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

[3db]

You think Mark Levinson, McIntosh, Bryston, Krell, and other high-end companies will also rebadge the Oppo BD?

Every single Oppo BD owner should have a huge grin on his/her face like this.

Pretty soon Mark Levinson, McIntosh, Bryston, Krell, and other high-end companies will all rebadge Emotiva pre-pros and amps.

I opened a thread over in Stephen Hoffman's Forum yesterday about this very thing and I titled the thread "Is High End Audio a Rip Off" Well the thread didn't even get to the locked stage,. They deleted it in less than 3 hours. I left thme with the question; how prevalent is this in high end audio to rebadge a cheaper product?

So I'm asking Audioholics.....How often do you see rebranding of a cheaper product by a high end company like this Lexicon for example?

 

[bandphan]

I opened a thread over in Stephen Hoffman's Forum yesterday about this very thing and I titled the thread "Is High End Audio a Rip Off" Well the thread didn't even get to the locked stage,. They deleted it in less than 3 hours. I left thme with the question; how prevalent is this in high end audio to rebadge a cheaper product?

So I'm asking Audioholics.....How often do you see rebranding of a cheaper product by a high end company like this Lexicon for example?

It happens all the time, its just a question as to if its rebranding, badging, or sharing components. Some manufactures do it because their fanboys want a brand "XXXX" cd player to go with their brand "XXXX" amplifier and processor and since its not part of their core business they need to outsource to some degree. The Lexicon issue is wrong on several fronts, as most make some mods that have a measurable effect. You cant fault them for providing a product that their market segment wants, right or wrong. Platforms get shared in many industries, and its up to the buyer to decide if it holds value for them.

 

[3db]

It happens all the time, its just a question as to if its rebranding, badging, or sharing components. Some manufactures do it because their fanboys want a brand "XXXX" cd player to go with their brand "XXXX" amplifier and processor and since its not part of their core business they need to outsource to some degree. The Lexicon issue is wrong on several fronts, as most make some mods that have a measurable effect. You cant fault them for providing a product that their market segment wants, right or wrong. Platforms get shared in many industries, and its up to the buyer to decide if it holds value for them.

I don't think modifying and rebadging is wrong in itself but I have a real problem with this Lexicon deal where they take a stock device, put it in a different color chassis and then charge an exhorbant fee that is in line with the rest of their products. When companies start to do this, they really are pulling the wool over the consumer's eyes. Its just downright deceiptful. On the other hand, its the same as buying designer clothes. People just want the status I suppose.

 

[bogrod]

I opened a thread over in Stephen Hoffman's Forum yesterday about this very thing and I titled the thread "Is High End Audio a Rip Off" Well the thread didn't even get to the locked stage,. They deleted it in less than 3 hours.

Why would they close it (the discussion)?

 

[Seth=L]

Why would they close it (the discussion)?

That's easy, the site is probably subjectivist.

 

[3db]

Why would they close it (the discussion)?

Exacly what Seth is saying. Quite a large number of the members there pay homage to the "cable gods"

 

[Chu Gai]

I opened a thread over in Stephen Hoffman's Forum yesterday about this very thing and I titled the thread "Is High End Audio a Rip Off" Well the thread didn't even get to the locked stage,. They deleted it in less than 3 hours. I left thme with the question; how prevalent is this in high end audio to rebadge a cheaper product?

So I'm asking Audioholics.....How often do you see rebranding of a cheaper product by a high end company like this Lexicon for example?

There's a lot of folks who just don't like SH, his forum, and his lemmings. For a humorous and very irreverent look at them, check this site out: http://stereocentral.tv/phpbb/index.php

 

[chunkisagoonie]

You think Mark Levinson, McIntosh, Bryston, Krell, and other high-end companies will also rebadge the Oppo BD?

Perhaps. Some already already re-badge solid platforms and while a lot of them do indeed make minor changes to the base platforms, the prices are really out of control.

When I visited the McIntosh factory in upstate NY about four years ago as a representative of the showroom I worked for, I literally witnessed an assembly line consisting of two or three ladies gutting Denon DVD-2900 universal players. They kept the transport and circuit board from the player (processing, DACs and all) and chucked the rest. So, what you really got was a $900 (at the time) universal player shoved into a pretty chassis with a McIntosh-built power transformer - and the player retailed for something like $4,000. Somehow, I didn't think McIntosh's chassis and power supply made up for an over $3,000 difference in price.

A year later, McIntosh shipped a new universal player with upscaling and HDMI. I never cared to crack one open, but judging by its published specs and features, it was a supped-up DVD-2930CI ($850 player at the time, I believe) selling for $5,500.

Although I haven't been working in the high-end retail market for a couple of years now, I would imagine McIntosh continues to use Denon platforms for their video players. After all, both companies are owned by D&M Holdings. Besides, a lot of these manufacturers known for building amps and preamps don't really have the necessary facilities for manufacturing video transports.


But I still laugh at this whole Lexicon debacle. Not a single changed component inside... That's flat-out insulting - and borderline stealing, IMHO.

 

[gene]

When I was in college working for a high end audio company I used to repair McIntosh LD players using Pioneer service manuals since both products were one in the same only the McIntosh sold for 3-4x the price.

 

[bogrod]

Exacly what Seth is saying. Quite a large number of the members there pay homage to the "cable gods"

Ah. O.k. Well I sort of understand... Oh well.

 

[3db]

When I was in college working for a high end audio company I used to repair McIntosh LD players using Pioneer service manuals since both products were one in the same only the McIntosh sold for 3-4x the price.

Maybe thats why a company like Bryston can have an industry leading warranty on their amplifiers because its designed in house.

 

[darinp2]

For those who are interested in the BD-30 review comments on hometheaterreview.com and some of the comments that Jerry has been deleting, and don't mind reading a little bit of a heated back and forth, I re-posted a couple of things here after I had put them on hometheaterreview.com last night and Jerry deleted them (although for one of them it still shows that I posted, but the content of my post was deleted). I put the contents of those posts on the "Reviewing Home Theater Related Product Reviews" thread in "The Steam Vent" forum here. I can't link to that here because I don't have enough posts.

--Darin

 

[3db]

For those who are interested in the BD-30 review comments on hometheaterreview.com and some of the comments that Jerry has been deleting, and don't mind reading a little bit of a heated back and forth, I re-posted a couple of things here after I had put them on hometheaterreview.com last night and Jerry deleted them (although for one of them it still shows that I posted, but the content of my post was deleted). I put the contents of those posts on the "Reviewing Home Theater Related Product Reviews" thread in "The Steam Vent" forum here. I can't link to that here because I don't have enough posts.

--Darin

I got my post deleted in Steve Hoffman's forum as well. Their loss.

 

[bogrod]

Exacly what Seth is saying. Quite a large number of the members there pay homage to the "cable gods"

I'm not defending the hoffman site, but I did notice that a discussion relating to the Lexicon was started over there & still remains:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=205556

I do appreciate the link to the stereocentral.tv. Very amusing. Who started that site?

 

[3db]

I'm not defending the hoffman site, but I did notice that a discussion relating to the Lexicon was started over there & still remains:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=205556

I do appreciate the link to the stereocentral.tv. Very amusing. Who started that site?

Thats not the thread I started but I'm glad to see there is a thread running with this that is not locked.

 

[santeini]

Lexicon BD-30 Blu Ray Player

Curiosity killed the cat,greed killed ......................?

 

[Seth=L]

Curiosity killed the cat,greed killed ......................?

The radio star?

 

[metalhalide]

THX reply

"The major focus of the THX Certified Blu-ray Disc Player certification is on video performance."

Uhh, then why does THX do that cute little short with the robot and the cow-sound-can at the beginning? Seems like audio.

 

[debauchee69]

When Businesses Fleece Americans, America gets Fleeced

Curiosity killed the cat,greed killed ......................?

The business of America is BUSINESS and the foundation of American Business is INTEGRITY. Once it is questioned, it is never recovered (e.g. Portfidio Tequila, Beeches 'Apple Flavoured' Apple juice', etc.).

Everyone uses everybody's parts and designs and that is a given in the Electronics business, especially the high-end consumer electronics business. Lexicon didn't do that---they took a $500.00 unit and dropped it into a $3,500.00 unit and palmed it off as their own!!!

I don't have a problem taking one company's product and tweeking it to make it better. ModSquad made a ton of money tweeking ordinary MAGNAVOX CD players and the well heeled consumer paid out the nose for said tweeks.

I have a problem with Lexicon taking a $500.00 OppoBD83 andpalming it off as their own. There is no excuse for what Lexicon did---they could have put in point to point 9999.9 silver wire and leads, put in better caps and beefed up the suspension or power supply and still pocket about $2K. Lexicon didn't do that---it slapped on a $65.00 aluminum front place and a darker blue lt and called it a $3,500.00 Lexicon. In my mind, that is called t-h-e-f-t!!!

There is another villian in this (I can't really spank OPPO because they could claim ignorance in the con and I wouldn't be able to say otherwise ALTHOUGH THEY HAD AN OBLIGATION TO INSPECT THE LEXICON DB30 AND ASK WTF?!!) and that villian is Mr. George Lucus (THX Certification).

Lucus is the GATEKEEPER OF THE PROCESS. Had THX did its job with due dilligence in testing, THX would have prevented this con taking place. You can't blame OPPO because no OPPO piece is THX certified. Had LexicIon spent the money to bring the OPPO BD83 into THX spec, it could justify the $3K expense (kinda sorta). I now question the integrity of the THX badging process---since the specs aren't published (propriety info) how do we know ANY THX badge meets THX specs?

Why am I wringing my hands over this? I just came into a sizeable amount of money and I have allocated $50K just on my Home Cinema and another $200K on my 'Music Conservatry' (Mr. Plumb, the Candlestick, yada,yada,yada). Go on, ask me if I will be using Lexicon products? Ask me if I will bother with THX certification?!!! This is why America is in decline---profits over integrity!

 

[j_garcia]

The business of America is BUSINESS and the foundation of American Business is INTEGRITY. Once it is questioned, it is never recovered (e.g. Portfidio Tequila, Beeches 'Apple Flavoured' Apple juice', etc.).

Everyone uses everybody's parts and designs and that is a given in the Electronics business, especially the high-end consumer electronics business. Lexicon didn't do that---they took a $500.00 unit and dropped it into a $3,500.00 unit and palmed it off as their own!!!

I don't have a problem taking one company's product and tweeking it to make it better. ModSquad made a ton of money tweeking ordinary MAGNAVOX CD players and the well heeled consumer paid out the nose for said tweeks.

I have a problem with Lexicon taking a $500.00 OppoBD83 andpalming it off as their own. There is no excuse for what Lexicon did---they could have put in point to point 9999.9 silver wire and leads, put in better caps and beefed up the suspension or power supply and still pocket about $2K. Lexicon didn't do that---it slapped on a $65.00 aluminum front place and a darker blue lt and called it a $3,500.00 Lexicon. In my mind, that is called t-h-e-f-t!!!

There is another villian in this (I can't really spank OPPO because they could claim ignorance in the con and I wouldn't be able to say otherwise ALTHOUGH THEY HAD AN OBLIGATION TO INSPECT THE LEXICON DB30 AND ASK WTF?!!) and that villian is Mr. George Lucus (THX Certification).

Lucus is the GATEKEEPER OF THE PROCESS. Had THX did its job with due dilligence in testing, THX would have prevented this con taking place. You can't blame OPPO because no OPPO piece is THX certified. Had LexicIon spent the money to bring the OPPO BD83 into THX spec, it could justify the $3K expense (kinda sorta). I now question the integrity of the THX badging process---since the specs aren't published (propriety info) how do we know ANY THX badge meets THX specs?

Why am I wringing my hands over this? I just came into a sizeable amount of money and I have allocated $50K just on my Home Cinema and another $200K on my 'Music Conservatry' (Mr. Plumb, the Candlestick, yada,yada,yada). Go on, ask me if I will be using Lexicon products? Ask me if I will bother with THX certification?!!! This is why America is in decline---profits over integrity!

Maybe you didn't notice, but this thread is over a YEAR old. The story is old and the flames have long since died out and new grass has already grown. Oppo doesn't even make the 83 anymore... So you are wringing your hands for no reason. OR, you are just spamming for no reason.