I’ve been loyal to my top OLED TV, no matter how many home cinema projectors have come along. But the new Nebula X1 projector from Anker is making me side-eye my living room set-up. The new X1 is an ultra-bright, 4K laser projector that cools itself with a liquid cooling system.
The triple laser set-up inside the X1 projector pumps out 3500 ANSI Lumens, which is obscenely bright for something you can carry around with a handle. It offers 4K Ultra HD resolution, ISF and TÜV display certifications, Dolby Vision support, and a contrast ratio so hefty it will work during the day. A 14-element glass lens array keeps the image sharp and fresh.
The X1 also flaunts a built-in micro gimbal that tilts up to 25 degrees to find the perfect spot on your wall. Thanks to optical zoom and a frankly ridiculous range, you can fling a 200-inch image onto your wall from any distance. And if you want to move the projector between rooms or switch the furniture around, don’t stress – it remembers your room settings when you move it.
One press of a button on the remote kicks off the Nebula AI Spatial Adaptation set-up ritual, which means real-time autofocus, keystone correction, obstacle avoidance, ambient light tweaking, and wall colour compensation. It’s even got an eye guard that stops it blinding you if you wander into its line of fire – which is something I often end up doing.
Most projectors don’t sound the best, thanks to small speakers crammed into a small body. Not the X1. It packs four speakers internally, with compatibility for Nebula’s wireless satellite speakers. These speakers throw out 160W of sound and even bring height and width into the audio mix. The projector’s built-in speakers cleverly switch to bass mode when the satellites are active, basically turning the projector into an honorary subwoofer. Plus, the speakers are IP54 rated – so would work outside.
Liquid cooling in a projector isn’t exactly common. It keeps the X1 15% cooler while making it 30% smaller than fan-only systems and somehow only emits 26 dB of noise. Of course, it’s got Google TV baked in, along with Netflix support out of the box. There are two HDMI ports (one with eARC), which let you hook up a gaming console or Blu-ray player. And if you like karaoke, Anker offers optional wireless microphones with 40-hour battery life and barely-there latency.
The Nebula X1 goes on sale from 21 May directly from the brand for $2999/£2200. If you want the full set-up (two Wireless Satellite Speakers, Carry Case, and two Wireless Microphones), the bundle costs $999/£500. It’s actually a cheaper buy in the UK than the US for once. If you’re quick, you can grab the projector and full accessory pack together for $3298/£2350 before 15 June.
