Michael's Updated Projector Opinions
Following on from listening to the new Anthem amplifiers I spent an enjoyable couple of hours with the new Sim2 projector, the Crystal Cube. While Sim2 are well known for very high end projectors from 10k plus this will be their biggest seller, the entry level to Sim performance. The previous Crystal model was very successful however this is a jump up again.
Why Crystal Cube? How cool does it look? Italian design at it's very best
Firing up the Cube the lack of fan noise is immediately obvious. You can hear it when you get close but in real world conditions it is very very quiet. The picture is bright, 2300 lumens is high, and the colours are vivid. I immediately played 1080p blu ray material featuring some very bright snow scenes and some very dark concert scenes. Detail in these is very difficult to produce. You can't project black so the contrast has to be good. White scenes are immediately impressive on a bright projector but look closer and again details are missing or blurred if the contrast isnt really good. Fast moving scenes are another test. The image can stutter and blur if the processing isnt fast enough, and the Crystal was also very good in this area.
Projector specifications have increased dramatically in the past 10 years, to the point where you wonder what is the difference in a projector at £999 and £ 9999 as they read the same. Here is an analogy to explain part of the problem. Your phone probably has a camera with lots of mega pixels. We compare phone cameras' pixels to see how good they are, we have gone from 1Mp to 2, 5 , 10 and still the pictures they take are not as good as a proper camera. This is because the little plastic lens in your camera is usually rubbish, although not a problem when viewing it on a tiny screen. Think how important the lens is when you are projecting a picture between 7 and 10 feet wide! To have the complete projector everything has to be right, the lens, the light engine, the chip resolution, speed, processing power, everything makes a difference.
Back to the Crystal Cube, although described as 3D it is supplied without an optional 3D pack to keep the price down. Many of my clients are ambivalent about 3D anyway as it mostly applies to children's movies. In a cheaper projector 3D is thrown in as standard, here you can make a choice as doing 3D correctly is expensive, not a throwaway. £700 extra for the transmitter and glasses package. Aggressively priced at £ 4500 this Sim will dominate this part of the market. I very much like some Themescenes and Epsons for the performance package you get for the lower prices, but this is a higher level in every way and fully deserves to sell very well.
Let's have a quick summary of the current state of the projector market:
Level 1 Get started with a Themescene HD33, great value at £ 1199
Level 2 THE NEW Epson 9200 is superb. Well worth £ 2699 for the picture and with a 3 year lamp warranty it's a no-brainer If wiring is a problem then add £300 for the wireless version
Level 3 Sim2 Crystal Cube, outstanding performance, a serious projector at not mad mad money
Level 4 Thinking 4K? Maybe a Sony VPL VW500 ES for £ 8799 to give you future proofing with NATIVE 4K
Level 5 Back to Sim2 and the ultimate most exquisite pictures you've ever seen! £12995, £ 18995, £27995, £ 33995, amazing!
Any questions? You are welcome to drop me a line. The blog is a good outline but I can give you more help on any of these projectors
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