The Xgimi Horizon 20 Max is a 4K projector with a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality. For example, it boasts a 5,700 ISO lumen brightness, but one picture mode is so bright it's barely usable. However, even without that mode, it's one of the brightest room-to-room models on the market. Its menus can be tricky, but gamers can achieve remarkably short lag times with the right settings. The Mr. Hyde quirks prevent it from being an Editors' Choice award winner, but the Dr. Jekyll strengths make this $2,999 model a strong contender in a premium class that includes the JMGO N1S Ultimate and two Editors' Choice picks: the Hisense C2 Ultra and the Anker Nebula X1. The design is similar to other high-end room-to-room models, with a near-cube body and a permanently attached gimbal mount. The projector measures 9.8 by 11.7 by 7.5 inches and weighs 11.9 pounds, making it comparable in size to its competitors and about 2 pounds lighter than the heaviest in the category. The display is a 1,920-by-1,080-pixel DLP chip with TI's fast-switch pixel shifting, capable of displaying 3,840 by 2,160 pixels. The RGB triple laser light source offers a wide color gamut, rated at 110% of the UHD 4K TV standard (BT.2020, aka REC.2020). The laser engine has a rated lifetime of 20,000 hours. Setup is straightforward, with on-screen Google TV instructions for Wi-Fi streaming. Video sources can be connected to HDMI and USB ports. The Horizon's auto-adjustment features are comprehensive, but they can introduce artifacts and lower brightness. Manual setup is possible, offering more flexibility for image positioning. The projector features a 1.25x zoom lens and lens shift, allowing for optical picture size changes and movement without tilting or swiveling the projector. The Harman Kardon audio system, with two 12-watt speakers and support for various audio formats, provides adequate volume and quality for most purposes. Image quality is excellent, with six predefined picture modes for SDR and HDR10 input. The High Power mode is the brightest but has a noticeable green tint and high fan noise. Movie mode offers the best color accuracy, while Standard mode provides better contrast. Frame interpolation can be turned off to avoid a soap-opera effect. The projector supports Full HD 3D with DLP-Link glasses in three formats, but 3D input requires manual activation. Lag times are impressive, with 4K/60Hz input at 10ms and 1080p input at 9.9ms for 60Hz, 5.3ms for 120Hz, and 2.7ms for 240Hz. However, finding the right settings for the shortest lag times can be challenging. The brightness is consistent with 3,000 to 3,300 lumens, suitable for a 90-inch screen in a dark room.
