Blu-ray: Lexicon Prepping First THX-Certified Blu-ray Player

Luxury American audio manufacturers Lexicon are getting ready to unveil the BD-30, a high-end Blu-ray player, at this years Cedia Expo show. Lexicon, a brand owned by Harman International, are probably better known for their professional audio equipment, however they claim to have identified a market sector in need of filling - those customers who demand high performance from every other area of their A/V system have very few matching Blu-ray players to choose from. We take this to mean, 'players which are too cheap', hence Lexicon's decision to slap a $3,499 price tag on the BD-30.

The player is going through the THX-certification process at the moment - something which goes some way to explaining the price - and when it passes, it will be the first Blu-ray player to do so. Lexicon are also pushing their future MC-12 firmware as a reason to purchase the BD-30, as it will enable 7.1LPCM audio over HDMI, a feature sure to appeal to the A/V aficionado. Other features include a load time of 5 seconds, DVD, SACD and DVD Audio support plus Anchor Bay's VTS image technology.

It's rumoured to be set for a September release in the US, with Lexicon also planning a push into the UK market later too. One thing which has been mentioned is the BD-30's similarity in look and basic spec to the Oppo BDP-83, a top-notch player some $3,000 less than the Lexicon. It will be interesting to do a side-by-side comparison of these two players when the time comes!

Lexicon Prepping First THX-Certified Blu-ray Player

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