Epson Residence Cinema LS11000 4K Laser Projector Assessment: Large Tech Guarantees

8.5/ 10
SCORE

Residence Cinema LS11000 4K Laser Projector

Professionals

• Lasers by no means should be changed
• Brilliant and colourful
• Very pure trying

Cons

• Not as detailed as some 4K DLP projectors
• Efficiency would not fairly justify the value

The Epson Residence Cinema LS11000 is a higher-end 4K projector powered by lasers quite than the normal lamps utilized by most of its opponents. A lamp occurs to energy Epson’s personal Residence Cinema 5050 too, a projector we liked and which stays within the firm’s lineup. The LS11000 prices $1,000 extra and guarantees a big leap ahead, with extra pixels on display and the aforementioned lasers. Each delivered excellent image high quality in my checks, with wonderful coloration and vivid, punchy photos, however the efficiency of the next-gen LS11000 is not the large enchancment implied by that new expertise.

Do not get me fallacious. The LS11000 continues to be an incredible projector, and all the brand new items and refined adjustments — plus the advantages of utilizing lasers — add as much as an total wonderful picture. Amongst projectors we have reviewed, it is second solely to the dearer Sony VPL-VW325ES. So maybe I am simply nit-picking. However then, for $4,000 the nits should be picked. 

Specs galore

• Decision: 1080p x 4
• HDR-compatible: Sure
• 4K-compatible: Sure
• 3D-compatible: No
• Lumens spec: 2,500
• Zoom: Motorized (2.1x)
• Lens shift: Motorized HxV
• Laser life: As much as 20,000 hours

Like most different 4K projectors, the Epson makes use of lower-resolution chips to create 4K pixels on display. On this case three 1080p LCDs and a pixel shifter that quadruples the seen decision. The Epson 5050 used the same expertise, however solely doubled the decision. 

Epson charges the LS11000’s gentle output at 2,500 lumens. I measured roughly 1,400 lumens in Brilliant Cinema mode, which presents the most effective compromise between accuracy and brightness. That is barely behind the 5050 in each ranking and measured brightness, nevertheless it’s nonetheless what I would take into account “vivid” for a projector. Within the less-accurate however brighter Dynamic mode I received round 1,900 lumens.

Like many different Epson projectors, and some like-priced DLP projectors, the Epson has motorized lens shift and zoom. That is certainly one of my favourite and most-used options. I’ve a 2.35:1 display, so once I’m watching a film or present that makes use of that facet ratio, just a few button presses can zoom the projector out to fill the broader display. Not solely that, however the zoom is massive sufficient that you may place the LS11000 behind the room, one thing not potential with DLP projectors on this value vary. The lens shift is beneficiant sufficient that you may place it on a shelf and never need to ceiling mount it. One other plus over DLP projectors.

The massive headline function is the usage of a laser as a substitute of a UHP lamp like most projectors. On this case it is a blue laser and a yellow phosphor, an association present in most new laser-lit projectors. 

This implies the sunshine supply will successfully final the lifespan of the projector. Rated at 20,000 hours, that is almost 14 years at ~4 hours an evening.

Connectability: Examine

• HDMI inputs: 2
• PC enter: No
• USB port: 2 (2.0 amps and 0.3 amps energy)
• Audio enter and output: No
• Digital audio output: No
• Web: Ethernet
• 12v set off: Sure
• RS-232 distant port: sure
• Distant: Backlit

The LS11000 has the connections most individuals will want, with not one of the fluff discovered in lots of projectors. There aren’t any analog inputs, for example. That is effective: You will not miss them. 

The USB connection has a beneficiant 2.0 amps of energy, so you may simply energy a streaming stick. I would count on that anybody spending $4,000 on a projector could have sufficient left over of their finances to have a full residence theater system. However when you do wish to set it up this fashion, for some motive, one of many HDMI inputs additionally has eARC. 

Anticipating a extra elaborate theater setup, the LS11000 additionally has a 12v set off, RS-232 and Ethernet, in case you wish to join it to a house automation system.

The chunky distant is mainly the identical as many earlier Epson projectors, nevertheless it’s straightforward to make use of at the hours of darkness due to large buttons and backlighting.

Image high quality comparisons

For my side-by-side comparability I pitted the Epson LS11000 towards Epson’s personal 5050 and the Optoma UHZ50. Each are cheaper than the LS11000 however they’ve quite a bit in frequent. The 5050 is a conventional lamp-lit projector, nevertheless it’s shut in value and efficiency. The UHZ50 is DLP and lit by a laser. I appreciated each of those projectors, so actually, they’re all winners. Maybe one is extra of a winner than the others? We will see. I linked all three through a Monoprice 1×4 distribution amplifier, and considered them on a 102-inch 1.0-gain display.

Sharpness will not be a very powerful facet of a projector’s efficiency in my ebook, however variations intimately between the three have been noticeable instantly. Ostensibly, all three of those projectors are 4K, however none have 3,840×2,160 pixel imaging chips (to get that you’re going to have to spend much more cash). As an alternative, every pixel on the imager works double or quadruple responsibility, answerable for 2 or 4 pixels on display. That is one of many greatest adjustments from the 5050 to the LS11000. Epson’s new pixel shifter shifts pixels 4x as a substitute of 2x. So between these two projectors the LS11000 is certainly sharper, which is smart as a result of it has twice the decision. 

The UHZ50, although, appeared a little bit sharper nonetheless. In my expertise DLP simply inherently does a greater job creating element, not least due to its lack of movement blur. Whereas the distinction was noticeable side-by-side, it is unlikely most individuals will discover at residence.

Distinction is a special story. That is DLP’s Achilles’ heel, and regardless of the UHZ50 doing nicely in comparison with different DLP projectors, it is nicely behind right here. It would not look washed out, however the two Epsons clearly have extra depth and higher black ranges. The UHZ50 simply appears flatter, its black ranges grayer.

Evaluating the 2 Epsons, nonetheless, is quite fascinating. As measured by me, the 5050 has a much better native distinction ratio at 5,200:1 vs. 1,808:1. I used to be so stunned by that end result I saved remeasuring it. Even the LS11000’s dynamic distinction is decrease, the place the laser energy tracks the brightness of incoming video sign and adjusts accordingly. Nonetheless, this mode is extra helpful on the LS11000, since this adjustment occurs just about immediately, far quicker than the mechanical iris on the 5050. The result’s that the LS11000 appears much better, subjectively, than the numbers recommend. Sufficient in order that they appear roughly comparable, even side-by-side.

With regular HD and 4K content material, coloration is sort of good on all three. The LS11000 appears essentially the most pure, and its colours look a little bit richer. The distinction is not large however the LS11000 is the most effective of the bunch. That lead extends with HDR, the place it does a greater job reproducing a wider coloration gamut than each the 5050 and the UHZ50.

Concluding coherent collimation

I am not one to be swayed by specs and guarantees. I have been doing this for a lot too lengthy and I have been a cynic ever since I discovered I would by no means personal a flying gullwing sports activities automotive. (No, not that one, this one.) However I used to be stunned on the LS11000. I used to be anticipating efficiency enhancements throughout the board in comparison with the 5050, however that is not what I noticed.

The LS11000 is extra of a diagonal step from the 5050. Does it look higher, subjectively? Sure, however not as a lot as the extra $1,000 would indicate. The colour and brightness are good, the distinction is respectable and the added element over the 5050 is welcome. So it does look higher, certain, however the 25% higher implied by the value? Kind of.

I assume I would like to include “complete price of possession” into my total conclusion, as boring as that sounds. Every new lamp for the 5050 at the moment prices $330. Lasting roughly 4,000 hours, that is a brand new lamp each 2.5 years or so when you watch 4 hours an evening. When you’re like me and you employ the projector as an everyday TV, that is an optimistic estimate. The LS11000, due to lasers, has no lamp prices. The laser will final over a dozen years by those self same calculations.

Which is to say, the efficiency enhancements, plus a decrease(ish) price to personal over the lifetime of the projector, means the LS11000 is certainly value contemplating over the 5050, although it isn’t the clear enchancment it first seems. What would I purchase between these two? The LS11000 by a hair, resulting from that math and the very fact it does look higher. But when laying out $4,000 proper now could be too far out of your finances, the 5050 stays a wonderful projector that appears much more like a discount now.

Measurement notes

You may get some severe efficiency variations with the totally different image modes. I used Brilliant Cinema for most of my measurements because it appeared to supply the most effective mixture of sunshine output and accuracy. 

On this mode, I received roughly 1,378 lumens. That is decrease than many of the projectors we have reviewed just lately, however nonetheless vivid in comparison with the class as a complete. When you want a bit extra, the Dynamic mode would not look fairly pretty much as good total, however can produce slightly below 1,900 lumens. You may lower the laser’s energy to dim the picture, producing a greater black degree in addition to lowering fan noise.  

No matter mode or lamp energy, native distinction averaged round 1,808:1. That is nicely behind the 5050 and particularly the Sony VPL-VW325ES, however nicely above almost all DLP projectors. That is solely a part of the story, nonetheless. 

The Dynamic Distinction setting tracks the incoming video sign and dims the laser for darker scenes. This works fairly nicely, and much better than the mechanical irises of yore. This dynamic distinction is roughly 5X higher than the native distinction. Whereas that is far decrease than what the 5050 might obtain on paper, in follow it appears like a much bigger enchancment. Plus, it is almost on the spot which the mechanical iris is most positively not. Usually I deal with native distinction as a much more vital metric than dynamic, however on this case the dynamic distinction is nearer to how the projector “appears,” which is uncommon.

Colours are exceptionally correct throughout the board, with crimson, inexperienced and blue primaries in addition to cyan, magenta and yellow secondaries all just about spot on. Consequently the picture appears pure total.