Audioholics has a must read review of the $3,500 Lexicon BD-30 Blu-Ray player.
What did they find? It’s actually the $500 OPPO BDP-83 inside a new case. Literally. They put the entire chassis inside, not just the components. Then they did some audio measurements and found they also matched. Not just close but identical.
The Lexicon BD-30 is THX certified while the OPPO BDP-83 is not, however THX certification requires paying licensing which OPPO Digital declined to do. People who bought an OPPO BDP-83 apparently got a THX worthy system for a fraction of the price though Audioholics deputes if the device is totally up to par.
This reminds me of the $500 ethernet cable. Or Gizmodo’s case against Monster Cable.
Lots of people assume a higher price tag equals better quality. That’s often not the case.
[Hat tip: The Consumerist]