The difference between the Sony X1100ES and X800M2 4K Blu-ray players
It’s all about the inputs and outputs
When you’re faced with two identical looking 4K Blu-ray players that carry different model numbers and ultimately different prices as well, it can be hard to decipher which unit is the right one for you. That task becomes infinitely harder when even the manufacturer, say Sony, equally isn’t sure about their differences or doesn’t want to point them out¹.
That’s certainly the case with Sony’s most recent 4K Blu-ray players, the flagship X1100ES and the X800M2. Not only do the two units look identical, but their feature list is also identical.
But after some mind numbing scrubbing of info, I’ve finally found the difference between the two 4K Blu-ray players and it comes down to inputs and outputs.
X1100ES
- HDMI Output(s): HDMI 2.0 x 1 (Rear)
- HDMI 1.4 x 1 (Rear, Audio only)
- Analog Audio 2ch Output(s): 1 (Rear)
- Optical Audio Output(s): 1 (Rear)
- Coaxial Audio Output(s): 1 (Rear)
- USB Input(s): 1 (Front)
- Ethernet Connection(s): 1 (Rear)
X800M2
- HDMI Output(s): 2 (Rear)
- Coaxial Audio Output(s): 1 (Rear)
- USB Input(s): 1 (Front)
- Ethernet Connection(s): 1 (Rear)
If you’ve got a fancy home theater setup, the X1100ES is likely the right choice for you with analog, optical, and HDMI output options for sound. But if none of that matters to you and you’ve got a sound bar, be it flagship or not, or a receiver with speakers connected, it’s likely that the X800M2 offers everything you’d need.
Now that the mystery solved, we can all go back to enjoying our 4K media through Apple TV and Netflix, because what is physical media?²
¹ Because they don’t understand marketing.
² Teasing my home theater elite readers.
Thanks for being an SRN reader. If you liked this post and want to help me cover Sony even more with reviews, videos, and podcasts, please clap (you can 👏 more than once!), share on your favorite social sites, and subscribe to the SRN newsletter.
