PIONEER INTRODUCES NEW ‘ELITE UDP-LX500 UNIVERSAL DISC PLAYER’ AT CEDIA 2018

New Player Offers Highest Standard of UHD Blu-ray Playback Available Thanks to Superb Design, Engineering & Fabrication

September 4, 2018

Pioneer & Onkyo U.S.A. Corp today announced a new universal disc player, the ELITE UDP-LX500 (MSRP: $1,099.00 USD / $1,299.99 CAD).  Engineered to provide the highest standard of UHD Blu-ray playback, the UDP-LX500 boasts an incredibly low resonance chassis design achieved by applying engineering techniques specifically optimized for UHD Blu-ray, a format that necessitates extremely high rotational speeds of up to 5,000 rpm in order to deliver superior audio and video.

“The UDP-LX500 offers a variety of integration-friendly features. For connection flexibility, two HDMI outputs are onboard, allowing for a direct video connection to the display input of your choice, while still delivering Hi-Res sound to your AVR using the dedicated “Audio-Only” HDMI output,” said Rob Vieira, Product Planning & Training Manager.  “One of the unit’s distinct advantages is its ability to calibrate the display’s input specifically for the UHD player for optimal video performance.  On the control side of things, two-way RS-232 and IP control allows for enhanced driver options via major control system partners such as Control4 and Crestron.”

With 4K video, there’s a huge increase in the amount of image information which requires the use of increasingly effective dampening techniques. The UDP-LX500 achieves video quality improvements by applying a low noise design ethos throughout the player, minimizing noise loops in the circuitry to guarantee high-quality signal transmission.

The main board has been specifically configured to achieve a high S/N ratio during the processing of video and audio by adopting a six-layer IVH (interstitial via hole) construction technique.  As a result, Pioneer has been able to fully optimize the routing of digital signal wiring to minimize ground impedance. This also improves the precision of the high capacity transmission speed of 18Gbps which the latest HDMI standard now makes possible.

Furthermore, Pioneer’s Zero Signal Terminal is a proprietary feature that is designed to optimize audio and video quality. By connecting the Zero Signal Terminal to a suitable audio/video input terminal on an AV receiver etc., the reference ground level (GND) of audio/video signals between the two devices is matched and aligned, with any potential differences suppressed, allowing owners to enjoy audio and video with an even further improved S/N ratio and performance.

With its remarkably rigid construction as well as a lower center of gravity, the UDP-LX500 is able to suppress vibration transmission occurring inside the player as well. It features a double-layered chassis with a 3mm steel plate for rigidity, as well as an acoustic damper tray and ultra-quiet UHD BD drive. 

To deliver the full potential of the sound quality contained in UHD Blu-ray Discs, the UDP-LX500 employs audio boards focused on preserving signal purity, S/N ratio, and tonal subtlety. It also features a host of advanced sound enhancing facilities, such as a Direct function for analog connection and Pioneer’s PQLS (Precision Quartz Lock System) for HDMI connection.  The Direct function turns off the digital audio and video circuits, allowing listeners to enjoy high-resolution sound sources and CDs with enhanced purity.

In addition to delivering superlative movie sound, the UDP-LX500 has also been engineered to be a brilliant audio-only player, with continuing support for SACD and DVD audio discs. With analog 2-channel playback, spurious noise around the power supply and GND have been suppressed and the circuit expertly tuned to give a full, rich sound.

The UDP-LX500 supports three HDMI output modes: "Separate" which enables high-quality transmission by separating video and audio via the main/sub HDMI outputs; "Single" which routes both video and audio output via the main HDMI output, and "Pure Audio" which delivers an audio-only output from the sub HDMI terminal.

For more information on Pioneer’s entire lineup of products, please visit http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home.