4K Blu-ray fans rejoice! The fantastic Sony UBP-X700 was already one of the best entry points to the 4K Blu-ray scene, and now it's even more affordable thanks to a significant discount.
The Sony UBP-X700 is now available for just £152.20 at Argos. That's a good £97 lower than the £249 price we tested at, and a good deal cheaper than the modest Black Friday discount we saw also.
4K Blu-ray player discounts are rare, so we recommend snapping this one up if you're tempted. Especially as this is part of a clearance sale – once stock runs out, that's it for this deal.
If you're yet to dip your toes into the world of 4K Blu-ray, you're in for a treat. Many of us at What Hi-Fi?, myself included, are huge fans of the format for its high-fidelity audio, lack of buffering and sharper image, especially with the rising cost of streaming.
And the Sony UBP-X700 has been one of our top recommendations for several years now, so much so that one of our Senior Staff Writers has one in his own home.
The UBP-X700 has been a staple of our best Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray players page since we reviewed it back in 2018. That might sound like a long time ago, but a) the 4K Blu-ray player market has not seen much movement in recent years, and b) it really is that good.
We were suitably impressed with the picture quality during a test viewing of Thor: Ragnarok, with individual blades of grass etched cleanly and Thor's cape showing depths of gradations within its folds.
"We’ve always lauded Sony for its natural-looking disc-players, but the X700 surpasses even that of the X800 in how it displays a wonderfully subtle picture that’s impeccably judged while being hugely entertaining," our Sony UBP-X700 review reads.
"It balances the colourful, fantastical elements – the rainbow bridge, a scintillating Jeff Goldblum – with the more realistic hues of our Earth world."
Sound quality similarly doesn't disappoint, with blissfully clear voices, while special effects are flung about with agility and precision. Music, also, is relayed with a zippy, dynamic character.
HDR10 and Dolby Vision support are on board, but note that HDR10+ is missing.
There are plenty of features available, including 4K HDR streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other select apps. Hi-res audio support is also available up to 24bit/192kHz, while there are two HDMI outputs and yes, even 3D Blu-ray support (remember 3D TVs?).
The UBP-X700 is one of the most talented 4K players we've seen for the money. At this price, it's even cheaper than the Panasonic DP-UB150EB, which is our usual budget recommendation and lacks key features of the UBP-X700, such as Dolby Vision.
If you're going to take a bet on 4K Blu-ray, this is likely one of the best chances you'll get. The Sony UBP-X700 comes highly recommended, and you'll struggle to get a better price than £152 at Argos.
MORE:
The very best films to showcase Dolby Vision performance
The best film scenes to test Dolby Atmos
1080p vs 4K: how the screen resolutions differ
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