Marantz UD8004

Marantz UD8004 review

The idea of universal disc players is not new. They've been around in the form of computer drives for a long time, as well as domestic disc players, but the players are usually not quite what you might expect from the description on the tin. The players, for example, have traditionally limited themselves to CD, DVD-Audio and SACD, while computer drives will invariably include DVD-Video, Blu-ray and baseline audio compatibility in the form of compact disc. They certainly don't get their hands dirty with high-resolution audio. Self-contained There are exceptions, however, and the Marantz UD8004 is several steps closer than most to being a truly universal player, though this doesn't mean it will play everything. It is a self-contained single-box standalone player, which starts out as a high performance audio disc player and includes CD, DVD-Audio and SACD – in both two and 5.1 channel form. It is also a high-performance video player and will play conventional DVDs and Blu-ray discs (for which it is equipped with an HDMI output – v1.3). It has a number of intriguing extras too, such as the ability to play SD card media, which adds compatibility with MP3s and JPEGs in a form that may be more convenient than using a disc.