Sony UBP-X800M2 review: a brilliant 4K Blu-ray player with better value rivals

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: One minute review

The Sony UBP-X800M2 is the company’s flagship 4K Blu-ray player, and it’s one that sits at an affordable price ($289 / £299 / roughly AU$481). It supports Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks and plays a wide variety of disc formats, including SACD. It also features built-in Wi-Fi for streaming from apps such as Netflix and Prime Video.

The Sony UBP-X800M2 delivers picture quality that competes with the best 4K Blu-ray players, showcasing accurate textures, bold colors and excellent contrast. It also demonstrates superb upscaling with both regular Blu-rays and DVDs getting a picture quality uplift. It may not maintain film grain as accurately as the rival Panasonic DP-UB820 (something for film purists to bear in mind), but it’s still an excellent player. Paired with one of the best TVs, it will serve any home theater system well.

The X800M2’s interface is on the dated and plain side, but it’s very responsive and easy enough to navigate. There are plenty of settings on offer for both video and audio, but frustratingly, its Dolby Vision setting needs to be switched off or on depending on the disc. The player itself is reassuringly sturdy for the price, though the lack of an alphanumeric front panel display is a disappointment.

While the X800M2 may not offer as much as the Panasonic DP-UB820 and doesn’t provide the same value as the step-down Sony UBP-X700, it is still a fantastic 4K Blu-ray player. Pair it with one of the best OLED TVs, and you’ll be happy.

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Prices & release date

• Release date: May 2019
• Price: $289 / £299 (roughly AU$481)

The Sony UBP-X800M2 is Sony’s flagship 4K Blu-ray player, sitting above the Sony UBP-X700. At launch in May 2019, it cost $299 / £350, putting it in direct competition with Panasonic’s mid-range 4K Blu-ray player, the Panasonic DP-UB820.

Several years on from launch, prices have remained largely unchanged for the X800M2 in the US, though discounts appear sporadically. In the UK, stock is becoming thin, with most units available second-hand. In some cases, prices have even gone up (quite dramatically in some places), but I’d only recommend buying it at or around its initial launch price.

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Specs

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Features

• Dolby Vision HDR support
• SACD playback
• Built-in Wi-Fi for streaming

The Sony X800M2 has comprehensive disc support including 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD (in multiple formats), CD and SACD, the latter of which is not supported by many 4K Blu-ray players including more premium ones like the Panasonic UB9000.

For HDR formats, the X800M2 supports Dolby Vision and HDR10 but not HDR10+. (The Panasonic DP-UB820, the X800M2’s closest rival, supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+.)

The X800M2 supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X (bitstream) and decodes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD soundtracks. Hi-res audio is also supported via USB, including 24-bit files and DSD (11.2 mHz).

The X800M2 features two HDMI outputs, a coaxial digital audio output, a USB port for audio and video file playback, and an Ethernet port. It has built-in Wi-Fi for streaming, with access to some of the best streaming services, including Netflix and YouTube, and BBC iPlayer pre-installed for UK-based customers. There are no analogue audio outputs as found on the Panasonic DP-UB82, but there is a Bluetooth wireless output for headphones. I tested this feature when watching La La Land, and the connection was solid with only minimal delay.

The X800M2 is responsive during use and its menus are easy to navigate. There are a good number of picture settings, including multiple 4K upscaling options, and there are audio presets to improve the quality of lower-resolution files. While easy to navigate and read, the interface itself is on the plain side, and it has the same outdated look as its more budget Sony UBP-X700 counterpart.

A frustration that carries over from the Sony UBP-X700 is that Dolby Vision must be manually turned on and off per disc; it does not work automatically like on Panasonic players. Instead, with the Dolby Vision setting turned on, the X800M2 forces Dolby Vision on regardless of the disc’s content.

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Performance

• Superb picture reproduction
• Effective upscaling
• Fast load times

The X800M2 demonstrated a short load time in my testing. It took roughly 30 seconds from a disc being loaded into the disc tray to the first logos appearing on screen, which is 5-10 seconds faster than the Panasonic DP-UB820 and a full 30 seconds faster than the Panasonic DP-UB150.

For testing, the X800M2 was connected to a Panasonic MZ1500 OLED TV.

The X800M2 demonstrated superb picture quality. When viewing a 4K Blu-ray of The Batman, black levels were rich and deep, and contrast was powerful. Textures and details were true-to-life, and the Dolby Vision HDR added extra visual punch. It was a similar story with Oppenheimer: black and white scenes were presented with a full range of gray tones, creating a balanced and dynamic image.

Colors were also presented with plenty of vibrant punch. In the opening sequence of La La Land (in HDR10), the full array of brightly colored clothing on display looked natural, yet vivid. The same was true for a later scene where Mia’s yellow dress is shown against a dark backdrop, though I noticed that the X800M2 has a cooler color palette than my reference Panasonic DP-UB820 player.

The X800M2 also demonstrated brilliant upscaling. Watching the Blu-ray version of The Batman, the picture was very close to the 4K version, with only slightly softer-looking textures. A DVD of The Amazing Spider-Man didn’t quite hit 4K quality, but the clean upscaling of textures improved picture quality.

While the X800M2 demonstrated mostly accurate reproduction with films, it did smooth out some film grain, which is something purists will want to take note of. One scene I watched from a Blu-ray of Thief has a high level of film grain, and while this was mostly maintained, the picture looked overly cleaned up compared to the same disc played on the Panasonic DP-UB820. The same situation held for The Batman, an intentionally grainy movie.

The X800M2 played Dolby Atmos soundtracks flawlessly and CD playback was also issue-free.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Design

• Solid, premium design
• No front-panel display
• Cheap remote

For a mid-range player, the X800M2 has a premium build quality, with a weighty, solid chassis comprised of metal and plastic. The design is typical plain black, but it looks sleek and minimal compared to rival 4K Blu-ray players.

Similar to its step-down X700 counterpart, the X800M2 does not have an alphanumeric LED display on its front panel, making it difficult to easily tell where you are in a movie or see what screen/functions you’re using. It’s disappointing that Sony’s flagship player lacks this feature, which is one that Panasonic’s players provide.

The X800M2’s supplied remote is functional, but sadly feels cheap. It’s an improvement on the smaller one supplied with the Sony X700, but it’s still not as easy to use as the remotes supplied with Panasonic’s 4K players.

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Value

• Good features and performance for the price
• Step-down X700 is a better value

At $289 / £299, the Sony UBP-X800M2 is a great mid-range 4K Blu-ray player, but one that sits in an awkward spot. It has great features, including Wi-Fi for streaming, and its picture quality and responsiveness are excellent for a mid-range 4K Blu-ray player. In the UK, however, the similarly priced Panasonic DP-UB820 with its more comprehensive HDR support is probably the better option. And in the US, the step-down Sony X700 is significantly cheaper than the X800M2 and offers better overall bang for your buck.

Should you buy the Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

How I tested the Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player

• Tested using a variety of discs including 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and CD
• Tested with Panasonic MZ1500 OLED TV

For my testing of the Sony UBP-X800M2, I connected it to a Panasonic MZ1500 OLED, a TV with Dolby Vision HDR support.

To test the X800M2’s video and audio quality, I predominantly used reference scenes from 4K Blu-rays, including The Batman, La La Land, Top Gun Maverick, and more.

I used several regular Blu-rays, including Thief, and DVDs such as The Amazing Spider-man to analyse the X800M2’s upscaling.

I also evaluated the X800M2’s video and audio settings, its menu layout and its streaming capabilities.