As with the Pioneer VSX-933 we reviewed last year, the Pioneer Elite VSX-LX504 9.2-Channel Network AV Receiver packs a whole lot of goodies into one package. And if you’re a music lover, you’re in luck - the deck sounds as good as it looks! The deck typically takes just over 40 seconds to go from tray in to menu onscreen, for movie discs, which is an average performance. Within each you can change brightness, contrast, hue, chroma level, sharpness and noise reduction. You want to dive right into 4K, and the works, but you aren’t ready to replace everything. Winner of the EISA award for Best 4K Blu-ray player 2019-2020, it is an alternative to the sorely missed Oppo 4K Blu-ray players, but also the Panasonic DP-UB9000 4K Blu-ray player that we reviewed last year. Instead of overhauling your library, just use the best 4K blu ray player for your visual and audio needs. Pioneer UDP-LX500 review conclusion. Please refresh the page and try again. The DAC converts this audio to … The deck’s video output can even be matched to different display technologies, be it LCD, OLED or projectors. Verdict. It’s what 4K enthusiasts look for if you want the most out of your 4K TV. However, at no time, will it ever affect our rankings or judgment of the product(s) in discussion or under evaluation. 4K UHD looks terrific, and even music playback is confidently better than some dedicated players. No You have analogue audio output, AV receiver, optical digital audio, dual HDMI outputs, which also take advantage of jitterless sound and signal transmission, along with a zero signal terminal. Perfer downloads? The UDP-LX500 offers excellent video and audio playback from practically any disc for under $2,000. Thereby producing a better image and sound. Pioneer PLX-500 Turntable Review Summing up the Pioneer and giving it a fair score is a slightly difficult business because there are a few variables that need to be considered. Too many are simply trying to capitalize on affiliate revenue. And often they review only the products that provide the most kickbacks when you buy. You have a library full of audio CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs. They take money from brands to skew results. TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. So is the UDP-LX800 comparable or even better than the Panasonic DP-UB9000? Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, The LX500 is definitely visually-smart in a conservative and understated way; it could easily be mistaken for a I990s-vintage CD player, with its front-loading mech and fluorescent display. Sold for 999 euros, this high-end model has been repeatedly acclaimed by the specialized press. No streaming apps or wireless connectivity. Occasional playback glitches. Gadget Review works with a variety of eCommerce partners and vendors to help monetize the site’s traffic – instead of advertisers. We're on a mission to fix the broken user review system. The Pioneer SC-LX502 is an example of this process, although awkward is not a word that describes any part of this AVR. You also provide quite a bit of extra space, because it is even slightly bigger than the big ones Panasonic DP-UB9004. There’s next to none. After Pioneer teased a new Ultra HD Blu-ray player lineup last Summer, the UDP-LX500 was the first one to break cover.The brand then followed with the launch of a higher-end machine, the UDP-LX800, which actually made it to my test bench first. The brand has operated a policy of dour functionality for more years than I care to remember, and there’s no change to that philosophy here. Most obviously, that comprehensive audio disc support, good news if you have a stockpile of DVD-Audio releases or are still snapping up SACDs. This removes any semblance of stepping from curves and edges, and providing smoother colour detailing. Its BDP-LX88 from 2015 was one of the finest players to serve the first iteration of Blu-ray, and the UDP-LX500 clearly builds on that legacy. You can read more about our honesty pledge for additional insight on this matter. As it exists out of the box, this is a good but not great turntable. As such, some of the links on this page may earn us a commission when you click thru and purchase from the associated partner, like Amazon. Pioneer’s UDP-LX500 slashes the asking price of its flagship brethren but still promises a premium mix of movie and music playback. Let’s be honest here. The latter allows you to assign preferred video settings to one of three presets. Required fields are marked *, Is this a review? But there is still fresh excitement to be had. The Pioneer Elite UDP-LX500 is built like a tank (figuratively speaking). For starters, it has a three-block internal layout, which uses an ultra rigid construction and double-layered chassis. Review: Andrew Everard, Lab: Paul Miller | Apr 10, 2019 Designed for movies as well as music, the idea of a 'universal' disc player is an appealing one. By the end of our blu ray player review, we realized it wants to be your one-stop home cinema device, and it’s making one strong argument. Our reviews and buyers guides are always either based on reviews we’ve done ourselves, or aggregated from trusted sources. The deck also does a fine job with regular CDs. The UDP-LX500 offers excellent video and audio playback from practically any disc for just over US $1,000. Now I'm sitting down with the deck that got AV enthusiasts excited in the first place. Here's my 3 month review of the Pioneer UDP-LX500 4K Blu Ray Player. The answer to this isn’t immediately clear cut. It’s not quite as brilliant a video performer as its main rival, the cheaper Panasonic DMP-UB9000, and it’s not quite as well finished either. Only the USB socket gives the game away! Unbiased, No B.S. Within each you can change brightness, contrast, hue, chroma level, sharpness and noise reduction. Additionally, inferior formats like regular Blu-ray and DVDs get a boost to their lower quality signal, along with DVD Audio support, and will also switch SDR HDR quality based on the output you’re using. These are useful if you want to give the content you’re watching a particular flavour. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. ... Universal Player' motivation. 4K UHD looks terrific, and even music playback is confidently better than some dedicated players. Pioneer UDP-LX500 4K UHD Blu-ray player review Pioneer’s UDP-LX500 sets a high bar for premium Blu-ray disc players By Steve May 28 December 2018 If you should ditch the trailer for a smaller load, then you can carry up to 450 pounds of payload on the rear rack. Our Verdict. And although picture and audio may not be leaps and bounds better than a simply good 4K disc player if you are seeking the absolute best in 4K UHD players there are not many players to fit such criteria. Pros Pioneer proves that you can make a fine multiformat player with few compromises, the UDP- LX800 delivering a convincing performance whether with SACD/ CD discs or network/USB files. Somewhat tedious user interface. With a real-world power rating of 120 watts per channel, it can drive all but the most power-hungry speakers properly. The main circuit board itself consists of six layers, which accommodates the outputs in the back. These are useful if you want to give the content you’re watching a particular flavour. However, if music is as important as movies to you, it’s clearly got broader appeal. Is the Pioneer PLX-500 the best budget deck on the market? £2,199I loved my Oppo disc players as much as the next AV geek, but there’s no denying that since the brand shock-exited the market last year, things have become interesting in the world of high-end disc players.There have been a few manufacturers trying to fill the hole that was left since. Like the discontinued Oppo players, Pioneer’s UDP-LX500 plays SACD and DVD-Audio discs, in addition to 4K UHD Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, DVD, and CD, so audiophiles and videophiles alike should be satisfied. DVDs and audio CDs are welcomed. Brady Klinger-Meyers is a writer based in Pennsylvania. Pioneer UDP-LX500 review conclusion. With the Pioneer UDP-LX500, you don’t have to! It’s a media maestro in every sense. If high-end Hi-Fi and … This reveals Max FALL (Maximum Frame Average Light Level) and MaxCLL(Maximum Content Light Level) information, and offers a real insight into the mastering and display potential of 4K discs. Whatever your thoughts on physical media in 2018, you’ve got to admit, the posh end of the Blu-ray player market is a really interesting place: Panasonic has played a blinder with its high-end DP-UB9000, and now Pioneer has countered with the UDP-LX500, a slightly more expensive universal 4K Blu-ray player that combines versatile audio playback with painstaking video performance. As it happens, in most cases not. His work remains primarily in technology, from video game journalism to consumer technology. Clearly this universal player contains very little, so in my opinion, Pioneer have tried to make the player feel like a quality product by using a heavy weight steel chassis under the guise that it reduces vibration, and drops the players center of gravity creating a more stable player that is less prone to vibration. The Pioneer UDP-LX500 has so much to offer in terms of features, in addition to its superior audio and visual quality Where it stumbles is the lack of smart features, unlike the Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD 4K Blu-ray Player. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices, Where to buy Xbox Series X: the latest restock updates for Cyber Week, PS5 storage could be worryingly expensive, if this 2TB NVMe SSD is anything to go by, Where to buy PS5: all the latest PS5 stock updates, Best free games 2020: the top free games to download on PC, This UK retailer will have Xbox Series X stock before Christmas – here's how to get one, Antivirus alone is no longer enough to keep your devices protected, Xbox Series X scalpers get what they deserve as retailer cancels 1,000 orders, AMD CPU sales skyrocket with Ryzen 5000 launch, leaving Intel in the dust, The new Xbox Series X update makes things feel a bit more next-gen, Expect to see the UDP-LX500 on our list of the. Pioneer UDP-LX800 4K UHD Blu-ray player review This is the Tesseract of disc spinners By Steve May 29 January 2019. You will receive a verification email shortly. THE VERDICT. The deck boasts a superb disc display function, which is able to read HDR10 metadata from compatible UHD discs. Our mission is to empower you to find the product you’re looking for and get exactly the information you need to make the right buying decision. Offering delicious sound and vision, the UDP-LX500 is a virtual sticky toffee pudding of a UHD player. You can further fine tune the performance using a trio of digital filtering modes: Sharp Roll-Off, Short Delay, Slow Roll-Off. While smart features are missing, it makes up for it by being accommodating to your visual and audio library, as outdated it might be. Steve May reports Contents1 AV INFO2 Fully featured3 A feast for the eyes4 Leading contender5 VERDICT6 SPECIFICATIONS7 PARTNER WITH AV INFO Premium universal UHD Blu-ray player A rung down from the flagship UDP-LX800 Panasonic DP … We are always transparent about where our information comes from so that you don’t have to waste time and money buying the wrong thing. These two devices look very similar to each other. The player is also High-Res audio file compatible. Well that may or may not be so, not too sure how that concept works technically. It’s one thing to support HDR10, and a whole new level to support HDR10+, and Dolby Vision—a feature the LG UBK80 lacks. K dispozici jsou dva HDMI výstupy, přičemž jeden lze využít pro připojení k televizoru a druhý pro přenos audia do A/V receiveru. Minus. Sign up to get breaking news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more, plus the hottest tech deals! Gloriously dynamic, with a rich, vibrant colour palette, the player offers wide colour candy and dynamics in abundance. Like all Pioneer DVD-based products, the DV-LX50 boasts wide compatibility with digital media formats, including all versions of DivX, MP3, WMA and hi-res JPEGs. The latter allows you to assign preferred video settings to one of three presets. No problem. reviews and buyers guides. Side by side, both decks appear absolutely peerless. Pioneer’s brand-new universal disc player brings the spectacle of Ultra HD Blu-ray™ to your home entertainment, with four times the resolution of 1080p Full HD. This is what allows us to offer our content free of charge or without a paywall. Pioneer Elite UDP-LX500 Universal disc playerelite’s brand-new universal disc player brings the spectacle of Ultra HD Blu-ray to your home entertainment, … There was a problem. Check out the video and see for yourself! In short, we’ll always remain objective and find you the best products regardless of any monetary incentive. That said… You won’t have to worry about updating it at all. Do you really need a display capable of 1200 nits to make the most of your HDR discs? Speaking of payload, the Pioneer 500 has a tow rating of up to 1,000 pounds via the rear receiver hitch, and, with an automatic five-speed gearbox including manual mode, moving trailers and gear should not be an issue. Pioneer's efficient Direct Energy class-D amplifier modules allow the VSX-LX504 to pack a hefty punch while keeping the receiver's size and bulk manageable. With the exception of the power key, they are not illuminated and can har… Pioneer DJ PLX-500 review A low-cost deck from a name you can trust? It’s pricey though; a cheap alternative would be the Sony Ultra HD 4K Blu-ray Player. Connectivity includes two HDMIs (one for combined sound and vision, the other offering separated audio if required), USB ports front and back, digital audio optical and coaxial outputs, and a meaningful pair of stereo phonos. Move over Bradley and Gaga, a new AV star is born. New York, Introduced at the recent CEDIA Expo in San Diego, the UDP-LX500 will sell for $1,099 and is expected to ship in October. Visit our corporate site. That said… Where the UDP-LX500 clearly scores over rivals is in its sonic performance. He regularly contributes to websites such as Hardcore Droid, Gamepur, and Homebli. The menu system is simpler than Panasonic’s somewhat overcomplicated one, with two menus you should investigate – Audio Parameters and Video Parameters. Digital audio is considered to be ‘lossy’; it has a low bit-rate, and thus lacks the detail and dynamic components one might wish for. Is this the best 4K UHD player of 2019? It’s perhaps not as accomplished as the ESS Sabre Reference ES9018 used in the older BDP-LX88, but it’s not sonically shabby either. © HDR presentation is also excellent. It has to be; it’s packing so much inside that it needs plenty of protection. Pioneer UDP-LX 500 Vám přehraje skutečně cokoli, včetně 3D Blu-ray, DVD, SACD, DVD-Audio a CD, a to v nejvyšší kvalitě. Your email address will not be published. “Audiophiles” will recognize this term immediately, but for those who are new to the scene, this produces much higher-quality audio than one would get from a standard Blu-ray player. These offer subtle tonal differences, and while I could come to no clear preference, it’s fun to experiment. The Pioneer UDP-LX500 reveals all the cards in its hands, letting you know what it’s up to. Out of the box, the deck handles standard HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and there’s the promise of a firmware update to include HDR10+, in due course. This UHD Blu Ray playback device doesn’t pull any punches in terms of video output and sound quality. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. ... Pioneer’s sibling UDP-LX500 is … By Roy Spencer 17 February 2017. Of course, at this level, performance is everything, and the UDP-LX500 doesn’t disappoint: The player shares video componentry with its reference grade stablemate, the UDP-LX800, which sells for twice as much, and picture quality is very fine indeed. 4K Blu-rays are marvellously cinematic (the opening space battle in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, is nothing short of breathtaking), while HD Blu-rays gain additional solidity. The Zero Signal Terminal is a Pioneer-original feature dedicated to tuning audio and video quality without signal transmission. There’s also an Ethernet connection for networking, plus RS-232C for high-end home control integration. NY 10036. This week we reviewed the Pioneer UDP-LX500 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player. The Pioneer UDP-LX500 is an amazing UHD player that offers amazing picture quality, crystal clear audio immersion, a lot of connectivity options and has a build quality that is one of the best we have seen in a disc player. LG UBK80 Ultra HD Blu ray Compatibility Review, LG UP870 Definition Compatibility Upconvert Review, Panasonic Blu ray Log Gamma Playback Streaming Review, Panasonic Ultra Assist Blu Ray Player Review, Toshiba BDX5300 3D Blu-ray Player With Built-in Wi-Fi Review. While its £999 ($999, AU$1999) price tag might be a bit intimidating, Pioneer has produced a peach of a player with the UDP-LX500. In order to reduce potential electrical (RF) and magnetic interference they ha… That said, Pioneer won’t win any plaudits for User Interface design. The actual disc loader is slick, smooth and whisper quiet; there’s no cheap clatter here. This heavyweight home cinema hero deserves to be shortlisted by all high-end upgraders, and can comfortably claim to be the best universal 4K Blu-ray player available for less than a grand. Sign up for our newsletter to receive weekly recommendations about seasonal and trending products. Consequently, the Home menu is a bare bones affair, made more barren by the lack of any integrated streaming services, be they audio or visual. Now that Oppo is out of the picture, how does this battleship Pioneer shape up? Incredible video and audio quality are a hallmark of its features, in addition to HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision support. The Pioneer UDP-LX500 has so much to offer in terms of features, in addition to its superior audio and visual quality Where it stumbles is the lack of smart features, unlike the … Pioneer UDP-LX500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player review Panasonic DP-UB9000 Ultra HD Blu-ray player review Klipsch aims for cinematic immersion with new 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos soundbar system Panasonic, for instance, is now on their second round of such players with the release of the UB9000 in November 2018.Not to be outdone, Pioneer a… Yes. There are caveats though. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Pioneer Elite UDP-LX500 Universal Disc Player, Black at Amazon.com. Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You can really see the vibrancy when viewing a film like Color Out of Space. The menu system is simpler than Panasonic’s somewhat overcomplicated one, with two menus you should investigate – Audio Parameters and Video Parameters. In terms of performance, the Pioneer UDP LX500 offers some of the best audio video quality we’ve ever seen in high end ultra HD Blu Ray players. At 10.3kg (a whopping 22 pounds), it’s a serious lift, but you’ll take comfort from its armour plated chassis and engineered stability. This player sees and feels particularly impressive, not least because it weighs a little over 10kg and in a particularly large ch assis sitting, finished in a combination of brushed and matt black. The Panasonic DP-UB9000 has Pioneer well beat here. The downside is the need for a monitor to get the most from the player, but if you’re also watching BD discs that will be no hardship. A useful trick. Your email address will not be published. PIONEER UDP-LX800 Review. If you’re upgrading from standard Blu-ray, 4K players don’t get much better than the UDP-LX500. Pacific Rim Uprising (4K Dolby Vision) really provides an opportunity for the deck to strut its HDR stuff. Yes. Of course, at … From a normal viewing distance though, there’s little to separate the two models. It’s always a delight to review the flagship model of a new line-up of products and discover the best and awkward parts of any change. It looks like a Technics 1210, and doesn't perform too far off. That’s our promise and our commitment.. Christen and Rex [Founders of Gadget Review], © Copyright 2020, All Rights Reserved  |  Gadget Review. If you’re wondering about that ‘universal’ handle, it means in addition to playing 4k Blu-ray discs, and their regular 2k cousins (including 3D editions), as well as DVDs and CDs, the UDP-LX500 will also party with SACD and DVD-A music collections, and decode Hi-Res audio files. Panaso… For the Audiophile . While Panasonic has an early lead in this race, Pioneer is no stranger to high-end disc spinners. It’s only when you investigate (literally) under a magnifying glass that you’ll see that the Panasonic’s image processing technology, with proprietary 4:4:4 colour sub-sampling, has the edge. It’s a strange choice, but one we can look past largely because it’s so accommodating to any visual and audio library. Both of these venerable formats sound gorgeous, combining delicious clarity with toe-tapping musicality. It’s a universal disc player. 4K UHDs look terrific, and music playback is assured. Despite its obvious sophistication, this is pretty much a plug and play deck. The player conveys astonishing levels of fine detail and nuance. Shares. The internal design goes some way to explaining this talent, with an optimised audiophile-style layout for the power supply, digital processing and analogue audio components: Serving the deck’s analogue output is an AKM AK4490EQ DAC. "The UDP-LX500 is a machine of many talents. The initial highlight of the Pioneer Elite UDP-LX500’s quality is its DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter), a device which converts a digital signal into an analog one. The UDP-LX500's universal disc support, high-quality onboard HDR tone mapping, and formidable build quality make it a welcome addition to the Ultra HD Blu-ray player scene. The Pioneer also got a nice and clear display, and a limited number of black keys. A disc player that costs close to $1000 is not for everyone.