Pioneer UDP-LX500 4K Blu-ray Player Review (vs Panasonic DP-UB9000)

[@hdtvtest]

Man of the people... buying a £999 4K Blu-ray player.

[@ch0ch1s]

Then buy un Aldi and take the tram for the rest of your life.

[@djgromo]

A hero that we need, but don't deserve.

[@Red-gl2cb]

Forget collaorbrating my tv or tech reviews, I watch ur videos for only for the jokes ☺

[@Red-gl2cb]

A true man of the people would like this comment.

[@fomoontech8217]

I can tell you’ve upgraded your video editing software - much higher production quality!!

[@sjsphotog]

Love all your reviews. Such great tech info with a whole bunch of funny 1-liner comedy! you're the best . Keep up the great work

[@TY-ob7fz]

Thank you for tour review. I've much been wondering about this pioneer. Been using their units since the early 70s being the SA9100 intergrated amplifiers which had a terrific build quality as well as a pleasant sound. Is nice to see an old label revive themselves.

[@eponymous7910]

Absolute legend. I've relied on hdtvtest's reviews to purchase my tv and also three tvs for friends and family. Vincent is the undisputed authority when it comes to home theatre advice.

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

Exactly! THIS!^^^^^

[@edmundkempin3653]

I love your videos. Tech specs give me a grounding warmth inside. I know it sounds weird, but watching your videos helps me relax before sleep. Thankou :)

[@JudeNiro]

Loving how you're veering ever towards the high end not just for video but audio too. I can't believe no one has jumped on you for those cables, but big respect from this guy here, for whatever it's worth. CineMike play a role in that? ;)

[@g.uu.]

Love the reviews and the humour, keep it up man of the people 😉😂

[@dangeorgecommunications]

Great video and very impressed to see the use of high-quality cables from the UK's Chord Company

[@bedroomcinemaguy5568]

Dan George I’m loving my new 6 pairs off chord company shawline XLR cables 3 chord company shawline power cable’s and chord company shawline 3 meter subwoofer cable pretty expensive but well worth the investment

[@manleys69]

Keep up the good work Vincent, love your reviews & looking forward to the new Panasonic oled range for a review.

[@lamintouray7386]

I like Vince’s reviews. Not only are they spot on, he’s also a top shelve comedian. Lol

[@dennywordkiller4253]

It may have been mentioned elsewhere but the Panasonic does not support SACD playback and that's a bit of a deal breaker for me, especially at this price point.

[@goldorak5282]

Very good video as always. Superb comparison between these two giant. I can’t help thinking they are both far too expensive especially in a dematerialised World (video and audio speaking)... Quality has a price i hear you say but when you can get a pana ub820 below £200, these babies should be around £550. Keep the good work

[@schwartzy65]

Yea, now great players are hella expensive and its not very inviting for new ppl who might want to start to invest on physical media... They should be cheaper by alot.

[@CC-gt3ro]

Pana 820 has only 100 base t ethernet when ub9000 have 1000 base t (big difference in streaming) and both lx500 and ub9000 have better sound components.

[@Urahara12squad]

People complaining it not having wifi or apps, but when you are looking for these things you should buy something cheaper. I have this player since january. It is amazing!

[@alexatkin]

They always seem to be junk on Bluray players anyway. I was actually shocked how utterly unusable they are on my Panasonic.

[@JudeNiro]

I want a player like the Panasonic to squeeze the best possible quality out of streaming services, while getting both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos as well. This is near impossible to get in today's fractured market.

[@tom11zz884]

Those same people don't seem to realize that these players will last, while the cheap, players with apps will be dead withing 3 years...

[@alexroot1980]

@@tom11zz884 seriously? How come my ass cheap Xbox one S still work like a charm? Are you telling me it will break in August 2019?😂

[@Urahara12squad]

@@Daniel_Martin777 I agree. I had the 7006 before. Great sound, but this Pioneer is clearer. I think it is the seperate hdmi for video and audio. The Marantz was also €1000 but it is a cheap plastic player with a terrible disc loader. Replaced it 3 times but kept breaking down. This Pioneer just overall has a better build quality. I am very happy with it. The 800 is just for people who can spare the money. Don't really use the features via hdmi.

[@Dave30867]

Im surprised that there isnt a que for your autograph @ Aldi Mr Vincent you good man ✔👍

[@ntube7]

I still have the classic £2000+ RRP Pioneer BDP-LX91 blu Ray player. It’s the best I’ve tried and I’ve had over 10 blu ray players. Even tried the newer LX88, but that was more aimed at upscaling to 4K, and since I still have a Pioneer plasma the 91 was better for me! Can’t beat the build quality of high end Pioneer AV kit.

[@triumphlover7455]

Always a pleasure bro! Time well spent.

[@truecauseofchaos]

I have a Panasonic GZ950 OLED, Panasonic DP-UB820 player and Pioneer VSX-932 AV Receiver. It's a great combination! I didn't know Pioneer released Blu-ray players, but I think I 'm happy with my current setup.

[@markdemariassy8685]

Were you really using the Rotel's DAC? From the video it looked like you were connecting the players to the rotel using RCA and/or balanced cables which means you were using the DACs in both the players and the Rotel was just amplifiying. If you had connected them digitally using coax or toslink then you would have been using the Rotel's DAC.

[@paulie2298]

Hey Vincent did Pioneer ever release an HDR10+ update for this player? Keep up the good work

[@CC-gt3ro]

Paulie i think it seems discontinued on the usa site. One day we wom’t find any high end player.

[@matthewgaines10]

Do you no longer have the Oppo unit? I understand why you compared this against the Panasonic (both are still sold) but it would be interesting to see your thoughts against the Oppo UDP-203 too. When you did the Oppo review, you didn't include the audio discussion and it would've been interesting to seen that compared against the Pioneer and Panasonic units.

[@michaelfoster3441]

Its a lot of stuff the oppo does that both these players dont do like the stretch feature and also they cant play rip MKV files with Atomos

[@matthewgaines10]

@@michaelfoster3441 I'm am aware of those differences. Yet, I'm interested in the reviewer perspective. That's why I said "it would be interesting to see your thoughts" If he has the Oppo still, I would be curious to know his thoughts on how it sounds in comparison to him. I have an Oppo and I am aware of the specifications of all three units. A specification sheet doesn't tell me the reviewer's opinion of how it sounds attached to the same amplifier he used for his comparison.

[@bazman357]

He did it again LMAO. Man of the people his editing skills are legendary.

[@staylor6043]

Does this player give CD information such as artist and title by connecting to the internet?

[@anthonyriley1117]

Cracking sense of humour 👍

[@rockoyouthman]

Wish I could get one today. It seems as though Panasonic is the last player standing for true reference quality. Wicked bummer since sound is as important to me as image.

[@excxflyr]

it would be nice to see if Pioneer can close the gap (with the Panasonic) with better video processing after its firmware update?

[@nyastclair8174]

I decided on picking up a open box UDP-LX500 on ebay for a very fair deal. I already own a UB820 paired with an LG C2 and a Bose Soundbar 900 with sub and surrounds. When converting DTS to PCM(because both the C2 AND Soundbar 900 cannot decode DTS), there's no sound coming out of the rears(also tested a Sony x700 with DTS set to PCM and the surrounds work perfectly). All devices are fully updated and tried an array of quality HDMI cables with no luck. I figured the UB9000 would have the same exact issue in my particular setup, since it's mostly if not all the same on the digital side as the UB820 and same FW, so only a UDP-LX500 or an Oppo 203 would be a viable high quality replacement, if I want the surrounds to work on all movies that have surround.

[@andreassouth1523]

Thank you for this comparison test!

[@Pete_or_Peter4Long]

Saw the picture and thought you were about to tell me my Pioneer Elite 151 is still the best tv to own.

[@gmancooks327]

Is the SACD and DVD-A (advanced audio) output on analog RCA jacks. So the DAC in the payer handles DSD and advanced audio.

[@BloopsnBleeps]

Loving my panny ub9000 so far. I don't own a single sacd/DVD audio, so it's perfect for me. Hdr optimiser is amazing.

[@adamsultana8380]

Can I ask you how the HDR optimizer looks for HDR10 4K Blu-rays? I keep hearing great things, and was actually going to go purchase the player this week

[@BloopsnBleeps]

@@adamsultana8380 Looks amazing. Have it paired with the LG c8 65. One of the biggest things I notice too, is that the Netflix app has the hdr optimiser available for applicable content. Everything looks much better than the tv app version. So far I don't regret the purchase at all.

[@MovieBulldog]

@@BloopsnBleeps still happy with the player?

[@BloopsnBleeps]

@@MovieBulldog Love it. The streaming out interface is laughable and feels like it's from 1998, but the player is amazing.

[@trannel73]

How do you connect audio? I’m thinking about getting the panny 9000 and a suitable AV received which supports the 7.1ch analog signals. My resource shows me this might the only advantage against the Panasonic Ub824. What do you think @wking? 😇

[@tom11zz884]

I still wouldn't mind having the Pioneer Elite 88FD Blu-ray player Probably their best player they ever made, but very hard to find and expensive as a mug.

[@sirqdoled1203]

As man of the people you still do a great job for us !

[@martinbroomhead2646]

From the clues you have dropped, I think you are a fellow Mancunian. Love your reviews.

[@asklipieionvita8736]

Hello. Is pioneer UDP-LX500 available?Some say it is not produced anymore.

[@audiogear474]

I'm glad someone finally agrees that BR players can sound different on the digital outputs. Some reviewers say they all sound the same which they don't. Just like the old CD transports BR player also sound different as transports. I have a UB 900 which exibits the same sound character with digital output as you describe. I would agree with your assessment based on that as a 2 channel player but remember this is primarily a home theater device which most prefer the more open crisper sound when in theater mode. That's probably why Panasonic went this route with the sound. They also do have some sound filters which some may prefer for 2 channel. Great video-glad you are also getting into audio assessment.

[@GodComplexion]

your observational humour is spot on

[@jacobsteele7138]

No one does bluray player reviews like you. Simple the best! I went Panasonic dp-ub9000.

[@CC-gt3ro]

Doug Hilton how is the sound in music. Bright? Warm? Musical? They said have put audiophile component. Is it true in listening?

[@MrPopo-bd1ix]

5:00 What movie is that?

[@borispantovic706]

Does pioneer play mkv files via usb with dolby atmos sound? Pany can't?

[@danieltaju9311]

Hello @HDTVTest Love your reviews and videos : ) But sorry, need to confirm something on the audio review, @11:00 timestamp on the video, you say: "In theory, both players should sound similar, since we are using the Rotel's DAC." Hmmm, I dont think that is correct, we are actually using the players's audio DAC, since the audio connections flows you showed were: - Pioneer/Panasonic audio source (digital) -> Pioneer/Panasonic internal DAC -> Pioneer/Panasonic unbalanced RCA (or balanced XLR) line level audio outputs (analog) -> Rotel unbalanced RCA (or balanced XLR) line level audio inputs (analog) -> Rotel internal power amplifier -> Rotel speaker level audio outputs Or am I wrong and missed something ?

[@joneslarvell2075]

I was scrolling through the comments to see if someone commented on that! 😉 You are correct. If they used the analog out of the players (and assuming the amp did not convert back to digital for any kind of processing - which would not be ideal obviously) then they were listening to the dac of the players NOT the dac of the amp 😊

[@jeffwest4325]

I noticed this also and was scrolling the comments to see if a confirmation could be found....

[@greg1030]

REALLY upset that a superb player like this Panasonic doesn't have zoom control, like all the Oppos do. But those Oppo dopes omitted allowing you to move and center the zoomed image on the screen. My JVC XV-NA70BK DVD player from 2004 can do that with ease. Zoom controls allow more intimate control over content and really adds to the fun. The least Panasonic should do for a player at this price is to add this feature via a firmware. That's why I went for the Pioneer LX500, the only high end BD player with complete zoom control. Excellent build quality but I was pissed that unlike my Oppo it has no variable/mute stereo output control so I could drive my power amp directly.

[@vitalieBu]

I have a 75" Sony XR75X90 and Panasonic DP-UB420 and a Yamaha Dolby Atmos Receiver..... will I see any improvements if I will upgrade to this Pioneer LX500 player? I know they are in different categories...but will it be a big difference?

[@almartell5567]

I bought the Pana UB820 & sold my Oppo203 I am happy so far .

[@mystickid1]

Al, what do you like about the UB 820 more than the Oppo?

[@CC-gt3ro]

Personally i would have kept the Oppo. The 820 has just 100 base t ethernet and cannot ouput more than 100 mbits theoretical for 4k streaming. I bought the apple tv4k for streaming,. It is too bad Oppo abandoned the market. I would have buy one.

[@Trojan0304]

Have both & made my Oppo region free. Also it plays usb thumb drive Star Wars

[@Trojan0304]

My trusted site for reviews. Have Oppo 203 & Panasonic 820

[@darthdank1993]

So this player is better with Dolby vision than Panasonic but not for hdr? Is dolbvision equal to oppo? How does audio compare to oppo 203?

[@marcoslnobrega]

Yes you can dim down the diaplay and the blue power button light. Use dimmer on the rc

[@jamestrex]

Love your project fear description lol

[@Enoughbsalready]

Too many questions, so I own a BDP -LX 91, it was hacked to play multi zone DVDs, does the UDP 500 also play multizone DVDs(I own a number of older classic zone 1 discs)? The BDP has served me well, and I have replaced the lazer drive too, but now need to upgrade to 4K!

[@cfxxng9082]

Hi Vincent, will you still review the LX800? In fact, LX800 is the fair comparison to the UB9000

[@aarongregg9699]

does the Pioneer Elite UDP LX500 4k Blur ray player support dolby atmos?

[@P0LYBiUS7]

Hello there fellow Aldi fan.

[@stever7732]

Hi Vincent. Not sure if you are still monitoring this thread, but do you have a view on how the DP-UB9000 compares to the Panasonic DP-UB820 in terms of video performance? I have little need for the superior audio output of the DP-UB9000.

[@dcoleman71]

Does anyone know if Pioneer bought Oppo's OS after they exited the market? Even though there is no home screen the settings menu and font choice look almost identical to my Oppo 203.

[@hdtvtest]

No. They just share the same Mediatek platform.

[@EnthropyDelirium]

keep up the good work, man of the people....

[@BarcelonasHotCrowd]

Have Pioneer discontinued their UHD BluRay range for the UK? No longer available on Pioneer's website and not listed at Richer Sounds anymore! Not a good sign!

[@godfather1116]

Thanks for this review and comparison.

[@TYPICHIT91]

My Pioneer TV can't turn on. It said "Bluetooth module doesn't load". Can you help me?

[@__jabird__2635]

I love this channel, lol and call me crazy but Vincent I get your humor. You’re a funny guy. You have the most information I’ve found from reviewers for tv’s and players. Have you considered audio video receivers? I would like to know what you come up with in that arena. Keep up the good work.

[@hmoobdude5111]

humor with a straight face is amazing

[@wcm5150]

I love you’re sense of humor.

[@cciureanu]

Vincent - it looks like you left the optometrist taking their glasses. :) Love your videos and funny side-comments.

[@timberwrightsvs480]

A man of the people surely knows how "irritable" a finger nail that hasn't been filed can be...so I'm buying every word that this very clever reviewer has to offer. Keep working on the dead pan technical humor, you professional calibrator, Dan Ackroyd would be very proud of you. By the way, what are your thoughts on the super natural?

[@ANMIV517]

I feel like $500+ is a lot? Are there any good “budget” options? Are there going to be HDMI 2.1 options soon?

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

HDMI 2.1 is for gaming. It's not needed on a 4K Blu-ray player.

[@ANMIV517]

@@PSYCHOV3N0M that’s not what I asked. Thanks

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

@@ANMIV517 You're welcome for giving you knowledge. 👍

[@ANMIV517]

@@PSYCHOV3N0M stop assuming why I’m asking a question, thanks.

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

@@ANMIV517 Stop being so triggered. 😂😂😂

[@XENONEZZ2]

Sound quality observations very useful ... Thank you.

[@greg1030]

Is there any way that I can get my LX500 to play ISO files?

[@Weathership]

Question...since you were sending analog audio from both players to the rotel..was not the d to a happening in each player and not the rotel?

[@metastaticmince2386]

Refreshing review! like it so much. way to go...

[@joesmothers2634]

If I’m using a high quality audio DAC in a pre-amp/processor (Emotiva XMC-1), will there actually be an audio difference between the Pioneer lx500 versus the Panasonic 9000 while listening to CDs? I’ve always assumed that there wouldn’t be any sound processing in the digital domain prior to sending out a digital audio output port.

[@mikospymikospy404]

Vincent, could you tell me something about multimedia playback on pioneer UDP - LX500, its my last option to buy good blu ray player. under panasonic UB820 it was clear lottery, and drive not plays MP4 files from optical media (not shows), playing avi files was lottery too. Sony X800m2 could be good ... but freezes randomly with dvd and 3 layer brs.... I dont want return 3rd player... nor in this price level... please help me

[@rare6499]

I though about buying either of these, but in the end I got a UB-820. The price difference was too much to justify. It’s a lot of films worth. And the reality is the picture difference will be hard to tell apart, and my amp decodes the audio so technically there shouldn’t be any difference.

[@CC-gt3ro]

Josh Charlie the 820 has only 100 base-t ethernet when ub9000 has gigabit 1000 base-t it is important to stream 4k movie on youtube, but you can still get apple tv4k which has gigabit and is very good as well. However if you wanted to use hcx processor, only the ub9000 can do it.

[@benaldreamsproductions1442]

I would like to buy the Pioneer UDP-LX800 blu ray player and the best TV to watch blu ray movies played with this player: which would be that TV, please?

[@benevolentautore4463]

Anyone think there will ever be a new Universal 4K player (SACD and DVD-Audio Capable) with Analog 7.1 out?

[@SylvainThuret]

Im contemplating getting one of these. I got a 2018 65 Pana OLED TV and would like to get a real high end drive, benefit from the best DVD upscale and play some CDS along too. Any advice / feedback?

[@Tec2Nut]

Vincent were did you buy the pioneer i am trying to get one ???

[@marcoslnobrega]

Have a sony 85” x950g and oppo 103 need to play sacd and 4k Blu-ray. Should I buy ub9000 and keep oppo to play the sacd or buy the lx500 and sell the oppo. I use more for video than audio, any suggestions? Thanks

[@anfinnberland]

Funny and informative as always :)

[@ntube7]

Loved the sound / cut nail analogy!

[@hardnine]

why do modern players not use a slot in disc system like game consoles?

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

I was wondering this too.

[@kiek999]

I’m using LG cx what resolution should i select on pioneer lx500 4k or 4k/24p

[@larryhazelwood5491]

People who have DVD audio and SACD discs already have a player for them.For home theater the Panasonic with HDR uptimizer is best.

[@GregorMima]

Hey "Man of the people" i bet the update will be out spring 2020 :P ...! Thanks for the fun review - very entertaining even for some1 who has zero interest in bluray players :-)

[@MFFM]

wondering if it is using 1 hdmi in single mode out (video/audio) is better quality? or same no difference as using 2 hdmi (1 for video and 1 for audio) in separate mode? (for 4K UHD movie viewing) thx

[@TomlinsonHolman52583]

*Correction* : the Panasonic UB9000 has dedicated unbalanced RCA stereo outputs as well as balanced XLR stereo outputs.

[@hdtvtest]

Thanks for the correction. Tried it and it still sounded harsher and more fatiguing than the Pioneer albeit with more top-end detail.

[@SadoSir]

HDTVTest I have the UB9000 paired with Yamaha receiver RX-A3070 via balanced, speakers are Audiovector Si3 Super. The sound is very warm and comfy and not fatiguing at all to me, very much so compared to running the sound trough HDMI. I haven’t compared with the LX500, but if it sounds even warmer and less pronounced in the highs than the UB9000 I don’t think it would fit my setup. But, I wouldn’t know until I try. With this said, there are so many factors that come into play when listening to sound and you really have to go with what your personal preferences are. Thanks for all your great reviews Vincent, keep them coming!👍

[@TomlinsonHolman52583]

@@hdtvtest - The Panasonic UB9000 sounds warm after break-in, with extremely controlled definition in all frequencies via its 7.1 channel analogue outputs. The Pioneer LX-500 doesn't offer 7.1 channel analogue outputs; so all things being equal, using their dual-HDMI outputs, the Panasonic UB9000 obviously wins because it has a better video processor and better video capabilities, leading-class chroma and HDR tone-mapping - certified by THX and recommended by JVC as the highest performing 4K UHD player in the world today.

[@larryhazelwood5491]

@@hdtvtest my 9000 sounded great through my Technics sb-m3 monitors.another reason I don't like Heinz 57 systems.

[@markciso1028]

Can you make video about cheaper alternatives? (X700/UB450 etc.)?thanks

[@quiky9065]

or UBP-X800M2

[@jamesoneill5810]

I have had the Lx500 for 6 months now love everything about it,although it has stalled/stuttered during playback on a couple of uhd discs ....during playback

[@GL5-e5m]

thanks for review. Why is English subtitle not only supported for this video?

[@JohnFHendry]

5:22 I was watching this to see if the top Pioneer Blu-ray player had better up scaling and I say this after talking with a **** rep yesterday that failed to mention this important piece of information. This reminds me of the Mits X7 that had such a good comb filter you were better off using the composite input rather than the S-Video input. Now I don't have to watch the end of the video. BTW Mitsubishi referred to it as a 3D comb filter... probably because it was missing an accelerometer.

[@nicholastoo858]

Pioneer has a 900, website says that it can do Tone mapping.

[@jorgeluisfernandez2560]

How can I paired these Pioneer with my receiver? For videos and music, please help me, thanks a lot

[@patrickplesko4833]

I think your showing the lx 800 version because the 500 has gold lcd screen and Elite labeling? which did you review?

[@hdtvtest]

We reviewed the UK/ European version of the LX500... the US equivalent has the Elite labelling.

[@remic2902]

Thank you ! Just one quick question regarding the ub820 & 9000 : for HDR optimizer, with a projector (JVC 7900), should I pay around 600€ more for the “low luminance projector” settings ? (which are only available on the 9000). Thanks.

[@discostew9220]

Get the UB820 and put enhanced firmware from regionfreedom.com on it to get the extra features😃

[@chris.gimenez]

Hola conecte un cable de audio y al sacarlo dejo de funciar el sonido del cable alguien sabe que paso ???

[@madfinntech]

I still have a Pioneer DVD player from 1997 and I love smooth disc tray on it! Sometimes I just play with it just because. I thought Pioneer didn't make these things anymore. I guess they just don't make these things for poor people anymore. I think I will buy this player if they ever release that firmware update to replace my crappy LG UP970 I got for very cheap with my TV. I also require the display for chapter and timecode on the device itself, it perplexes me that most players don't have this anymore like my crappy LG UP970. So, we have to buy over 1000€ player to get these things nowadays. I guess being enthusiast comes with the price these days.

[@JohnFHendry]

Even Einstein said something the math disagreed with and he later called it his greatest blunder: 4:22. 3D Pinball on a 21x9 100 inch OLED made by Panasonic with VRR will rock.... so will other 3D games and movies. But what worries me is low ceilings tuned sideways and seeing DVD's I used with a tube TV being sold after the year 2020 to people buying 4K TVs. It's only Nov 28, 2020...

[@johandenhertog6878]

It’s the same design as the PIONEER BDP-LX58-K but now with 4K.

[@brandonjones2565]

Love your videos!!!

[@fomoontech8217]

Honestly, anyone buying the LX500 will have a dedicated digital source (Roon server or Tidal/Quboz streamer) for their audio listening pleasure.

[@simonroberts7994]

So can this play region A&B Blurays

[@fitraveler]

Any plans for Optimal Setting KZbin Video for novice User planning to upgrade to Pioneer UDP-LX500 primarily for Ultra HD Movies Playback. Your consideration of such a video will be awesome. PS: I'm planning to purchase both Pioneer UDP-LX500 together with Panasonic TX-65HZ2000B provisionally during July 2020. I hope you may include both Pioneer UDP-LX500 & Panasonic TX-65HZ2000B Optimal Setting Video of your ardent viewer. Thanks in advance.

[@Sandisc2]

Nice review Vincent, thank you. I have an LX500 and you are right, it is built like a tank and is very nice quality. I chose it over a UB9000 because I enjoy SACD. I have a new JVC RS1000 projector and wondering if I should also get a UB9000? for best 4K HDR experience ? I plan on having a well known calibrator (Chad B.) calibrate my system after I get the appropriate hours on the bulb. Maybe because of the professional calibration, a UB9000 won't be necessary? I'm looking for the best 4K/HDR experience with the least tweaking every time I put 4K disc in. Thanks, Tom