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

[gene]

I updated my tests by request of AVS members:

Both players exhibited virtually identical and excellent distortion measurements for the main channels. When I originally bench tested the Lexicon BD-30, I restricted my tests to the two main channels plus the subwoofer to quickly identify if there were any differences. There of course weren't any so we wrapped up this article indicating that both players appeared to be identical in terms of audio performance.

On January 17th, 2010, a contributing editor of Widescreen Review named Amir correctly pointed out I should check all of the channels to ensure there were no differences. Since I only tested 6 channels in the Oppo, I repeated my test of the Lexicon with the six same channels. To my surprise I found the subwoofer channel went into gross distortion on the Lexicon BD-30. It took me several hours to realize this was a result of setting any channels but the main front channels to "small". Apparently there is a bass management recombination issue with the Lexicon that doesn't exist with the Oppo since the Oppo receives numerous firmware updates to address such issues. To our knowledge, Lexicon has yet to offer any firmware updates for their player to address such issues. Thus at this time I must correct our previous statement that both players are identical and now state that the Oppo actually fairs better than the Lexicon when using the analog audio outputs and bass management facilities under the current firmware Lexicon supports their BD-30 player.

 

[Ares]

It went from bad to worse,the $500 Oppo has an advantage over the $3500 Lexicon, this just keeps getting better.

 

[j_garcia]

Nice. I wonder if that is anything like the early sub channel issue the Oppo had that could easily be fixed by a firmware udpate?

 

[gene]

It went from bad to worse,the $500 Oppo has an advantage over the $3500 Lexicon, this just keeps getting better.

If THX tested the analog outputs this would have never been the case hence why its my opinion that the THX certification should also support their legacy devices and connection methods.

 

[Shock]

I updated my tests by request of AVS members:

It's pretty safe to say you're never getting another lexicon product ever again.

 

[ricocetj]

Well done, Clint and Gene!

I don't know why, but I find it really amusing when a company gets caught doing something stupid. Between this, the coverage it's gotten all over the web, and the hilarity over at the other review site where the editor turned all indignant and juvenile and eventually just censored and erased all comments when people started asking questions, I had a very entertaining afternoon of reading!

 

[bandphan]

http://stabbingpixies.com/fr_index.cfm

the deleted comments from HTR hosted..

 

[gene]

It's pretty safe to say you're never getting another lexicon product ever again.

I hope that is not the case as I don't ever want to limit our access to companies for products to review. Perhaps they will instead use the criticisms we provided to produce an improved player.

 

[majorloser]

I hope that is not the case as I don't ever want to limit our access to companies for products to review. Perhaps they will instead use the criticisms we provided to produce an improved player.

Except for this time.


(and you said that Tom was harsh in his reviews)

 

[6L6X4]

I hope that is not the case as I don't ever want to limit our access to companies for products to review. Perhaps they will instead use the criticisms we provided to produce an improved player.

One of the silver linings of this encased player dust-up is that it's being discussed all over the net and has put Audioholics on the radar of people who may have previously been unaware of the site. Myself included.

Of course I had seen links to Audioholics reviews posted on other sites, but what I didn't know is that Audioholics has an active reader forum full of knowledgeable participants. Audioholics' introduction into my awareness came with a lot of credibility attached to it because of its expose' of the Lexicon player. I assume many others have discovered this excellent forum the same way.

Audioholics has a lot of eyeballs looking at it now and if Lexicon, or any other manufacturer, wants exposure to those eyes then they should continue their relationship with Audioholics.

 

[Ares]

A good manufacture will not take a bad review personal, but instead learn from it and make sure that they won't repeat the same mistakes. If they choose to withhold a product from reviewers who are honest then it calls into question the company's integrity and in the end it will hurt them.

 

[j_garcia]

A manufacturer like Lexicon also isn't going to spend the time and resources to develop a unit like this from scratch. Many of the big name manufacturers do more or less the same thing, utilizing some of the hardware from another larger manufacturer and implementing it with their own firmware, software, case, etc... So it comes as no surprise that Lexicon did this, however not adding enough to differentiate it from the original is kind of not the best idea.

 

[davidtwotrees]

The Right Stuff Brotherhood of Objectivism

What a fine week for Objectivism! The rank and file here, as well as the owners of Audioholics, have quietly been plying the Objectivist mantra for some time now. I came upon this site when I was googling info on speaker wire after an audiophile friend was raving about differences he could hear whilst switching cables. An audioholic sticky thread confirmed what I thought- that if one is objective and logical, many of the things we "hear" go up in smoke. Over the years I've watched fellow Objectivists use logic and common sense to drown the golden ear crowd whenever they popped up at Audioholics.com. Sanity reigns and any doubts I had as to Audiohlics owning a store and doing reviews have went down the drain. Gene and the gang are doing an excellent job and I am proud to call myself an Audioholic!

 

[gene]

For what its worth, I found this on AVS which is a statement Lexicon apparently made about their player prior to our review:

The official Lexicon BD30 post:

Short Answer...Built in America...THX certified...Lexicon Quality and Support...Best Video...Fastest transport...Joe Kane likes it...first shipment expected in late October or early November.
What we bring to the table:

• Best video quality available using Anchor Bay’s technology

• Best player response times – Drawer responds <2seconds. For most blu-ray discs (regardless of profile) we can go from OFF to playing the main menu in about 10 seconds.

• Universal media formats – the only other model that has SACD is the $4,500 Denon model.

• Combine with the 7.1 MC-12 firmware update – for a superior sounding Dolby TrueHD & DTS Master Audio solution.


FAQ:

• “What are the differences to the OPPO?”

o When we specified the BD-30 we focused on premium video & audio performance, fast response times, and a mechanical construction that upholds the lexicon tradition of excellence – Some parts are similar to the OPPO due to the fact we purchase subassemblies from the same contract manufacturer. We then ship this subassembly to Indiana and complete the manufacturing in the States. We load in application specific firmware

• “why does the Lexicon cost more?”

o The BD-30 is the highest performance blu-ray player available today and when you see the unit, you’ll realize that the product not only is the highest performance player, but is build to the highest standards in the USA. It is then shipped with Joe Kane’s setup disc and supported with world class customer support.


Edited by Todd Packer - 19 Sep 2009 at 9:41pm
Todd Packer
Technical Product and Project Manager
Harman High Performance A/V
Lexicon - Mark Levinson - JBL Synthesis - Revel
http://www.smr-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=323

Link to the AVS thread here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1166176&page=12&highlight=audioholics

 

[pzaur]

So, according to Lexicon, their player costs an additional $2500 because it is shipped with a setup disc from Joe Kane?! Expensive disc.


• “why does the Lexicon cost more?”

o The BD-30 is the highest performance blu-ray player available today and when you see the unit, you’ll realize that the product not only is the highest performance player, but is build to the highest standards in the USA. It is then shipped with Joe Kane’s setup disc and supported with world class customer support.

-pat

 

[hemiram]

This has been going on for decades, there were CD players that were (usually) Phillips guts put in a pretty box. I saw a couple of Panasonic ones too. But none of them were $3500, of course, and none were done like this one, where the whole case is just plopped into a shell.

One more high end hi-fi scam exposed.

 

[j_garcia]

So The BD-30 is the highest performance blu-ray player available today and when you see the unit, you’ll realize that the product not only is the highest performance player, but is build to the highest standards in the USA. It is then shipped with Joe Kane’s setup disc and supported with world class customer support.[/I]

-pat

LOL. World class customer support, but they don't have a firmware release out to fix the LFE channel issue? Oppo fixed theirs in about 2 weeks.

 

[gonk]

A manufacturer like Lexicon also isn't going to spend the time and resources to develop a unit like this from scratch. Many of the big name manufacturers do more or less the same thing, utilizing some of the hardware from another larger manufacturer and implementing it with their own firmware, software, case, etc... So it comes as no surprise that Lexicon did this, however not adding enough to differentiate it from the original is kind of not the best idea.

I agree that using the BDP-83 platform makes sense for more "boutique" manufacturers. I also agree that the combination of a direct duplicate and a $3500 price tag was ill-conceived.

 

[jliedeka]

I also saw a link to the original article from Consumerist so I guess Audioholics is getting more exposure.

I don't fault Lexicon for charging boutique prices for what is essentially an Oppo with poor firmware. I do fault them for not testing the analog outs before shipping it.

I also agree this is another example of Golden Ears being full of s**t.

Jim

 

[Seth=L]

Universal media formats – the only other model that has SACD is the $4,500 Denon model.

Other than the Oppo of course. Naturally you wouldn't want to mention the hugely cheaper player you put a shell around.

Some parts are similar to the OPPO due to the fact we purchase subassemblies from the same contract manufacturer. We then ship this subassembly to Indiana and complete the manufacturing in the States. We load in application specific firmware

Ok, so you take an Oppo minus the silk screen, front face plate, top plate, and rear plate. Put your own blue filter silk screen, front face plate, top plate, rear plate and put some white paint on it as well as a bottom plate with some holes cut in it so the Oppo, I mean Lexicon can breath. Then you proceed to put your "Lexicon" firmware that funks up the subwoofer channel when all speakers are set to small.

Now looking at this from above it seems quite clear that Lexicon isn't just getting some of the parts that Oppo uses. It's astoundingly clear in fact. Oppo has been on the top of their game for upscaling DVD players since they hit the scene. The BDP-83 was a long awaited arrival and didn't disappoint. Is Lexicon trying to tell us that Oppo, who has been on top of their game, is rebadging some fully OEM player. Who, other than Oppo and Lexicon has such a player with all these exact same parts and features? I'll take a guess, these two are it.

I don't believe for one second that Oppo was unaware that Lexicon was releasing a player that was a clone to the BDP-83 player. How could they not have been the one's that licensed the player to Lexicon.

Too which I humbly LAUGH MY *** OFF as I'm sure Oppo is doing at this very moment. Lexicon was laughing their asses off, until this whole scoop came along. Harman Industries as a whole is a crippled company and shouldn't be made to suffer with it's gangrene appendage, Lexicon, dangling off it's side. I'd say it's time to cut that sucker off before it consumes the rest of the body!