program. We look forward to continued work and collaboration with Magnetar in the years ahead.”
Why THX Certification Matters for Magnetar
THX Certification for the Magnetar UDP800MKII and UDP900MKII 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc players confirms that both models meet rigorous audio and video performance standards, verified through more than 200 laboratory tests designed to assess signal accuracy, decoding, and playback fidelity.
Image Precision: THX Certification verifies that the Magnetar players reproduce accurate color, contrast, black and white levels, luminance, and gamma consistent with the original source material. Testing also evaluates whether video processing introduces unwanted artifacts or image softening.
Video Upscaling: Since the Magnetar players also support standard Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, and lower-resolution digital content, THX evaluates their upscaling performance to ensure that resolution conversion minimizes processing errors and preserves image detail.
Audio Performance: THX testing evaluates both multichannel and stereo audio output for accuracy, distortion, and faithful reproduction of the original soundtrack or music recording. The goal is to ensure that audio processing and output meet the certification program’s performance standards.
Integration and Signal Integrity: THX also tests whether the Magnetar players correctly decode and deliver audio and video signals to downstream components without introducing errors or unwanted artifacts. This helps ensure consistent performance when the players are connected to compatible home theater equipment.
For consumers, THX Certification provides independent verification that the UDP800MKII and UDP900MKII meet established audio and video performance standards. It doesn’t guarantee that either player will outperform every competing model, but it offers additional reassurance that these premium universal disc players have undergone extensive laboratory testing rather than relying solely on manufacturer claims.
Player Comparison Highlights
| Magnetar Model | UDP800 MKII | UDP900 MKII |
| Product Type | 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc Player | 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc Player |
| Price | $1,899.99 | $3,399.99 |
| THX Certification | Yes | Yes |
| Disc Format Support | UHD Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray 3D DVD-Video DVD Audio AVCHD SACD Audio CD Kodak Picture CD CD-R/RW DVD±R/RW DVD±R DL BD-R/RE | UHD Blu-ray Blu-ray Blu-ray 3D DVD-Video DVD Audio AVCHD SACD, Audio CD Kodak Picture CD CD-R/RW DVD±R/RW DVD±R DL BD-R/RE |
| Main Audio Formats | Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, LPCM | Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, LPCM |
| Additional Format Support | Video: M21S, MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, TP, TRP, TS, 3GP, ASF, WMV, H264/AVC, H265/HEVC, MPEG – 1/2/4, VC1, VP-8, VP-9 Audio: FLAC, M4A, MP3, OGG, AIF/AIFF, APE, AAC, ALAC Photo: JPG, TIFF | Video: M21S, MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, TP, TRP, TS, 3GP, ASF, WMV, H264/AVC, H265/HEVC, MPEG – 1/2/4, VC1, VP-8, VP-9 Audio: FLAC, M4A, MP3, OGG, AIF/AIFF, APE, AAC, ALAC Photo: JPG, TIFF |
| HDR Support | HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG | HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG |
| Analog Audio Outputs | 2-channel (XLR balanced output, RCA) | 2-channel (XLR balanced output, RCA) 7.1 channel (RCA) |
| Digital Audio Outputs | Optical/Coaxial audio: up to 2 channels – 192kHz PCM Dolby Digital, DTS | Optical/Coaxial audio: up to 2 channels – 192kHz PCM Dolby Digital, DTS |
| HDMI Audio Output | Up to 7.1 channel /192kHz PCM, up to 5.1 channel DSD, Bitstream | Up to 7.1 channel /192kHz PCM, up to 5.1 channel DSD, Bitstream |
| HDMI Video Output | UHD 23.976/25/30/50/59.94/60hz 1080 I/P, 720P 576I/P 480I/P Source direct. | UHD 23.976/25/30/50/59.94/60hz 1080 I/P, 720P 576I/P 480I/P Source direct. |
| Analog Audio Characteristics (2 Channels) | Frequency range: 20Hz-20kHz (±0.05dB) Signal-to-noise ratio: ≥120dB Total harmonic distortion + Noise: ≤0.01% Output level: (RCA) 2. 1±0.2Vrms; (XLR) 4.2±0.4Vrms Dynamic range: AGT:> 120 dB Channel separation: ＞100dB (RCA); ＞120dB (XLR) | Frequency Range: 20Hz ~ 50kHz (±0.01dB) Signal – to – noise ratio: ≥120dB (RCA); ≥130dB (XLR) Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: ≤ 0.0005% Output Level: (RCA) ≤3Vrms; (XLR) ≤6Vrms Dynamic Range:> 120 dB (RCA);> 130 dB (XLR) Channel Separation: ≥110dB (RCA); ≥130dB (XLR) |
| Analog Audio Characteristics (7.1 Channels) | 2-channel analog only | Frequency Range: 20Hz ~ 50kHz (±0.01dB) Signal–to–noise ratio:> 120 dB Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: ≤ 0.0005% Output Level: <3 Vrms Dynamic Range: ≥120dB Channel Separation: ≥110dB |
| DAC | Burr-Brown PCM1795 | ESS9038PRO |
| Power Supply | AC 100-240SuppV ~, 50/60Hz | AC 100-240SuppV ~, 50/60Hz |
| Power Consumption | <30W, Standby<0.5W | <40W, Standby<0.5W |
| Dimensions | 430 mm x 300 mm x 90 mm | 445 x 321 x 133 mm |
| Weight | 6.8kg | 15.4kg |
The Bottom Line
The Magnetar UDP800MKII and UDP900MKII have become more relevant as established manufacturers retreat from physical media hardware. Reavon discontinued its entire 4K UHD Blu-ray player lineup in 2025, while Sony ended sales of its last dedicated 4K model in Japan in October 2026, with no successor announced. The Panasonic DP-UB9000 remains a THX Certified alternative, although it lacks SACD playback.
Magnetar’s new certification provides independent validation of audio and video performance, but it doesn’t improve the hardware or guarantee superior results over every competitor. For collectors with substantial libraries of 4K UHD Blu-rays, SACDs, and other physical formats, the real value is having another manufacturer committed to building premium universal players.
Kaleidescape offers a compelling disc-free alternative, delivering high-bitrate movie downloads and lossless audio without depending on conventional streaming quality, but its proprietary ecosystem requires a significant investment. Magnetar’s advantage is straightforward: it plays the discs collectors already own, supports a broad range of formats, and now carries independent THX performance certification. The badge matters, but continued hardware availability, serviceability, and long-term support matter more. With fewer manufacturers willing to build dedicated disc players, that commitment is becoming increasingly valuable.
Price & Availability
The THX Certified Magnetar UDP900MKII ($3,399.99) and UDP800MKII ($1,899) are available now directly through Magnetar and through Magnetar’s network of authorized dealers and distributors.
Related Reading:
- Panasonic DMR-4X1010 Is the 10TB 4K Blu-ray Recorder America Wishes It Had
- Check out some of the Best Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Titles So Far in 2026.
- THX Expands Global Certification with New Shenzhen and Taipei Labs, Adds HDR10+ and Eclipsa Audio Testing
- THX’s 40th Anniversary Celebrates 4 Decades of Sound Innovation (as of 2023)
Thomas Vinelli
November 4, 2026 at 4:32 am
Wonderful but you need a budget player that doesn’t freeze or skip like all Panasonic and Sony players do. Physical media is on thin ice. Super expensive players ain’t going to cut it.