{"id":105693,"date":"2025-08-31T22:44:37","date_gmt":"2025-08-31T22:44:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/105693\/"},"modified":"2025-08-31T22:44:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-31T22:44:37","slug":"xgimi-horizon-s-max-review-almost-brilliant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/105693\/","title":{"rendered":"XGIMI Horizon S Max Review: Almost Brilliant"},"content":{"rendered":"

A high quality 4K projector with a few limitations that hold it back.<\/p>\n

A brilliantly built projector, the automatic lens cover adds an air of quality. Overall, with its bright picture and Dolby Vision support, the XGIMI Horizon S Max is a quality projector that can display a brilliant 4K picture. It\u2019s the little things that let it down: one HDMI port is a little stingy, Android TV is an odd choice, and compared to the best, image quality is a little behind the pack.<\/p>\n

Lots of automated setup routines <\/p>\n

High-quality picture <\/p>\n

Very bright <\/p>\n

Motorised lens cover <\/p>\n

Android TV <\/p>\n

Only one HDMI input <\/p>\n

Key Features<\/p>\n

Gimbal stand <\/p>\n

Rotate and angle the projector to point it where you want it.\n <\/p>\n

Dolby Vision <\/p>\n

Get the best image quality with Dolby Vision support built in.\n <\/p>\n

4K image resolution <\/p>\n

Uses XPR technology to produce a 4K image.\n <\/p>\n

Introduction<\/p>\n

Just because you want flexibility doesn\u2019t mean that you should have to accept losing quality and features in a portable projector, as the growing number of high-brightness and high-resolution portable projectors shows. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s the market the XGIMI Horizon S Max is going for, with 3100 ISO Lumens of brightness, a dual light source and Dolby Vision all included.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a crowded market, and the suffers from a few limitations, including a single HDMI input and the older Android TV operating system. Are these enough to make rivals better? Read my full review to find out.<\/p>\n

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Design<\/p>\n

Gimbal stand<\/p>\n

Only one HDMI input<\/p>\n

Android TV<\/p>\n

Switching to a gimbal design, similar to that used on the JMGO N1S Ultimate 4K<\/a>, the XGIMI Horizon S Max is built to be more flexible and easier to set up. Whether or not you need that gimbal design depends on where you\u2019ll use the projector. If you carry it around a lot, then it\u2019s quite handy; if you can use the projector in a fixed spot in a room, then it\u2019s less so.<\/p>\n

\"XGIMIImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

Its integrated gimbal stand lets the projector tilt up and down, while the disc on the bottom gives you rotation, so it\u2019s easy to make fine adjustments to line the projector up with a screen.<\/p>\n

If you do want to use a stand or tripod for mounting, then there\u2019s a standard screw thread underneath.<\/p>\n

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\"XGIMIImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

To protect the lens, the XGIMI Horizon S Max has a motorised fabric screen that slides down when the projector is turned on, and back up when it\u2019s turned off. It\u2019s nice to have, and also stops dust accumulating on the lens when the projector\u2019s not in use.<\/p>\n

\"XGIMIImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a slight shame that there\u2019s no carry case in the box. With the JMGO line-up and the Valerion Vision Master Pro 2<\/a>, you get a hard carry case in the box, which makes transportation and storage easier.<\/p>\n

Ports are a bit disappointing on this projector, with a single HDMI 2.1<\/a> (with eARC) port on the rear for external devices. At this price, I\u2019d expect two HDMI ports at the least.<\/p>\n

\"XGIMIImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

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Two USB-A ports are available, which you can use for external storage or for powering a media streaming device, such as a Fire TV Stick. Given the use of Android TV, it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll need on, too.<\/p>\n

XGIMI provides the same style of remote that it has provided for years. It\u2019s simple, with just the minimum number of buttons you need for navigation Android TV, but it doesn\u2019t have any shortcut buttons to launch media streaming apps, such as Netflix<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"XGIMIImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

Of course, it\u2019s a Bluetooth remote with an integrated microphone, so you can activate the Google Assistant.<\/p>\n

Features<\/p>\n

Runs Android TV<\/p>\n

Dolby Vision supported<\/p>\n

Lots of picture controls<\/p>\n

Rather than running Google TV<\/a>, which is fast becoming the norm, this projector uses Android TV. It\u2019s a worse choice, not because of the interface or access to apps, but because automatic configuration via a smartphone only works via an Android device. <\/p>\n

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If you\u2019ve got an iPhone, you\u2019ll have to manually type in your Google Account\u2019s email address and password, which is far slower.<\/p>\n

\"XGIMIImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

App support is similar to with other projectors: the main streaming apps (Netflix, Disney+<\/a>, Apple TV+<\/a>, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+<\/a> and NOW) are all supported, but there\u2019s no support for BBC iPlayer. For completeness, you\u2019ll want to plug in a streaming stick.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no optical zoom on this projector, unlike with the Horizon Ultra<\/a>, so you\u2019re limited to its 1.2:1 throw ratio, which seems to be the default for all portable projectors. With this kind of throw ratio, you can have a 60-inch screen at a distance of 1.59m.<\/p>\n

XGIMI practically invented automatic setup routines, and the XGIMI Horizon S Max is packed with them. Stick it facing a screen and the onboard sensors give you automatic keystone correction and autofocus.<\/p>\n

\"XGIMIImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

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There\u2019s also automatic obstacle avoidance, where the projector can be pointed at a wall, and the image will be resized to avoid things like light switches.<\/p>\n

If you have a screen, there\u2019s automatic screen alignment, where the projector will line its image up to the borders of a screen. It takes the legwork out of the adjustment, but I found that I had to take care of the final adjustments manually.<\/p>\n

As all the corrections, bar focus, are digital corrections, they eat into the available resolution, so I recommend lining the projector up as best as you can using physical movements and then using the digital ones to finetune the image.<\/p>\n

Wall colour adaptation is handy to have if you\u2019re going to travel with this projector and can\u2019t always use a screen. Using this feature, the projector will compensate for coloured walls, removing the tint they create; a projector screen is a better option if possible.<\/p>\n

\"XGIMIImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

Dual Light 2.0 can be disabled, reverting back to the Tri-colour laser only. This knocks back brightness, so it isn\u2019t as good for HDR, but it increases the colour gamut for more vivid colours; however, if you\u2019re sensitive to speckle and colour fringing, laser-only may be an issue. All I can say is to try both modes and pick the one that works for you.<\/p>\n

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\"XGIMIImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

Picture modes are a bit more involved with this projector than with many rivals, particularly around brightness and the Dual Light 2.0 backlight, which uses a combination of tri-laser and LED lighting sources to reduce laser speckling and improve maximum brightness.<\/p>\n

\"XGIMIImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

There are 10 picture brightness settings plus a Boost mode for higher brightness. Using Boost, I found that the image took on a slight red cast. It\u2019s not as big an issue as using a similar mode on the JMGO N1S Ultimate 4K, but still enough of an issue that I wouldn\u2019t use Boost on the XGIMI Horizon S Max.<\/p>\n

\"XGIMIImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth trying the Contrast enhancement feature, which uses the Iris to boost contrast naturally.<\/p>\n

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Standard picture settings include various modes, designed to match certain content, such as Movie, Sport, Brilliant, Soft, Standard and Custom. I\u2019d go with Custom and tweak the image settings.<\/p>\n

With Custom, you get control over brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness, gamma, colour temperature and the colour space; the other modes offer fewer tweaks, so it\u2019s harder to get the kind of image that you want.<\/p>\n

XGIMI also provides a Professional-grade Color Accuracy mode, which disables all configuration options and automatically adjusts brightness, colour settings and image mode custom settings to achieve the best colour accuracy automatically. This does seem to work better in a darkened room; if you\u2019ve got less control over the lighting, you may want to boost some settings to get a picture that works for you.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also control over colour correction, and dynamic contrast and HDR can be disabled. Motion Compensation is on by default, and I think some form of compensation should be used, because this projector is locked to 60Hz for 4K content.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because it uses a Full HD DMD DLP chip and uses XPR technology to shift the chip four times per second to build up a 4K image. In terms of resolution the technology is very mature, and even small font sizes look good, but the 60Hz frame rate can cause some mismatches between source and display, which motion compensation can help with.<\/p>\n

Performance<\/p>\n

Bright image<\/p>\n

Best picture uses Dual Light 2.0<\/p>\n

Clear audio<\/p>\n

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With 3100 ISO Lumens of brightness available, the XGIMI Horizon S Max is capable of working under most lighting situations. Used on a 100-inch matte white projector screen, I found that I could get a decent picture during the day with blinds open.<\/p>\n

This kind of viewing condition is best with brighter, more vivid content, but that\u2019s as true of a high-end TV as it is a projector. Put the projector into a darkened room, and that\u2019s when you get the best out of it.<\/p>\n

Dolby Vision<\/a> is supported, which is good to see: dynamic metadata, giving per-scene HDR data, provides better image quality throughout a film or TV show than HDR10, which has fixed data across the entire content.<\/p>\n

Watching the opening scene of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, I was impressed with the overall colour accuracy and warmth to the picture. There\u2019s enough brightness here that the projector can show the fire in all of its glory, while having detail in the apes in shadow.<\/p>\n

I preferred the image with Dual Light 2.0 turned on, rather than just the tri-laser mode; better colour accuracy from the former and higher brightness works for this scene. Compared to the competition, the JMGO N1S Ultimate 4K (not Dolby Vision) and the Valerian VisionMaster Pro 2 (Dolby Vision), the XGIMI Horizon S Max has slightly less contrast, resulting in less shadow detail in this scene.<\/p>\n

\n Dual Backlight
\n Laser backlight\n <\/p>\n

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That\u2019s true in the running wheel scene in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, too. There\u2019s not quite as much detail into the back of the room on this projector as with the competition, even if the highlights are very good.<\/p>\n

\"XGIMIImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

Put on something nice and bright, such as the Johnny Storm scene in Deadpool and Wolverine, and the high brightness of the projector helps the flames flare out of the screen, with enough detail into the darker parts of the image. This kind of scene really benefits from high brightness.<\/p>\n

\"XGIMIImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

Audio is provided by dual 12W speakers, with a choice of Harman Kardon Original sound or DTS Virual:X, plus DTS-HD and Dolby Digital Plus are supported<\/p>\n

Sound is loud and able to fill a room, with a good semblance of bass, which adds impact for gunshots, explosions and that kind of thing in films. Sound is built to fire around the room, which helps get into a film, even if it\u2019s not positionally accurate.<\/p>\n

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\"XGIMIImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

With Wakanda Forever\u2019s bridge fight scene, there should be a clear point where the gun shot comes off-camera at the back right; the XGIMI Horizon S Max can\u2019t do that, but the gunshot sounds far off, and not directly from the stereo speakers.<\/p>\n

In a fixed environment, I\u2019d use external speakers, but for most cases, this projector works well.<\/p>\n

Should you buy it?<\/p>\n

\n Buy if you want good quality and automatic lens protection\n <\/p>\n

A high-quality, bright image is a joy to watch, and the automatic lens cover helps protect the projector when it\u2019s not in use.<\/p>\n

\n Don\u2019t buy if you want the best quality and more HDMI inputs\n <\/p>\n

A single HDMI input is a bit stingy, and the rival competition just edge this projector out in terms of quality<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/p>\n

Overall, the XGIMI Horizon S Max is a great projector: it\u2019s nicely made, produces a great picture and it\u2019s brilliantly built. It\u2019s more a case that it\u2019s not quite as good as the main competition: Android TV is out-of-date, a single HDMI input is stingy, and overall image quality is slightly behind the best. <\/p>\n

If you can pick this up on a deal you won\u2019t be disappointed, but there are better choices in our guide to the best portable projectors<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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How we test<\/p>\n

We test every projector we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We\u2019ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.<\/p>\n

Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tested for more than a week
\n Tested with real world use<\/p>\n

FAQs<\/p>\n

Can you use the XGIMI Horizon S Max with a tripod? <\/p>\n

Yes, there\u2019s a standard tripod mount underneath.<\/p>\n

Which operating system does the XGIMI Horizon S Max use? <\/p>\n

This projector runs Android TV, rather than the newer Google TV.<\/p>\n

Full Specs<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\n XGIMI Horizon S Max Review<\/p>\n

Manufacturer
\n XGIMI <\/p>\n

Size (Dimensions)
\n 273 x 174 x 234 MM <\/p>\n

Weight
\n 4.81 KG <\/p>\n

Release Date
\n 2025 <\/p>\n

First Reviewed Date
\n 25\/08\/2025 <\/p>\n

Model Number
\n XGIMI Horizon S Max <\/p>\n

Resolution
\n 3840 x 2160 <\/p>\n

Projector Type
\n Portable <\/p>\n

Brightness Lumens
\n 3100 <\/p>\n

Lamp Life
\n 20,000 hours <\/p>\n

Contrast Ratio
\n Dynamic 1,000,000:1 <\/p>\n

Max Image Size
\n 200 inches<\/p>\n

HDR
\n Yes <\/p>\n

Types of HDR
\n Dolby Vision <\/p>\n

Refresh Rate
\n 60 Hz <\/p>\n

Ports
\n 1x HDMI 2.1 (eARC), 2x USB-A <\/p>\n

Audio (Power output)
\n 24 W<\/p>\n

Display Technology
\n DLP <\/p>\n

Projector Display Technology
\n Triple Laser DLP <\/p>\n

Throw Ratio
\n 1.2:1 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A high quality 4K projector with a few limitations that hold it back. A brilliantly built projector, the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":105694,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[2306,86,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-105693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mobile","tag-mobile","tag-technology","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105693"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105693\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105694"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}