XGIMI Titan Noir Max projector review: Excellent image quality, but short on features

RATING : 8.5 / 10

The past 2 years person seen an unexpected projector renaissance, pinch caller triple-laser DLP models offering incredibly agleam and meticulous image quality. The latest of those is XGIMI's Titan Noir Max, an elegant-looking projector that emphasizes reference-grade image value while eschewing specs for illustration outer speakers and smart TV streaming.

On apical of features for illustration IMAX certification, a move dual iris and 4K 60 fps Dolby Vision, nan Titan Noir Max offers an easy and elastic setup. It besides comes pinch built-in Harmon Kardon sound and 1ms gaming latency. However, astatine astir $6,000 MSRP, this is besides 1 of nan astir costly long-throw user DLP projectors available. It's worthy it for definite buyers, but astir group would get much for their money pinch rival models.

The Titan Noir Max has a subtle, prestigious creation pinch a grey metallic chassis, beforehand grill and understated reddish ringing astir nan lens, on pinch Harman Kardon and golden "IMAX Enhanced" logos. The projector is astir nan aforesaid size arsenic nan rival Valerion VisionMaster Max, but sits connected tube-like feet that springiness it a somewhat alien appearance. It ships pinch an elegant carrying container and comes pinch a bully looking, silver-accented remote.

I group up nan Titan Noir Max successful my surviving room pinch a 120-inch matte projector surface to debar nan "laser speckle" that tin hap pinch ALR (ambient ray reflecting) screens. With a 0.98-2.0x zoom lens, this projector offers a highly elastic setup region of 8.7 to 17.4 feet from screens up to 300 inches successful size. It supports a wide lens displacement scope arsenic good (50 percent horizontal and 130 percent vertical), truthful you tin group nan projector good disconnected halfway pinch nary request to usage distorting integer keystone correction.

At nan aforesaid time, it does person an automatic keystone setup that lets you conscionable constituent nan projector adjacent nan mediate of your surface and property a fastener to fresh nan image if you don't want to fuss. That worked good for me, but I needed to set nan image to get it comparatively adjacent to nan surface size first. Auto surface accommodation was easier pinch Anker's Nebula X1 aliases nan VisionMaster Max, moving connected some of those models arsenic agelong arsenic nan image size was larger than nan screen.

The Titan Noir Max comes pinch 3 HDMI 2.1 ports, including 1 pinch eARC for a sound bar, on pinch S/PDIF optical, USB-A, a 3.5mm audio output and a gigabit ethernet connection. It lacks nan Nebula X1's liquid cooling but it's astir arsenic quiet — I measured instrumentality sound astatine a very minimal 18db from 2 feet away, aliases 24db erstwhile brightness was pushed to nan maximum.

Unlike rivals, nan Titan Noir Max lacks Google TV aliases different built-in smart TV service. To usage platforms for illustration Netflix and Disney+, you'll request to acquisition an Apple TV 4K, Google TV aliases different streaming device. This didn't fuss maine arsenic I had a spare Google TV stick, which I for illustration anyhow because nan Google TV interface that's built into immoderate projectors tin beryllium laggy. However, nan deficiency of immoderate streaming entree whitethorn push immoderate folks to spell pinch different model.

The XGIMI Titan Noir Max promises "reference grade" video value and it delivers connected that, beating each different luxury projectors I've tested lately. It doesn't usage nan bigger, sharper 0.78-inch DLP spot of nan original Titan though. Instead, XGIMI went pinch nan latest "SST" 0.47-inch DLP from Texas Instruments that allows a superior blend of brightness and contrast. Combined pinch nan agleam RGB triple-laser engine, it tin output complete 5,000 ANSI lumens.

At its astir meticulous mounting successful Filmmaker mode, nan Titan Noir Max deed an awesome 4,320 lumens according to my Calibrite Display Plus meter, greater than immoderate projector I've tested to date. That accrued further to conscionable complete 5,000 lumens erstwhile I utilized nan Laser 10+ mode for maximum brightness, though pinch a sizeable colour accuracy loss.

The Titan Noir Max promises precocious autochthonal opposition arsenic good via its dual move iris pinch manual aperture control. When testing for maximum normal brightness, I saw a opposition ratio of 2,000:1 — an outstanding result. That tin beryllium boosted to an unthinkable 6,000:1 pinch nan iris group astatine nan maximum f7.0, though brightness drops to 800 lumens. The move iris mounting provides nan champion discuss pinch a 4,500:1 opposition ratio and 2,900 lumens of brightness, though I noticed immoderate brightness "pumping" emblematic pinch move iris projectors. This is thing that tin hap erstwhile nan projector's iris changes noticeably for a scene.

On apical of modular SDR, nan XGIMI Titan Noir Max supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and IMAX Enhanced HDR modes. The institution claims 110 percent of BT.2020 colour coverage, and I measured conscionable a shadiness nether 100 percent pinch astir 5 percent accuracy — different outstanding result. The projector besides includes a highly effective anti-rainbow usability that eliminates DLP colour fringing, thing I'm rather delicate to.

Straight retired of nan container I was incredibly impressed by nan image quality. Brightness was precocious capable successful modular mode to watch films, TV shows and sports for illustration tennis successful daylight pinch nary request to little nan blinds. In a darkened room pinch Dolby Vision, I was blown distant by nan brightness and colour fidelity successful movies for illustration F1, Interstellar and Avengers: Endgame. The fantabulous opposition allowed maine to spot protector item successful tricky scenes for illustration nan achromatic spread introduction successful Interstellar that tin look overly acheronian connected immoderate projectors.

The XGIMI Titan Noir Max is nan champion projector I've tested truthful acold for gaming, pinch 1080p astatine up to 240 fps refresh rates (with VRR support) and very debased 1ms latency. While it doesn't support 4K astatine 120 fps owed to nan limitations of DLP chips, it tin grip 4K 60Hz games pinch an awesome 3ms of input lag. That's substantially amended than nan Valerion VisionMaster Max's 15ms.

Those specs fto maine do no-compromise gaming pinch titles for illustration Cyberpunk 2077 and Hollow Knight: Singsong. At nan aforesaid time, nan tremendous screen, colour accuracy and agleam image provided heavy immersion that you conscionable can't get connected a smaller screen.

The Titan Noir Max has a built-in 24-watt Harmon Kardon audio setup, pinch 12 watts per speaker. It provides cleanable midrange, earthy voices and decent soundstage, but frankly, nan bass is anemic and nan sound strategy lacks powerfulness overall. If you're laying retired this benignant of money, you'll want to splurge connected a dedicated surround-sound strategy pinch DTS:X support, arsenic Dolby Atmos isn't an option.

In comparison, nan Nebula X1 gives you nan action to acquisition optional stereo Bluetooth speakers that link automatically. For little than nan value of nan Titan Noir Max, you could besides get nan Nebula X1 Pro that comes pinch a elephantine sound strategy and supports Dolby Atmos.

XGIMI's $6,000 flagship Titan Noir Max uses nan latest projector tech to springiness cinephiles nan champion imaginable image quality. It group caller benchmarks successful my testing for brightness, colour accuracy and contrast, but it's very expensive. Unlike its main rivals, nan Valerion VisionMaster Max and Anker Nebula X1 Pro, it has nary built-in smart TV features aliases tailor-made audio options.

Unless you're obsessed pinch image quality, you'd beryllium amended disconnected spending little connected Anker's $2,999 Nebula X1 aliases nan Nebula X1 Pro, nan second of which comes pinch a powerful, portable sound strategy for $1,000 little than nan Titan Noir Max. If you're consenting to settee for image value that's astir arsenic bully and includes smart TV features, cheque outValerion's $5,000 VisionMaster Max. If you're 1 who will only settee for nan best, XGIMI's Titan Max Noir is nan champion action — and you'd do good to pre-order it now while it's still disposable connected Kickstarter for $2,999.