Sony UBP-X700

Until we tested the Sony UBP-X700, we hadn’t come across a budget 4K Blu-ray player that wowed us in the way 4K and HDR picture quality should. The UBP-X700, however, delivers a five-star performance where rivals have failed. Launched in 2017, this affordable player boasts similar features to the Award-winning UBP-X800. The main difference is that the X700 supports Dolby Vision HDR.

We start with the 4K Blu-ray of Thor: Ragnarok – a kaleidoscope of vivid colours, from the multi-hued, gaudy garbage planet to the gilded halls of Asgard. The Sony player juggles all these colours with a deft hand. Every blade of grass is etched cleanly, Thor’s red cape has depths of gradations within its folds, and sparks of lightning split the screen with startling brightness. It’s a fun performance with stacks of detail.

Impeccably judged picture

We’ve always lauded Sony for its natural-looking disc-players, but the X700 surpasses even the X800 for a subtle picture that’s impeccably judged while being hugely entertaining.

It balances the colourful, fantastical elements, such as the rainbow bridge, with the more realistic hues of our Earth world. Skin-tones are natural, action scenes are handled with smooth and stable motion, and there’s a lifelike quality to the picture that draws you in.

Play the Blu-ray of Looper and this quality is most noticeable through skin tones and landscapes – the X700 is natural in how it handles gradations of hues, preventing purples and oranges and sparkling blues from clashing with each other but still letting them wave their respective flags.

You’ll want a comparable quality of sound to accompany that superb picture, and the Sony doesn’t disappoint. Voices are front and centre, and blissfully clear.

So much of Thor: Ragnarok hinges on humour, and the Sony player relays every joyous quip, sarcastic rejoinder and laugh-out-loud line with punctual timing. It’s full of character. Special effects are flung about with agility and precision, and there’s a good amount of attack and punch when hammers and fists smack into humans and Hulks alike.

We’d like a bit more gusto and heft to the overall sound, though. The X700 sounds a tad lightweight, though it never suffers any wince-inducing brightness, despite the lean tone.

The X700 comes well-equipped on all fronts. It supports all surround-sound formats, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks, and can play up to 24-bit/192khz files in a range of files, including WAV, FLAC and DSD.

That zippy, dynamic character comes through with stereo music, with each instrument and voice ringing through loud and clear on The Dead Weather’s 60 Feet Tall on CD. If you want to hear all the intricacies of the brooding composition, however, you’ll need a dedicated hi-fi machine for the job. The UBP-X700 supports 4K 60p pictures and can play all types of discs, including SACDS and 3D Blu-rays. For fans of streaming in 4K, the Sony player supports 4K HDR streams on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Other apps on the player’s home page include BBC iplayer, BBC Sport, Demand 5, Spotify, Rakuten TV, Youtube and more.

Connecting to your home network using wi-fi or ethernet is a painless process. A close inspection of the spec sheet shows the X700 supports only single band 2.4GHZ wi-fi, but the 4K stream of Jessica Jones holds up nicely without any drop outs during testing.

For connections, the twin HDMI outputs are handy if you want to separate video and audio feeds in your home cinema set-up. There’s also a coaxial digital output, and a USB port for playing content stored on media drives.

Small footprint, great ability

The X700 is about two-thirds the size of the hefty, metallic rectangle of the X800. It’s lighter, too. But the thin metal panels around the X700’s angled body prevent it from feeling cheap, and while the power and eject buttons are plastic, they’re prompt and work without fail.

The included remote control, on the other hand, is small, plastic and lightweight – it won’t suit everyone. All the buttons are functional and easy to use, though, even in a dark room.

Button-prodding leads to instant responses, the disc loads quietly and, overall, the X700 is a breeze to use the second you hook it up to your TV.

The X700 is a fantastic player that makes watching 4K discs an affordable reality. It may not exude the same premium quality as its sibling, but the fact it delivers a subtler, more lifelike 4K picture on a tighter budget is remarkable.

“The X700 is a fantastic player that makes 4K discs an affordable reality”