Xgimi Horizon 20 Max review: a super-bright protable projector with excellent picture quality

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Xgimi Horizon 20 Max review: One minute review

The Xgimi Horizon 20 Max is the company’s flagship portable projector. Its triple laser DLP light engine is rated to deliver a very high 5,700 ISO lumens brightness, and it has Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and IMAX Enhanced support. Optical zoom and lens shift features allow for a high level of placement flexibility.

Google TV is built in for wireless streaming, and gaming performance is very good. The Horizon 20 Max does lack key gaming features such as 4K 120Hz support, but its performance is responsive and snappy when playing intense games.

The Xgimi Horizon 20 Max is much more expensive than the best portable projectors, but its performance justifies its price, and it’s easily one of the best projectors I’ve tested.

Anker Nebula X1, Valerian VisionMaster Pro 2 and Hisense C2 Ultra.

Since its release, the Horizon 20 Max’s price has remained the same in both the US and UK, but it has fallen to as low as $2,399 in Xgimi special offers. Minus any discounts, it sits at the premium end of the portable 4K projector market.

Xgimi Horizon 20 Max review: Specs

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Screen sizes supported:	40-300 inches
Brightness (specified):	5,700 ISO lumens
HDR support:	Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
Display technology:	Triple laser DLP
Smart TV:	Google TV
Connections:	1x HDMI (with eARC), 3.5mm audio out, USB-A, USB-C (supports 100/140W PD input)
Dimensions (H x W x D):	2x HDMI (x1 eARC), 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, 1x 3.5mm, 1x optical audio out
Weight:	11.9 pounds (5.4kg)

JMGO N1S Pro 4K.

The Horizon 20 Max has a triple laser DLP light engine and a rated brightness of 5,700 ISO lumens. Its throw ratio is 1.2-1.5:1, and it can project on screens ranging from 40-300 inches.

The Horizon 20 Max has several useful features for image correction, including auto and manual keystone and focus, optical zoom, 120% vertical and 45% horizontal lens shift, intelligent obstacle avoidance, wall color adaptation and eye protection.

I found these features to be impressive during my testing, with auto keystone working effectively. The optical zoom made setup easy, displaying the image with good brightness and clarity even at maximum zoom. The lens shift also proved to be a very useful tool with a wide range that let me easily align the image with the 80-inch matte white screen I used for testing.

The Horizon 20 Max supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and IMAX Enhanced. It has a Filmmaker Mode, but this isn’t a standard picture preset like you’ll find on some of the best TVs, but rather a ‘Filmmaker Mode switch’ setting that can be turned on in the Display settings. 3D is also supported on the Horizon 20 Max.

Xgimi Horizon 20 Max showing Google TV home screen

The Xgimi Horizon 20 Max uses Google TV as its UI (Image credit: Future)

For audio, the Horizon 20 Max has 2x 12W speakers with sound by Harmon Kardon and DTS: Virtual X support. There is support for Dolby audio, but not Dolby Atmos. Sound modes include Standard and Movie, plus a virtual surround sound setting. There is also an EQ for bass and treble adjustments.

For connections, the Horizon 20 Max has two HDMI ports (one with eARC), a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, one optical digital audio output and one analog audio output.

The Horizon 20 Max uses Google TV as its operating system and supports major streaming apps including Netflix, Disney Plus and Prime Video. Its extensive settings for both picture and audio allow for a deep level of customization.

While the Horizon 20 Max does not support 4K 120Hz, it does support VRR and ALLM for gaming and a 240Hz refresh rate at 1080p resolution (as well as 4K at 60Hz). I did find that the Horizon 20 Max accepted 4K 120Hz signals from my Xbox Series X, but it was confirmed by Xgimi that this was probably being downscaled and using it could result in an “unstable or downgraded image”.

Design & features score: 4.5/5

HDR peak brightness in both Movie and Standard mode, with light output set to Max (the default). This is a great result and easily beats other portable projectors I’ve tested like the JMGO N1S Pro, which hit 178 nits peak HDR brightness. The Horizon 20 Max’s bright picture is no surprise, given that it is rated for 5,700 ISO lumens.

When measuring the Horizon 20 Max’s native contrast ratio, it yielded a result of 1,446:1. Color accuracy in the default Movie preset was 6.8, but setting the color temperature to D65 dropped it to 3.3, a much better result. Lastly, it covered 98.9% of the DCI-P3 color space and 96.8% of the BT.2020 color space, both excellent results.

The Horizon 20 Max’s bright picture really made an impact with animated movies. Watching a 4K Dolby Vision stream of Elemental in Dolby Vision Bright picture mode, the Horizon 20 Max showed vibrant, dazzling colors that packed plenty of punch, such as in one scene where Ember runs across some crystals, changing her own flame’s color.

A scene where Maria and the children stand at a fruit market stall from the 4K Blu-ray of The Sound of Music showed impressive highlights, with the reds and yellows of the fruits popping on screen. As they made their way into the hills, the luscious green grass and clear blue of the sky were bold but still had a true-to-life look.

Switching to darker movies, the Horizon 20 Max also displayed strong contrast and rich blacks. In the crime scene in Mayor Mitchell’s house on a 4K Blu-ray of The Batman, the Horizon 20 Max had great shadow detail, with objects such as photo frames on the dark walls still visible. In both The Batman and Dark City, again on 4K Blu-ray, the Horizon 20 Max’s contrast was powerful, with lamps under people’s faces casting strong shadows. While blacks did occasionally take on a gray-blue hue, they were mostly accurate – more so than on other projectors I’ve tested, such as the JMGO N1S Pro 4K.

Xgimi Horizon 20 Max showing peacock feather

Black levels aren’t the deepest on the Horizon 20 Max, but are still very good (Image credit: Future)

Textures throughout my viewing were crisp and detailed. Whether it was the plates in Batman’s armor in The Batman, the pockets on dark jackets of characters in Dark City, or even blades of grass in The Sound of Music, everything looked realistic.

The Horizon 20 Max’s motion handling is generally very good. Watching a soccer game on Prime Video, I found that setting MEMC to Low in picture settings produced the smoothest motion. When I next watched a panning camera shot from the movie No Time To Die where Bond walks across a rocky hillside, setting MEMC to Low also provided smooth motion without adding a soap opera effect.

The Horizon 20 Max does a solid job of upscaling SDR and lower-resolution content out of the box. An HD stream of Fight Club got an uplift in crispness and contrast. There are a number of AI settings that can be applied if you’re looking for a sharper picture, including AIPQ and AISR, with the latter having a scale from Low-High. This improves upscaling even further, and as long as you stick to the lower settings, it doesn’t make pictures look overly sharp.

Xgimi Horizon 20 Max displaying Battlefield V

Gaming performance on the Horizon 20 Max is solid, even with fast-paced games such as Battlefield V (pictured) (Image credit: Future)

The Horizon 20 Max has two built-in 12W Sound by Harmon Kardon speakers, and I was impressed by how well they performed. Watching the Batmobile chase scene from The Batman, the Horizon 20 Max delivered plenty of volume, with strong bass that perfectly conveyed the rumble of the Batmobile’s engine. Even car crashes had plenty of impact. Turning on surround sound in the settings made the soundstage wider, with accurate placement of effects such as screeching tires and blaring horns from vehicles. Speech was also clear throughout, whether it was dialogue or the vocals in musicals.

Gaming on the Horizon 20 Max is equally impressive. While it doesn’t support 4K 120Hz gaming, I still found gameplay to be smooth and responsive. Playing Battlefield V at both 4K 60Hz and 1080p 120Hz, gunfights, which needed quick targeting and regular scanning of the environment, felt intuitive and snappy throughout. The Horizon 20 Max’s input lag time was 19.1ms at 4K 60Hz. When I asked Xgimi about the projector’s specified 3ms input lag time, I was told that this was for a specific part of the screen. Still, the Horizon 20 Max is a great projector for gaming.

Picture and sound quality score: 4.5/5

Hisense C2 Ultra ($2,499 / £2,299) and the Anker Nebula X1 ($2,999 / £2,999), and delivers similar features and performance.

You can buy some of the best ultra short throw projectors, such as the Hisense PX3-Pro ($2,699 / £1,999), for cheaper. And there are cheaper portable options such as the JMGO N1S Ultra ($1,599/£1,999), but the Horizon 20 Max really is a fantastic projector for the performance and features it offers.

Should I buy the Xgimi Horizon 20 Max?

Xgimi Horizon 20 Max showing Ember from Elemental — The Xgimi Horizon 20 Max’s brightness and extended color gamut coverage worked wonders for animated movies such as *Elemental* (Image credit: Disney / Future)

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Xgimi Horizon 20 Max
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Design and features	Excellent features for picture adjustment and positioning. Design looks a bit old-school, but feels solidly built and premium	4.5/5
Picture and sound quality	Colorful, bright picture with strong contrast and crisp textures. Built-in sound surprisingly good and solid gaming performance too	4.5/5
Value	At the pricier end of the portable projector market, but with features and performance are great for the money	4/5

Also consider

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Header Cell – Column 0	Xgimi Horizon 20 Max	Anker Nebula X1	Hisense C2 Ultra	Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2
Price:	$2,999 / £2,599 / around AU$4,500	$2,999 / £2,999 / around AU$4,500	$2,999 / £2,499 / AU$4,499	$2,999 / £2,599 / AU4,999
Screen sizes supported:	40-300 inches	up to 200 inches	65-300 inches	40-300 inches
Brightness (specified):	5,700 ISO lumens	3,500 ANSI lumens	3,000 ANSI lumens	3,000 ISO lumens
HDR support	Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, IMAX Enhanced	Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG	Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG	Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG,
Optical technology:	Triple laser DLP	Triple laser DLP	Triple laser DLP	Triple laser DLP
Smart TV:	Google TV	Google TV	Google TV (US) / VIDAA (UK/AU)	Google TV
Connections:	2x HDMI (x1 eARC), 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, 1x 3.5mm, 1x optical audio out	2 x HDMI 2.1 (1 with eARC), USB-A, USB-C, optical audio out	2x HDMI 2.1 (1 with eARC), 2x USB-A, 1x S/PDIF, Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm, Bluetooth	2x HDMI 2.1, 1x HDMI 2.0 with eARC, 1x optical, 1x 3.5mm

How I tested the Xgimi Horizon 20 Max

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Xgimi Horizon 20 Max testing setup in bright room — (Image credit: Future)

Tested using HDR and SDR sources
Mostly tested in pitch black conditions
Measurements taken using Portrait Displays’ Calman Color Calibration software

I tested the Xgimi Horizon 20 Max using an Optoma 80-inch, 1.0-gain matte white screen. I first did some casual viewing to establish its most accurate picture modes for testing, landing on Movie and Dolby Vision Dark.

Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player.

I also tested the Horizon 20 Max’s gaming capabilities using an Xbox Series X, playing at both 4K 60Hz and 1080p 120Hz.

For objective testing, I made measurements using a test pattern generator and colorimeter, recording the results with Portrait Displays’ Calman color calibration software. I measured the Horizon 20 Max’s peak brightness for both SDR and HDR, contrast ratio, color and grayscale accuracy, and HDR color gamut coverage for the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces. I also measured its input lag using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input lag tester.

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Xgimi Horizon 20 Max review: a super-bright protable projector with excellent picture quality

Xgimi Horizon 20 Max review: One minute review

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