Audio Performance

The audio side is Lexicon’s bread and butter, and the RT-20 continues their long standing tradition of superb sonic performance. The RT-20 is a universal transport and supports CD, DVD-Audio, and SACD playback. It also had no problems at all with the numerous DualDiscs I tried out with it.

The set-up options provide a lot of flexibility for the end user. There are adjustments for bass management, time alignment, and individual speaker output levels. The only drawback that I found was lack of support for time alignment for SACD, which is unfortunate because multi-channel playback demands equidistant speakers from the main listener and not all of us can accommodate this in the real world.

I began my subjective evaluation with standard CD playback, as this is still the most popular form of disc. The balanced two-channel output was used for most of the review, but I did switch over to the digital output on occasion to compare to my Anthem processor.

The RT-20 has an extremely smooth and inviting sound that can really lure you in. Dynamics were fantastic using some of my reference CDs. The live cut for "I am Becoming" on Nine Inch Nails’ Still album revealed outstanding articulation of Jerome Dillon’s drumming. Imaging was impeccable in the front sound stage with clear delineation of the placement of instruments and performers. Switching over to my Anthem revealed a little bit more detail in the lower end but it was barely distinguishable. There was more presence in the low end with the RT-20 though.

A second track that I frequent for imaging and clarity is Pink Floyd’s "Another Brick in the Wall Part 1". The reverbed guitar just completely fills the front of the room from floor to ceiling, and Roger Water’s voice is almost startling in its presence. I switched between my Denon DVD-5910 and the Lexicon for this track to see how they compared. Both were excellent, but the Lexicon’s imaging was much tighter with more depth to the instruments in relation to the vocals. I don’t know how much of this can be contributed to the balanced outputs which did lower the noise floor slightly, a feature the Denon is lacking.

I found the two-channel CD performance to be the highlight of the RT-20's audio section. I really couldn’t find anything to complain about. The bass could have been a tad tighter in some regards, but it was still superb.

Moving on to SACD, the RT-20 reminded me a lot of my experiences with the Marantz DV-9500 and the previous RT-10. Playback was crisp and tight. Two-channel playback via the balanced output had a clear advantage over the standard analog output and is recommended for the two-channel buffs out there. I used some selections from Elton John’s Honky Chateau and James Taylor’s Hourglass, and both sounded as good as anything I’ve heard before.

The imaging wasn’t quite as tight in the surround sound stage as my Denon DVD-5910 though. In Elton’s famous "Rocket Man" track, the vocals in the surround sound stage toward the chorus didn’t have the focus of the Denon. I don’t know how much of this was attributed to the lack of time alignment but doing some A/B switching between the two players definitely showed a difference.

DVD-Audio playback was superb across the board. This is the format I find myself listening to the most, as the selections available are more in my taste. I recently received the new high resolution sampler from AIX which contains some of the most extraordinary music recordings I’ve heard to date. This is a label that just continues to impress and raise the bar in every way.

Conclusions

I can’t emphasize how surprised I was with Lexicon’s turnaround since the RT-10. It has been a long time since I was this impressed with a DVD player from a higher end company. The video section is excellent overall and should please even the staunchest videophiles. The audio side continues Lexicon’s commitment to superb sound reproduction. I can recommend this player without the slightest hesitation in every category.


- Kris Deering -

Associated Equipment:

Sony VPL-HS51 3LCD Digital Projector
Stewart Filmscreen Deluxe Velux Studiotek 130 78" diagonal screen
Denon DVD-5910 Universal DVD Player
DVDO VP30 Video Processor
Anthem Statement D1 Surround Sound Processor
Anthem Statement A5 & A2 Amplifiers
Onix Reference 3 Loudspeakers
Paradigm Signature ADP Surround Speakers (movie playback only)
Dual SVS CS-25-31 cylinders & SVS PB-12/2+ SubwoofersExact Power EP-15A and SP-15x4
Cabling from Onix, Bettercables, Blue Jeans Cables and Nordost

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