Lexicon BD-30 Blu-ray Player (Oppo BDP-83 Clone) Review

[admin]

It's an Oppo BDP-83. Normally we'd launch into a statement like this with more tact. We may, for example, wax eloquent about the Lexicon BD-30's beautiful chassis or it's billet aluminum front face. We could tell you about the heft of the unit, or the fact that comes double boxed with enough padding to warrant throwing it off the FedEx or UPS truck while it's still moving. While all of that is true, the Lexicon BD-30 is still an Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray Player. And what's more, it's not just using the same parts - they actually stuck the player inside - chassis and all. This would be OK, were it not for the $3000 premium and THX certification. As Sherlock Holmes would say: The game is afoot!

Read the LexiCON BD30 Review and please discuss the BD-30 (aka. Oppo BDP-83 Clone here)

 

[3db]

What? A boutigue brand go bad?? Why buy the Oppo when you can have Lexicon?? Isn't it worth the extra $3000 designer dollars??

 

[majorloser]

Oh snap!

It's on now.

 

[gene]

Oh snap!

It's on now.

yes and Lexicon owners on AVS are already slamming this article

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17932466&posted=1#post17932466

Seems like you can't please the manufacturers or consumers by simply reporting truthful findings

 

[gonk]

The picture of the underside of the chassis was surprising. Based on the pictures, it looks like a mighty expensive faceplate upgrade.

 

[Seth=L]

I imagine that foundedly Oppo is laughing all the way to the bank.

I imagine that Lexicon thinks it's laughing all the way to tbe bank.

 

[Seth=L]

yes and Lexicon owners on AVS are already slamming this article

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17932466&posted=1#post17932466

Seems like you can't please the manufacturers or consumers by simply reporting truthful findings

They seem to be slamming you because of the processor Lexicon sells that does 7.1 LPCM. They disregarded the part where you said Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD on a processor.

 

[majorloser]

Seems like you can't please the manufacturers or consumers by simply reporting truthful findings

The truth hurts.

Next time try sugar coating it.

 

[bandphan]

So BBK must be selling to other mfgs as well. The rumors that the CA 650 has software that seems identical to the Oppos, but with a different input and faceplate layout.

 

[surveyor]

Would you guys quit trying to confuse the stereofile crowd with the facts!
Darn It-...

 

[Nomo]

yes and Lexicon owners on AVS are already slamming this article

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17932466&posted=1#post17932466

Seems like you can't please the manufacturers or consumers by simply reporting truthful findings

Buck up little camper.

Shooting the messenger is nothing new.

Nice review.
It seems Lexicon has made a few minor improvements to a solid foundation.
$3000 worth? Well no, but i'm sure there's a small market for this player.

 

[Seth=L]

$3000 worth? Well no, but i'm sure there's a small market for this player.

That's not what the debate here is. The point is that it's a complete waste of $3000 to get the Lexicon based on the premise that there's a technological improvement over the Oppo in the Lexicon.

The small market that this player should cater to is obsessive people who absolutely must have their equipment match cosmetically. I piece of milled aluminum, a heavy folded metal box is all they added to this player, a blue light filter and some black and white paint is all they seem to have added to this player.

 

[davidtwotrees]

Whoa. Kudos and great salutations on this article. Slam bam thank you ma'am. I should add, in Lexicon's defense, that my Lexicon DC1 is about the sharpest, most intuitive piece of modern audio gear I have ever used. Gene and Tom, you rock.

Also, notice on AVS that Kal Rubinson, the stereophile guy who does "in the round" said the next issue of stereophile will address this very same issue. That, I gotta see.

 

[skers_54]

They seem to be slamming you because of the processor Lexicon sells that does 7.1 LPCM. They disregarded the part where you said Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD on a processor.

That guy is definetly missing the forest for the trees. He's probably just pissed that someone questioned Lexicon's chocolatiness

If THX certifies a product, I'd expect every aspect of its performance to conform to their criteria. It seems like a pretty big cop-out for THX to say that only the most up-to-date connections need to be tested for spec. A lot of people use legacy connections, and I would assume their performance to be up to snuff on a certified component.

 

[gonk]

Also, notice on AVS that Kal Rubinson, the stereophile guy who does "in the round" said the next issue of stereophile will address this very same issue. That, I gotta see.

I am also curious about that.

 

[davidtwotrees]

I am also curious about that.

I've actually liked his articles and comments, although I'm not currently subscribed, I feel that his work helped get the HT as well as hi rez music side of the hobby into the mainstream. I think stereophile, and and kal in particular have helped keep sacd alive.......
but I digress............

 

[mtrycrafts]

The truth hurts.

Next time try sugar coating it.

Yes, but then it may not be the whole truth

Gene is right though, about that adage whom you can please and when, etc.

 

[mtrycrafts]

...It seems Lexicon has made a few minor improvements to a solid foundation.
....

Not sure what they would be.

 

[mtrycrafts]

yes and Lexicon owners on AVS are already slamming this article

Understandible, no? What else would they say? Thanks gene, now how do I get my $3k back?

Seems like you can't please the manufacturers or consumers by simply reporting truthful findings

Just stick to your guns. You are not here to please one side or the other, just present the facts.

 

[gene]

I added the following statement on the THX page to appease the Lexicon owners.

Alternatively, a fellow Lexicon owner on AVS Forum pointed out that the end user can in fact have the BD-30 player do the decoding and pass the multi channel PCM data out of the HDMI output where the processor can do the bass management and D/A conversion. Assuming THX still tests the bass management circuitry of A/V processors and receivers that they certify, this can be a viable option to consider, though perhaps not as seamless as the actual A/V processor doing the decoding. To our knowledge, no Lexicon processor supports 192 kHz / 24 bit audio so for those instances, the user may still wish to consider using the analog connections to achieve the highest possible resolution.

I still think its a little ridiculous that a consumer will plop down $20k+ (processor, amp, BD player) for a complete solution that makes the player do the decoding instead of the processor but whatever makes people happy I suppose.