Onkyo BD-SP809 review

Top selling AV receiver brand Onkyo puts the case for feature-light Blu-ray players

Onkyo BD-SP809
The Onkyo BD-SP809 is a full-width, full depth Blu-ray player available in black or silver - we approve!

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If you're looking for an old-school Blu-ray player, presumably to partner an old school Onkyo AV receiver with matching THX passport, the Onkyo BD-SP809 is worthy of investigation.

Its video performance is polished, both with HD Blu-rays and standard-definition DVDs, while the sensible provision of an HDMI Sub output for hi-res multichannel audio makes it a good fit for those who don't feel a need to update their much-loved AVR simply because its lacks HDMI 1.4 compatibility.

As a 3D disc spinner, the Onkyo BD-SP809 also gets the thumbs up. Frankly, assessing absolute detail with 3D discs is impossible, because there's not a single 3D TV that doesn't compromise the outpourings of a player to one extent or another.

Suffice to say the deck didn't exhibit any incompatibilities with the 3D fare we threw at it.

We liked:

Solid build and the high-quality Qdeo video processor make this Blu-ray player a perfect match for a top-end flatscreen display or projector. The provision of secondary HDMI output for lossless audio is also good news for owners of pre-HDMI v1.4 AV receivers

We disliked:

Third-rate file support from USB and across a LAN make this deck a non-starter for local and LAN play. Couple this with the lack of an online content portal and you have a player that appears defiantly retro. The user interface is also dull, and the remote zapper is unrepentantly budget

Final verdict:

Despite a good visual performance, the Onkyo BD-SP809 isn't a convincing mid-range audiophile option.

All of this leads us to conclude that this is basically a Blu-ray player created for the Onkyo hardcore. The rest of us will find better equipped models elsewhere.

While we can't knock its picture performance, Onkyo's BD-SP809 is a Blu-ray player that's run out of time. Rival mid-range audiophile options, particularly the Cambridge Azur 651, are a much more inviting prospect. It's only worth considering if you want to complete an all-Onkyo equipment stack.

Also consider

Quite apart from the SACD snub, the Sony BDP-S470, Sony BDP-480, Sony BDP-490 and the new Panasonic DMP-BDT320 can show it a clean pair of heels when it comes to physical discs and audio file replay. And those models outgun the Onkyo BD-SP809 in almost every other department too.

Steve May
Home entertainment AV specialist

Steve has been writing about AV and home cinema since the dawn of time, or more accurately, since the glory days of VHS and Betamax. He has strong opinions on the latest TV technology, Hi-Fi and Blu-ray/media players, and likes nothing better than to crank up his ludicrously powerful home theatre system to binge-watch TV shows.