Sony ubp-x800m2 vs Panasonic dp-ub820 comparison and review! And why you need Blu Ray player in 2025!

I'm seeing that Blu-ray players haven't evolved significantly in the past 4-5 years, and this stagnation prompted me to write this review.  

Stagnation of Blu-ray players!

I sold my Blu-ray players a few years ago, after experiencing some issues, but I always missed them. A lot. A few months ago, I decided to buy them again.

And lo and behold, my favorites from back then are still the best-value Blu-rays you can buy today, as there hasn't been any significant disruption in the market. This is unfortunately driven by companies not investing in new technologies and development because Blu-ray sales are a very small segment of their annual earnings. So small that many companies have stopped producing Blu-ray players.

One reason I heard for this is that people are content streaming through services like Netflix, HBO, Amazon, etc., via their TVs. Now, quality TVs and premium services allow for high-quality video and audio codes.

If they upgrade, they upgrade their AVR as they want even better surround sound quality. People in that equation are leaving Blu-rays behind.  

And may I tell you something? They are wrong. Well, not to sound too snobbish, everyone should enjoy whatever they want, however they want... but just adding a Blu-ray player in the 250-400 euro price range, you can see significant improvements in audio and video.

I will use my previous Blu-ray player and my new Blu-ray player as reference points. They are the Sony UBP-X800 and Panasonic DP-UB820. I will try to contrast them with mini-reviews.

Why do you need Blu-ray in 2025?

So, why do I need a Blu-ray player? It's a similar question to why I need a CD player, a turntable, or anything that plays physical media. It's inconvenient and expensive, many people say. Forgetting all the costs of maintaining a platform monthly is much more expensive in the long run than just buying Blu-rays for movies you like and will actually watch. It's higher quality and more streamlined than endlessly doomscrolling on Netflix searching for something.

There are two answers... it's better! And sometimes, having a personalized connection with artists or movies you really like is a small victory for your hobby and your passion. It's something enduring that will remain in your possession, which, even after 10 years, finding and playing it will evoke pleasant memories and warm your heart.

As you can see, one answer is objective, the other is utterly subjective, but both are important. But we will focus only on the objective part: that a player + Blu-ray is better than streaming.  

And that fact is more prevalent to me than for CD players and turntables... as Blu-ray files and Ultra HD 4K files are large, going up to 60 and 120 GB.

As we all have internet connections with varying speeds and bandwidth, at every level of streaming there are compromises and compressions.  

Those compressions are cutting the bit rate and bit depth, both in video and audio. Depending on the package you have, it will be more or less, but it will be there. Again, this is not something you notice if you only stream, but if you jump from 4K Blu-ray to the same 4K streaming, you can notice a lack of sharpness, lack of color depth, and just a slightly less grander sound.

It is on a software level, but there are also big improvements on a hardware level. Using your player to organize, enhance, and with codes improve your stream is super underrated. Just having a personalized DAC processor created just for this will do wonders that you did not even know it could. Pair this with a quality TV, and if you can, an AVR, or some great soundbar. But I always recommend a full system than a soundbar, even though I completely understand the pros of owning a soundbar.

Clarity you get with Dolby Vision or HDR10+ on disc is just more pleasing and gratifying than on streaming. And I think it is noticeable with great colors and vividness, but also accuracy.

But what I have seen as the biggest improvement is audio, as textures and details become more palpable and real. Spatial audio was easier to track on the soundstage and just observe and separate details in the head. It is also used by incorporating many audio codecs like DSX and similar. It just allowed for a more bigger and detailed presentation of sound, and more clear and present center voices.

In the end, it is all how much you care about the instant gratification of streaming, to more quality over quantity, but you have to work for it on Blu-ray players. In the end, the best choice is the one that fills all your needs, and streaming is awesome for most people, as it has perks of absolute versatility and easy access… but if you want the utmost excellence and quality, which requires you to leave your comfort zone, then Blu-ray discs even in 2025 might be perfect for you.

Sony vs. Panasonic

Let's talk about the Sony UBP-X800M versus the Panasonic DP-UB820. Now, in my opinion as an enthusiast consumer, and you don't want to ascend to fully cinephile-grade components, these two are the best choices. And it is a shame that it is still the same five a years in row. As I said, the progress and quality of players are stagnating, and it is what it is.

But both of these devices bring tremendous value; one is more expensive than the other, but both have enough to justify their price point.

Features and Build Quality

First off, inputs and outputs, including disc reads. Definitely, in my mind, it goes to Sony. They have the same Wi-Fi, same LAN, two HDMIs—one for audio, the other for video. Sony has a coaxial input; Panasonic has an optical input. They also both have USB A.

But where Sony wins is what formats and files it reads. While video is similar in both, Sony

reads DVD-Audio plus Super Audio CDs. Which, in my opinion, opens Sony up for more versatility.

And regarding formats that this player reads, Sony is absolutely killing it here, with almost every major popular format including MKV and MOV, etc.  

But Panasonic has an ace up its sleeve; it can sort of work as a mini AVR as you can have 2.0 channels and 7.1 channels audio out. To connect directly to your active speakers and subwoofers.

Depending on your needs, but I think Sony wins here.

While Panasonic has a nice robust design, and is also a much bigger box, it is your standard plastic design, nothing special to mention here. Sony, with its robust aluminum frame, is fantastic for removing resonances from the motor. It is such a nice build. Its frame-and-beam chassis offers a rigid structure to eliminate micro-vibrations, as well as effective electrical shielding, so all you experience is the highest sound and picture quality.

Also, the heatsink is great, including all the materials used to build this device.

While the Philips laser is the same in both devices.  

I think Sony did a fine job here using quality materials to build their player, and this one goes to Sony, with a caveat.

So I read a lot online that there are a lot of Sony devices  that are faulty. Their lasers are not properly aligned, which manifests in reading 4K Blu-ray discs. At some point while watching 4K movies, the movies, after 60 or 70%, will freeze. There is some issue with changing layers of the disc that creates a problem and freezes the movie. So you have to reset the device and play disc again isk from where it stopped to finish the movie.

It creates a lot of problems and issues, and is a common thing. It did not happen to me, but so many people wrote about it, so it is something you should be aware of.  

Video Quality

And now we come to probably the most important aspect, and that is video quality.  And to speak about that, it is important to understand the features that both offer. As far as HDRs, it is Panasonic that takes the crown here. It has HDR10, HDR10+, Hybrid Log Gamma, Dolby Vision, and Custom Tone Mapping. It is honestly more than enough for you enthusiasts. It just keeps you covered.

Sony is similar but only has Dolby Vision and not HDR10+. And Dolby Vision implementation is kind of poor in Sony; you have to manually remove or enable it if your movie has one, while Panasonic does it automatically.

But Panasonic's HCX processor just kills it. I think Panasonic renders colors so vividly and brightly. But yet so much texture and detail; it is such a magnificent presentation of cinephile magic. Watching Inception, and James Bond-esque ski slope action, where it constantly moves from different places in the timeline, there was constant clarity and separation of people from scenery. Its fast-paced close-ups or landscape shots were always very clearly detailed and separated.

And yet the truck that is falling in the river coupled gave a strong sense of deep colors.  

And Sony is not a slouch there. While not having the deep, dynamic richness of Panasonic, even though it is still excellent, it is incredibly clean. I think Sony is winning here in how much clarity and crispness there is in watching nature, people, and atmospheric shots. It is definitely a bit better than Panasonic.  

And upscaling, while I did not notice a big difference between both of them, as I have a TV which already pretty decently upscales. I used my Blade Runner Blu-rays, and it is hard for me to decide which one is better. I found maybe a bit less noise, and framerate interpolation to be better with Panasonic, but this is not something I noticed easily. But reading other people's opinions, they seem all to enjoy upscaling more in Panasonic than Sony, but I cannot attest so much to it.

But in the end, I found Panasonic's incredible picture quality experience to be a bit better than Sony's; it is not that there is an ocean between them. But Panasonic creates enough of a personal touch, creating vivid, strong impressions that I just liked that a bit more. Even though Sony is also excellent. So Panasonic wins here.

Sound Quality in Movies

Now this is where I was A bit shocked. Panasonic just brought its A-game to sound; the sound was big, weighty, and super well-controlled.

To me, the most important aspect of cinematic sound is how clear it is, for me to hear all the details and textures. And how many objects spatial sound can create to create a bigger immersion. And Panasonic just did all of that better. And also adding true weight. There is true weight with every sound that reaches the lower notes.

It is present, it is arm-raising; add some subwoofers, and get that beautiful cinematic experience.

Sony is great, but in comparison to Panasonic, the sound lacks impact and weight. Which is sad; this is a category where they most diverge. Now, Sony on its own is great. There is a dynamic richness to it, as it also allowed a bit of highs to be accented. But in the scope of general cinematic experiences, highs just don't have such an important place as bass or quality-decleared and clean mids.  

But the sound was clean; via central speakers, there was a palpable feeling listening to people speak; they were easy to understand and follow. And enough detail that we can feel sounds of people walking, dropping items on the floor or table, to have enough detail and objects in space to feel real, or like when people type on a keyboard, etc. It just lacks a bit more drama and weight to fight Panasonic here.

So I have to give Panasonic the win here.

Sound Quality in Music (as a CD Player)

As Panasonic had an edge in cinematic sound, it cannot hold a candle to Sony when listening to music or as a CD player.

Panasonic sounded a bit flat and just not so engaging. And mostly, there was too much emphasis on the warmth of the sound. It was too warm, and sometimes it covered the mids, and drama in the treble was nonexistent.

While Sony was excellent as a CD player. It truly is dynamically rich, musical, and open. And shockingly clear in its presentation. This could easily change your CD player; I was shocked, and if you pair it with an excellent external DAC, this could be great gear to listen to music.

It is just a great piece of equipment that was capable of creating soundstages, dynamics, decluttered mids, and just pleasing treble. It is miles away from Panasonic that I would not recommend as a CD player. So my audiophile heart is definitely more happy with Sony than with Panasonic.

And compare that with how versatile Sony is with what it reads: DVD-A, SACD, with its own quality LDAC to transmit music wirelessly with great quality and a great upscaler. Sony is a big winner here. You will have so much fun watching concerts on Blu-ray or DVD or listening to music via CDs.

Conclusion

Overall, it is hard to choose a winner here. But one thing is certain: both are awesome Blu-ray players. Panasonic is better for movies, while Sony is better for music. But both can easily be end-game players for many enthusiasts.

One thing where I would choose Panasonic as a better device is that it has HDR10+ and Dolby Vision; it has slightly better colors and picture quality. The cinematic experience is just a bit better than Sony's, and as units, they are more reliable.

But Sony is also there in the shadows, its musical brother that offers many similar qualities but brings joy with the musicality and fun of watching concerts and listening to music via Blu-rays or CDs

Sony UBP-X800

Pros:

1. Versatility in Formats: Reads DVD-Audio, Super Audio CDs, MKV, MOV, and other popular formats, making it suitable for various media.

2. Build Quality: Robust aluminum frame with frame-and-beam chassis, reduces micro-vibrations and enhances sound/picture quality.

3. Excellent for Music: Dynamic and clear sound quality, great as a CD player, especially with an external DAC. Perfect for audiophiles who enjoy music and concerts.

4. Clarity in Video: Provides clean, sharp, and crisp visuals, particularly for nature, atmospheric shots, and upscaled Blu-rays.

5. Wireless Audio Support: LDAC technology ensures high-quality wireless audio transmission.

6. Affordable Option: Lower price point compared to the Panasonic player, offering excellent value for the cost.

Cons:

1. Limited HDR Support: Supports Dolby Vision but lacks HDR10+, and Dolby Vision implementation requires manual toggling.

2. Reliability Concerns: Reports of faulty lasers causing freezing issues during 4K Blu-ray playback, particularly during layer changes.

3. Inferior Movie Audio: Lacks the weight and impact in cinematic sound compared to Panasonic, especially in bass and mids.

4. Upscaling Performance: Slightly behind Panasonic in terms of noise reduction and frame rate interpolation during upscaling.

Panasonic DP-UB820

Pros:

1. Superior HDR Support: Comprehensive HDR capabilities, including HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Hybrid Log Gamma, and Custom Tone Mapping.

2. Exceptional Video Quality: Vivid, dynamic, and detailed visuals with excellent color depth and texture, creating a cinematic experience.

3. Outstanding Movie Audio: Big, weighty, and immersive sound with clear details and impactful bass, perfect for surround sound setups.

4. Mini AVR Capabilities: Can function as a mini audio-video receiver with 2.0 and 7.1 channel outputs for direct speaker and subwoofer connections.

5. Reliability: More consistent performance with fewer issues reported compared to Sony.

6. Effective Upscaling: Slightly better at reducing noise and providing smoother frame rate interpolation when upscaling.

Cons:

1. Build Quality: Standard plastic design lacks the premium feel and resonance-reducing features of Sony’s aluminum frame.

2. Poor Music Performance: Sound is too warm, with less dynamic range and clarity for music playback, making it subpar as a CD player.

3. Limited Format Support: Does not support DVD-Audio, Super Audio CDs, or as many file formats as Sony.

4. Bulky Design: Larger, less sleek design compared to the Sony model.

5. Higher Price Point: More expensive than Sony, which might not justify the extra cost for users prioritizing music or general use.