Pros
– superb integrated sound;
– high picture quality;
– ISF Night with cinematic color;
– Google TV integration;
– low input lag in Game (Extreme) mode;
– many auto settings.
Cons
– heavy and large – (76 cm x 43 cm x 34 cm)@72.4 lbs / 32,8 kg;
– automatic setup features and MEMC reduce brightness;
– NebulaMaster has blue bias and crushed blacks.
For reference, Anker Nebula is a subsidiary of the multinational company Anker Innovations, founded in China in 2011. Today, it successfully competes in the fields of charging technology, smart home devices, and consumer electronics. Projectors are one of its successful areas.
In fact, the Nebula Soundcore X1 Pro became the first projector-based portable home theater system. Of course, the 400-watt Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 surround sound system is its key feature. The company developed it as an improved version of last year’s Nebula X1, which now costs about $ 3,000. As the name suggests, the audio system, size, weight, and price are their main differences.
Nebula Soundcore X1 Pro
Unfortunately, equipping the projector with a premium audio system increased the price from $ 3,000 to $ 4,300, but the difference is well within the price of a similar quality soundbar.
Both projectors use the same platform, which includes:
– patented LaserForge 2.0 U-shaped RGB triple-laser light engine with a wide color gamut up to 110% of the BT. 2020 color space, and superb color accuracy out of the box of ΔE < 0.8.
– brightness up to 3,500 ANSI Lumens (ANSI IT7.228 standard);
– 5,000:1 FOFO contrast (full on/off) and 56,000:1 dynamic contrast;
– 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution with 0.47-inch DMD DLP chipset from Texas Instruments, which supports pixel shift – based XPR technology;
– 14-element all-glass lens;
– HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support;
– Google TV smart platform with seamless streaming and Google Voice;
– motorized micro-gimbal, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and HDMI 2.1.
Key Differences (Anker Nebula X1 Pro vs Nebula X1):
– Form Factor – a large vertically oriented ‘tower’ with wheels and telescopic handle vs compact portable projector – (76 x 43 x 34 cm)@32.8 kg / 72.4 lbs vs (28 x 19 x 25 cm)@6.2 kg / 13.7 lbs.
– Sound – modular 7.1.4ch Dolby Atmos, 400W system with subwoofers and detachable wireless speakers vs 4.1.2ch 200W audio system.
In fact, the new audio system with dedicated horizontal channels, a subwoofer, and overhead height channels creates a spatial field with a cinematic effect. Moreover, FlexWave spatial calibration can shift the soundstage within the room, providing adaptive placement;
– Special Extras – built-in compartments for karaoke mics, outdoor-rated IP43 speakers, and 8-hour battery vs liquid cooling;
– Price – $ 4,300 vs $ 3,000.
Features
In fact, the Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro offers the new concept of a portable compact theater system for home use. Its platform, including a triple laser engine with up to 110% of BT.2020 coverage, a 0.47-inch DMD DLP chip supporting 4K UHD via XPR tech, 3,500 lumens brightness, FOFO (full on/off) and dynamic contrast up to of 5,000:1 and 56,000:1, respectively, provides premium specs. But, of course, superd sound with 400W Dolby Atmos 7.1.4ch is the main bonus of the model. An autofocus, keystone correction, screen fit, obstacle avoidance and a 25° micro gimbal also correspond to the premium level.
Google TV solves the content problem by providing access to popular streaming platforms, including Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max, Disney+, and YouTube. In addition, the projector comes with Google Assistant.
The dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (2.4GHz/5GHz) provides wireless connectivity. The operating distance of Bluetooth with low latency reaches 25 m / 82 feet.
The Nebula X1/X1 Pro projectors are compatible with SpaceFlow, which costs $ 399 for projector buyers.
It offers 100+ templates. For reference, SpaceFlow is an AI-powered 3D projection mapping accessory. It was developed by Anker under the Nebula and Soundcore brands for the Nebula X1 and X1 Pro projectors. Essentially, it radically simplifies 3D mapping, turning any wall or surface into an interactive light show in under 10 minutes without expensive software.
Features:
– dual cameras and spatial algorithms automatically scan your room and creates a 3D model of your walls and obstacles in just minutes;
– perfectly fits animations to surface shapes without manual 3D modeling;
– Nebula Connect app offers a growing official library of themed visual and audio templates for holidays;
– SpaceFlow has three modes, SpaceFlow has three modes, including Masking Templates, AI Fusion Mode, and Free Mode.
Picture modes
The Nebula X1 Pro has 9 picture modes. To the delight of perfectionists, all modes except for ISF Day/Night can be calibrated with the CMS.
NebulaMaster demonstrates good color accuracy, but its saturation is slightly overstated. However, this will appeal to sports and animation fans. Blue bias slightly shifts these tones toward cooler hues. The measured brightnes is ~2,400 lumens, in accordance with the ISO 21118 standard.
Standard mode is warmer, but yellows is vibrant vs reference. The greens and teals of blue have slightly higher saturation. Purple and magenta are reproduced with a slight red bias, but it’s practically invisible. Brightness in this mode reaches 2,500 lumens.
Color accuracy in Vivid is lower. Specifically, reds are shifted toward pink, oranges toward red, and cool colors toward blue. As a result, image colors appear oversaturated. Measured brightnes is just under 2,000 lumens.
In Sport mode, colors are more balanced. The good image contrast, vibrancy and high color accuracy make this mode one of the best. The light output in this mode reaches 2,400 lumens.
The Movie mode provides good color accuracy, but colors sometimes appear brighter than original. Distortion is more noticeable in the red range, but overall it’s insignificant and practically does not affect viewing. In this mode, the projector provides just over 2,130 lumens.
Game mode offers more vibrant colors. But unlike Vivid, they are more controlled and are closer to NebulaMaster in overall intensity. With the exception of a slight blue bias, colors are displayed accurately with good midtone separation. The brightness of this mode exceeds 2,420 lumens.
Conference mode has a slight green bias and provides a light output of nearly 3,570 lumens.
ISF Day/Night is traditionally the most accurate and offers brightness in the range of 2,160 – 2,190 lumens.
Conclusion
In fact, Anker Nebula Soundcore X1 Pro is the first projector-based portable home theater system with superb 400-watt Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 surround audio system.
The marketing fate of hybrids is typically unpredictable. For example, in the late 1990s, many predicted a bright future for all-in-one systems combining video unit and TVs. But the digital revolution killed VCRs.
In 2018, the market enthusiastically welcomed smartphones with built-in projectors. However, a few years later, they disappeared from the market. The reason was simple. The relatively high power consumption in projector mode quickly drained the batteries, which had a capacity of only a few thousand mAh. But a few years later, companies introduced the first ruggedized models with batteries exceeding 20,000 mAh. Moreover, the Oukitel WP100 Titan has a capacity of up to 33,000 mAh. Of course, projector power consumption became unimportant, and within a few years, companies filled this niche. Today’s list of the best hybrid phone-projectors includes, for example, Tank 4 Pro, WP100 Titan, Ulefone Armor 34 Pro, Uniwa Pj001.
The marketing prospects for the hybrid Anker Nebula are still mixed. Of course, the portable Anker Nebula Soundcore X1 Pro with high-quality video and superb sound is ideal as a home theater system. However, it requires a screen, the placement of which significantly reduces the portability benefits. But either way, the Nebula Soundcore X1 Pro expands consumer choice and will fit perfectly into a spacious backyard of a small house.
Video presents the world’s first 4K laser bobile theater station with 7.1.4 spatial sound.
