Panasonic DP-UB9000 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray Player

Panasonic's flagship 4K disc player, THX-certified

The Panasonic DP-UB9000 is Panasonic's reference 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player, built around the HCX processor for Ultra HD. It combines a THX-certified picture with a genuinely serious audio stage, including balanced XLR outputs and high-resolution file playback. It is a home cinema source and a hi-fi disc player in one chassis.

Why You'll Love It

• THX-certified 4K picture. The HCX processor and Chroma Processing draw out fine detail and accurate colour, and the HDR optimiser makes older Blu-rays look their best.
• Every current HDR format. HDR10+ and Dolby Vision are both supported, so the player adapts its tone mapping to compatible discs and displays for the brightest, most colourful image.
• Audio built for a hi-fi rack. Balanced XLR outputs, a discrete analogue power supply and high-resolution file support (FLAC, DSD, WAV and ALAC) make it as much a music player as a movie source.

Under the Hood

• HCX Processor for Ultra HD. Panasonic's flagship video engine handles upscaling and chroma processing to keep images crisp and colours precise.
• Balanced XLR output stage. A discrete power supply feeds the analogue stage for a clean, low-noise signal into a stereo amplifier or processor.
• 4K streaming on board. Netflix, YouTube and other services stream in 4K where available, processed by the same Panasonic hardware.

CHT Insider Verdict

The DP-UB9000 is the disc player to buy if you care about both picture and sound and want one machine to do justice to each. It is a flagship built for a dedicated cinema or a high-end two-channel system that still spins discs. What Hi-Fi called it a focused, high-performance machine, and that is a fair summary.

Pro Tip: If your amplifier or processor has balanced inputs, run the DP-UB9000 over its XLR outputs rather than HDMI audio. That is where the discrete analogue stage earns its keep on high-resolution music and concert discs.