Pioneer BDP-LX08 review

Super stylish Blu-ray spinner sacrifices speed for image quality and control

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Pioneer BDP-LX08
It may be a bit slow when it comes to loading the discs but the image quality is simply superb

TechRadar Verdict

The sheer quality of the pictures pumped out of this Blu-ray payer make up for the slow disc loading times. However, we think the price is a bit steep for a Profile 1.1 player

Pros

  • +

    Picture quality

  • +

    Design

  • +

    7.1 outputs

  • +

    Fine-tuning

Cons

  • -

    Profile 1.1

  • -

    Slow disc loading

  • -

    Price

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Part of Pioneer's swanky LX series of home cinema gear (and the central source for its LX03BD system), the BDP-LX08 is an unsurprisingly stylish affair.

Its naked fascia and black-as-night finish makes it elegant and esoteric enough to satisfy home cinema purists and interior designers alike.

The rear panel features 7.1-channel audio outputs with Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio decoding. The bad news is that the spec sheet is outdated next to the current flock of super speedy web-enabled decks.

It's Profile 1.1, so you can't access BD Live or other internet content, and with disc loading times clocking in at over a minute and a half, it's not the fastest – bad news considering the price. Don't let the flashy exterior fool you: this is an enthusiast's deck through and through.

Its picture tweaks put the other three decks to shame, with Pioneer's familiar Video Adjust menu allowing you to alter every aspect of the image.

The Pioneer's picture performance is phenomenal. Its colour palette is rich and inviting, blacks are seldom deeper and every pixel of every frame is rendered with blistering sharpness. It steadfastly refuses to let noise spoil the show, whether playing a movie or handling even the most challenging test pattern.

So if you only care about stunning Blu-ray pictures then the Pioneer is the videophile's choice, but those who want BD Live and quick disc loading need not apply.

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Daniel Phillips