The young French brand Reavon recently made its entry into the 4K Blu-ray player market with two high-end models: the Reavon UBR-X100 and Reavon UBR-X200 (read the Reavon UBR-X200 review). The company wants to meet the needs of home-cinephiles who are interested in Ultra High Definition discs and feel frustrated by the lack of a real successor to the Oppo UDP-203 and Oppo UDP-205. We were lucky enough to talk to Olivier Grimal, responsible for the development of these players.
Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
I’m Olivier Grimal, manager of the HD LAND store in Paris since 2009 and more particularly of the Blu-ray department (discs and players).
What is Reavon’s ethos?
As a Blu-ray dealer and former distributor of OPPO players, we noticed that many brands were disappearing from the market. Besides Oppo, Samsung and Pioneer, Panasonic and LG models are becoming hard to find. In addition, with the departure of Pioneer and Oppo, the high-end audiophile player sector was deserted. So we decided to fill this gap.
Can you tell us about the two players that have been announced?
The Reavon UBR-X200 4K Blu-ray player is already available. This is the brand’s top-of-the-line audiophile model with SACD support, a toroidal power suppy and a full analog section with 7.1 RCA and stereo connectors, as well as stereo XLR connectors. For the video section, Dolby Vision, HDR10, 24p and 4K HDR upscalling are all supported.
The Reavon UBR-X100 model will be available by the end of August. The latter has the same video section as the Reavon UBR-X200. Regarding audio, only digital connectors are available: HDMI, optical and coaxial. These models are primarily designed to play optical discs. To play files, we suggest taking a look at the different models offered by Zappiti.
You used to import Oppo devices and many enthusiasts are waiting for the brand to return or a solution to the termination of their players. Are there any similarities between the two brands?
No, although the design of the two Reavon models is quite similar to that of Oppo’s players.
You are already responsible for the Zappiti brand, is a player combining both in the works?
A combined model is not an option, as the Blu-ray consortium is against it.
Read our review: Reavon UBR-X200, the successor of Oppo?
