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Magnetar has unveiled a new reference 4K Blu-ray player aimed primarily at the most demanding home cinema and audio enthusiasts. The Ultima model is designed to handle both high-quality film and music content. The manufacturer equipped it with an elaborate power supply and precise clocking of the digital signal. However, it comes with a very high price tag, as the unit costs as much as $12,000. The Magnetar Ultima is already available through the manufacturer's dealer network.
Magnetar Ultima is a player for the most demanding
The new model is based on Magnetar’s MKII player platform but has been enhanced with solutions intended to improve the device’s performance. The Ultima supports 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, SACD, DVD, CD and DVD-A discs. The player also handles DSD and DoP formats. Users can also play digital files from USB storage and over the network. In one device it therefore supports a very wide range of media formats. The Ultima’s design is split into two units. One is the actual player, while the other is responsible for external power. In doing so Magnetar abandoned the traditional internal AC power supply. The manufacturer uses dedicated power stages based on lithium battery packs. These are intended to isolate the transport, clock and signal paths from interference and voltage fluctuations. Chinese firm BYD, best known for electric vehicles and battery and charging technologies, was responsible for developing these elements. Such an extensive design shows that the Ultima is not an ordinary living-room player. Magnetar targets it at owners of advanced home cinema and audio systems.
No built-in DAC, but very extensive connectivity
One of the more interesting aspects of the design is the absence of a built-in DAC. The Ultima’s role is not to independently convert analogue audio, but to deliver as precise a digital signal as possible to an external audio system. The manufacturer has implemented a synchronised master clock system based on a 10 MHz reference clock. It is intended to provide precise timing for the device’s various elements. The user has two HDMI ports at their disposal, one of which is dedicated to audio only. There is also gigabit Ethernet. The player is additionally equipped with USB 3.0. AES/EBU and coaxial S/PDIF connections are also available. This wide range of outputs lets you connect the Ultima to various elements of an advanced AV system. The design is therefore focused on sending digital data to external devices. With this kind of gear, the final sound quality will largely depend on the other components in the setup. Magnetar does not try to replace an entire audio system with a single device. The Ultima is intended as a specialised source for people who already have a suitably advanced home theatre or audio rig. That also explains the lack of a DAC and the unusually high price of the whole solution.
US$12,000 for a return to physical media
The Magnetar Ultima costs US$12,000, putting it well out of reach for the average user. The manufacturer positions the unit as a reference product rather than a mass-market Blu-ray player. The device was unveiled in the United States at CEDIA 2026, an event that focuses in part on advanced home cinema and audio systems. The Ultima therefore sits in a segment where device prices can run into many thousands of dollars. The new model appears at a time when the market for physical film media is no longer as large as it was at the height of DVD and Blu-ray’s popularity. Many manufacturers have scaled back or stopped making players as more people use streaming services. Despite that, physical releases still offer advantages in picture and sound quality and the lack of dependence on internet bandwidth. Magnetar apparently believes there’s a group of customers willing to pay a lot for the best possible source. The Ultima is already available through the company’s dealer network. For most people it will, however, be more of a demonstration of capability than a realistic alternative to much cheaper 4K Blu-ray players.
Magnetar Ultima to nowy, ekstremalnie drogi odtwarzacz 4K Blu-ray przeznaczony dla wymagających użytkowników kina domowego i audiofilów. Obsługuje szeroki zestaw płyt oraz plików cyfrowych, a do tego oferuje rozbudowane możliwości łączności. Zewnętrzny system zasilania, zegar referencyjny 10 MHz i brak wbudowanego DAC-a pokazują, że urządzenie ma współpracować z wysokiej klasy zewnętrznym sprzętem. Cena wynosząca 12 000 dolarów sprawia, że jest to produkt zdecydowanie niszowy, ale jego pojawienie się jest ciekawym sygnałem dla rynku fizycznych nośników.
source: techradar
