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Magnetar has unveiled a new reference 4K Blu-ray player aimed primarily at the most demanding home cinema and audio users. The Ultima model was designed to handle both high-quality film and music content. The manufacturer fitted it with an advanced power supply system and precise clocking of the digital signal. However, it comes with a very high price tag, as the device 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 users
The new model is based on Magnetar's MKII player platform but has been expanded with solutions designed to improve the unit'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. That means a very wide range of media formats is supported by a single device. The Ultima's design is split into two units. One is the actual player, while the other provides external power. In doing so, Magnetar has abandoned the traditional internal AC power supply housed in the main chassis. The manufacturer uses dedicated power stages based on lithium battery packs. They are intended to isolate the transport, clock and signal paths from interference and voltage fluctuations. These elements are provided by the Chinese company BYD, best known for producing electric cars and for its battery and charging technologies. Such an elaborate 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 therefore not to independently convert analogue sound, but to deliver the most precise digital signal 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 ensure precise timing of the device’s individual components. Two HDMI ports are provided, one of which is dedicated solely to audio transmission. There is also a gigabit Ethernet port. The player is furthermore equipped with USB 3.0. AES/EBU and coaxial S/PDIF outputs are also available. Such a wide range of outputs allows the Ultima to be connected to various components of an advanced audio-visual system. The design is therefore geared towards transmitting digital data to external devices. With such equipment, the final sound quality will largely depend on the other components in the system. Magnetar thus does not attempt to replace the entire audio system with a single device. Rather, the Ultima is intended as a specialised source for those who already own a suitably extensive home cinema or audio system. This also explains the absence of a DAC and the exceptionally high price of the entire 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 device as a reference product rather than a mass-market Blu-ray player. The hardware was unveiled in the United States at CEDIA 2026, an event that focuses, among other things, on advanced home cinema and audio systems. The Ultima therefore fits into a segment where device prices can run into the many thousands of dollars. The new model arrives 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 popularity. Many manufacturers have scaled back or stopped producing players because more and more people use streaming services. Despite this, physical releases still offer advantages in picture and sound quality and are not reliant on internet bandwidth. Magnetar apparently believes there is a group of customers willing to pay a great deal for the best possible source. The Ultima is already available through the company's dealer network. For most people, however, it will be more of a demonstration of capability than a realistic alternative to much cheaper 4K Blu-ray players.
Magnetar Ultima is a new, extremely expensive 4K Blu-ray player aimed at demanding home cinema users and audiophiles. It supports a wide range of discs and digital files, and also offers extensive connectivity options. An external power supply, a 10 MHz reference clock and the absence of a built-in DAC show that the unit is intended to work with high-end external equipment. With a price of $12,000, it is clearly a niche product, but its arrival is an interesting signal for the physical media market.
source: techradar
