Top Picks Blu-ray Players

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Blu-ray Players
< $199
	Panasonic DMP-BDT220: $150 Panasonic has released some of the best budget Blu-ray players year-to-year, and the latest crop has yielded the DMP-BDT220, which reviewer Kris Deering found delivered “reference-quality Blu-ray playback,” along with 2D-to-3D conversion and a host of streaming video options. “What’s not to love here?” he wrote. “This one goes straight to the top of my budget player recommendations and delivers the Blu-ray experience in spades.” (October 2012, Read Full Review)
$200-$999
	Sony BDP-S790 3D: $250 Sony’s best, late generation player offers up cutting edge features, including 4K upscaling of 1080p content when mated with one of the new 4K displays, as well as 2D-to-3D conversion. Reviewer David Vaughn found it offered “flawless playback of Blu-ray Discs, outstanding DVD upconversion, and more streaming services than you can shake a stick at.” (September 2012, Read Full Review)
	Oppo BDP-103 3D: $499 An update to the highly regarded BDP-93, which has won the favor of many on our staff, the BDP-103 holds the line on price but adds 4K video upscaling, 2D-to-3D conversion, dual HDMI inputs, and MHL USB-port compatibility for watching video from compatible smartphones and tablets. Add its performance chops into the mix and it’s no wonder it comes highly recommended: Near flawless playback, support for DVD-Audio and SACD, home network streaming, and best-in-class video processing are just some of the things you get in the bargain. (January 2013, Read Full Review)
	Oppo Digital BDP-95 Universal 3D: $999 Essentially a BDP-93 universal player with a multichannel analog audio output outfitted with high end DACs for superior audio playback. Set for replacement by the BDP-105, which adds 4K video upscaling, 2D-to-3D conversion, dual HDMI inputs and MHL USB-port compatibility for watching video from compatible smartphones and tablets. Watch for availability and reviews; we expect this to perform as good as or better than its predecessor. (August 2011, HomeTheater.com; Read Full Review)
$1,000 >
	Oppo BDP-105: $1,199 Successor to Oppo’s outstanding BDP-95, the BDP-105 is a Blu-ray player and serious A/V processor rolled in one. You get reference-quality video playback, two HDMI inputs, three audio inputs, an excellent headphone amplifier and onboard video processing in the form of the exceptional Marvell QDEO chip. Marveling over the 105’s audio prowess—complete with two Sabre32 Reference Audio DACs— reviewer Kris Deering wrote: “Taken all together, you have a very capable audio/video processor here that could easily replace a digital pre/pro…” (April 2013, Read Full Review)
	Cambridge Audio Azur 752BD: $1,299 With the Azur 752BD, Cambridge melds a custom audio section with the video platform used in the acclaimed Oppo BDP-105 to deliver reference-quality audio and video. “From the exceptional build quality to its flawless Blu-ray performance, the 752BD really doesn’t leave much on the table,” wrote reviewer Kris Deering. If you’re in the market for a topnotch Blu-ray player, this is definitely one to consider.(HomeTheater.com, Read Full Review)
	McIntosh MVP891 Universal 3D: $5,500 Reviewed as part of our review of a complete $34,000 McIntosh system in our June 2012 issue, the MVP891 is a full universal player that features Anchor Bay video processing and Analog Devices 12-bit/297MHz video D/A conversion with noise-shaped video processing, and digital noise reduction. The player includes five two-channel, 192khz/32-bit audio D/A converters. Reviewer Michael Fremer called the MVP891 “a superb-sounding digital-audio player on CD via its balanced outputs, as well as on DVD-Audio discs through it’s single-ended, 7.1 channel, analog outputs.” (June 2012, Read Full Review)
	Ayre Acoustics DX-5 Universal A/V Engine: $9,950 A serious audiophile deck that plays all disc types (except 3D Blu-ray) and combines state-of-the art video playback with a USB DAC for processing high-resolution music files from a computer or hard drive. Reviewer Shane Buettner wrote, “The DX-5 not only bridges our disc-based past with our discless future; it also goes substantially further in bridging the still golden sound and tonality of analog with digital audio than any other component I’ve yet encountered. In my opinion, the Ayre Acoustics DX-5 is destined to become a classic.” (June 2011 Read Full Review)