AURA 2

It really is a feature packed projector - which I suppose you would expect given the value! Very impressively, it has a mechanized shutter which opens and closes when the device is powered on and off, which reveals within the array of lasers which project your picture. Built in to the device is a fully fledged Android (TV) OS with play store and all bells and whistles, so one can install Netflix, Amazon TV, or even third party / streaming - anything on the Android store... All standard apps (browser, youtube) work flawlessly and Youtube will play beautifully at 4K HDR. We have tested it with various devices (a TV streaming box, the built in android, a PC and a laptop) and all worked perfectly at 4K with HDR support too.

The settings are particularly impressive, as you can completely customise screen length/width completely and absolutely, it also has auto focus and auto keystone (these can be disabled, if you so wish). The projector remote is pretty simple and works perfectly, as one would expect. I bought a separate, and rather expensive (trust me, you don't want to skimp on a screen I did the research...) projector screen which has sunk a sizable hole in my credit card, definitely worth investing in a decent screen for a projector of this outstanding quality. Being an UST (ultra short throw) projector, it can get up quite close to the screen (or wall) of choice, which makes it incredibly versatile. You don't need to worry about mounting it like other types of projectors, but there is absolutely no sacrifice in any regard for this technology.

Built in sound is from the high end Karman audio speakers at 60 watts of power, which has the bells and whistles (Dolby Atmos & DTS support) and it can get really, really loud if you so wish. The audio quality is brilliant, we can hear all of the lows and highs, making out the detail from the smallest to the loudest parts of films and tv shows. You would not expect to hear spatial audio from a device this size (not that it's very small, but typically when you think of surround you think of speakers around the room) but it does project the sound outwards too so it is room filling and cinematic in audio experience too, I would say. Brightness level of the picture is great, ideally you want a dark room but this projector excels nonetheless in various lighting conditions, we have observed.

It really shines when playing 4K HDR content, of course normal HD and SD content looks decent. We use the HDMI eARC port to get the highest quality sound and video, although it also has This projector, being a laser UHD one, has a million to one contrast ratio which exceeds the very best current OLED TV's, but you would not get a 120 inch OLED with this picture quality at this value, indeed some of them are 10 times as much as this projector, so it represents OUTSTANDING value too to the point where, objectively, I would say it is the best projector you can buy, not only at this price bracket but even in the higher ones.

I am absolutely gobsmacked at how good this projector is! I am obsessed with projectors in general and it stems from my childhood in the 80's. I adore watching movies or tv shows on a huge screen. These days it's a lot more attainable than it was decades ago and I do think the technology has become so advanced that projectors are replacing TV's in the home. That is certainly the case for me.

This 4K UST retails for $2700 which is expensive however you look at it, but it's far from being the most expensive out there. Samsung, LG, Sony and AWOL Vision have projectors twice this price. Believe it or not I think this is a bargain given the design and features.
The projector is very well packaged and it looks premium from the get go. It arrived very securely packaged and unboxing felt special. Inside there is the projector itself, a bundle of literature, the power cable and a remote control (which I may add included batteries). There is a quick start screen installation guide QR code there too.

The design is stunning, really really impressive. The build quality, the fabric covering, the logo placement, the neutral colors. It has a mechanism built in to pull back the cover to reveal the laser once you turn it on. When closed over it looks like a very expensive speaker, and could easily be a Bang & Olufsen design. It isn't tiny but smaller than other UST Projectors and it's smaller than the first generation XGIMI Aura. In terms of weight, it's fairly heavy. You won't be moving this between rooms.

Setting it up is easy, it's running Android TV 11. If you have an android phone or tablet setting this up will be second nature to you. If not, a little patience will be required and you'll need to setup a Google account. One of the main features that is really a game changer is the lengths XGIMI have gone to making sure you get the best image possible and it does this through providing manual 8 point keystone correct, and manual focus is there too. You can even scan a barcode to access an online platform that XGIMI has to take a photo of your wall, and the projector then adjusts automatically based on the image you uploaded!! How incredible is that?! I tried it an it worked impressively well. I have a 120" screen so I used other means to get the image I needed. Needless to say within 10 minutes I had an image that fit onto my screen perfectly with no visible warping or distortion.

The picture quality is very good indeed. This projector replaces a Wemax Nova that I have had for a few years and I thought that produced a great image. The Aura 2 blows it out of the water. Brightness wise the Aura 2 nets out at 2300 ISO lumens. That's technically not the brightest out there but I find it fantastic and enjoyable to watch. All image settings can be adjusted and after a few minutes I had colors that looked realistic with a sharp image. I watched a 4K movie and was blown away with not just the image but also the refresh rate. Motion while watching content is buttery smooth. I haven't witnessed that from a projector before. One other unique selling point is that it has IMAX screen technology. I think this might be the first projector to have this feature built in and I don't know enough about it but look forward to reading more about it and experiencing it. I love watching a movie in an IMAX theatre, if I can have similar at home, well I may never leave the apartment again!

One additional note on setting this up is that the throw ratio is so advanced that you can place this very close to your screen or wall. Honestly I wasn't expecting that at all but it makes a huge positive difference. My previous projector needed to be about 17 to 19 inches away from the wall to expand to fill a 120" screen. This is placed just 12 inches away. You can tweak with keystone so i'm sure it could be moved a lot closer.

Audio wise the built in speakers are provided by Harmon Kardon and the total output is 60W. Dolby Audio and DTS are onboard and the sound is incredible. For the first time ever I don't need a soundbar! The audio literally wraps around you and you can hear every detail. It's excellent, truly! The fan noise is almost non existent. I don't even know if there is/are fans inside of this it's that quiet. It certainly doesn't detract from watching anything.

Even though I have not used or bought any extremely high end projectors (3K and above), I feel confident in saying that this is currently the best ultra short throw projector on the market. The huge assortment of image settings, the design and build, the incredible sound, that buttery smooth screen refresh rate plus all the other features make this the one to beat!