XGODY N6 Pro Review

Introduction

It may not be a household name, but Chinese brand Xgody is the latest to throw its hat into the low-cost lifestyle projection arena.

Priced to raise eyebrows, the Gimbal N6 Pro delivers a 1080p picture, uses an upstart smart TV OS, and boasts a flexible compact design that makes it easy to cast onto walls and ceilings.

So does this diminutive DLP debutant have what it takes to ruffle the feathers of big screen rivals? 

Price

The Xgody Gimbal N6 Pro projector sells for just £129 in the UK. If you’re looking to buy one in the US, it’ll set you back $199.99. In other words, you can grab one for not much more than a family visit to the cinema, with requisite popcorn, snacks and beverages. 

Design

• HDMI input
• Bluetooth pairing
• 180-degree gimbal stand

Weighing just 1.2kg, the N6 Pro is light and easy to move around; the flexible stand effectively doubles as a carry handle. Build quality is indicative of the weight, but it looks nice enough.

The standout aspect is the 180-degree gimbal stand, which allows the projector to tilt relatively freely, making wall or ceiling projection seem perfectly natural. There’s a tripod bush built into the base, adding additional flexibility if you need to fine-tune your angle or height.

My review sample came in white with a muted pink fascia, a colourway that gives the N9 Pro a toy-like appearance.

The N6 Pro ships with a small remote control that has fast access buttons for Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and Prime Video.

One obvious consequence of its slight build is that operating noise is high, although this can be mitigated by choosing Energy Saving from the Device Mode menu. This dims the image but drops the operating noise of the projector down to a gentle murmur.

While transportable, there’s no on board battery, so it needs to remain tethered to a power supply.

 Features

• LED light engine
• Auto keystone correction
• Digital zoom

The price may be trifling, but there’s a lot going on with the N6 Pro.

It runs the recently launched, and largely unfamiliar to many, Whale TV OS. This interface replaces the usual horizontal rails of content with a dial-shaped navigation wheel.

The OS favours a content-first approach, much like the revamped TiVo streaming platform, and over time will offer recommendations based on your viewing habits.

Responsiveness is the software’s main weakness. Commands can hesitate, leaving you momentarily unsure whether a button press has registered. Once you navigate into deeper menus, the usability improves, but users accustomed to slicker platforms may notice the difference.

Preinstalled apps include Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and YouTube. Need more? An app store offers Twitch, Plex, Crunchyroll, and a selection of other niche streaming services.

Significantly, there are no UK centric catch-up services, so that means the likes of BBC iPlayer, ITVX and others are missing.  Screen mirroring is supported with Miracast, while files can be played via DLNA-enabled apps; there’s a voice assistant on the feature roster as well, but I found it next to useless.

The projector is built around an LED light source, which brings the benefit of long life, consistent colour output, and near instant on/off.

The rear features an HDMI port, USB-A, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, while wireless connectivity is covered by Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4, the latter allowing an external Bluetooth speaker to be paired to the projector.

Setup is pretty simple. Move it to a new surface and its Auto Adjusting Projection System jumps into action, auto-focusing and correcting keystone distortion. There’s also obstacle avoidance, although this doesn’t seem to be particularly effective – it completely ignored my wall light switch. Still, for casual use, especially for kids or family TV time, this simplicity is a big advantage.

Auto focus is fast and sharp, and Auto keystone correction does a good job with vertical and horizontal correction. Combined with the gimbal mount, this makes the N6 Pro easy to position and align, whether you’re projecting onto a wall, a ceiling, or an improvised screen outdoors.

Picture Quality

• 700 Lumens output
• Full HD resolution
• Single chip DLP engine

OK, I’ll admit it. This Xgody surprised me. Its 1080p imagery is reassuringly crisp, despite the limitations of cut price optics, and there’s a genuine colour pop – under the right lighting conditions.

I wouldn’t advocate viewing in a room with high ambient light though. Its 700 ANSI Lumens (max output) are best spent in full darkness, where the picture finds greatest vibrancy. 

At its core is a native 1080p DLP imaging system, delivering a sharp, stable picture with no visible rainbow artefacts during testing.

In addition to its 700 lumens ‘Highlight’ output, there are also 550 and 450 lumen Standard or Energy Saving modes, for quieter operation.

The projector actually throws a very large image from just a few metres, so you’ll probably want to tame it with the digital zoom, but even then I needed to physically move the projector to get the screen size I needed.

Filling a wall in the average size living room should not be problematic. You can cast an image up to 200-inches, although that’s not recommended, as overall brightness and integrity will be reduced. I’d suggest a 120-inch display from 2-3m is the best practical option – the projector’s HD resolution just about holds up at this size.

Where this projector comes into its own is with animation. Illumination’s ‘Migration’ (Netflix) looks rich and lush, with decent greens and blues, and no obvious chroma banding.

But there are inevitable limitations. Black levels are shallow and the dynamic range is limited. The projector detects an HDR10 input, but can do little with it. In darker TV shows, such as the Netflix original ‘Last Samurai Standing’, shadow detail flattens out. The series opens with a chaotic battle scene, but much of the near-black detail in the combatant’s costumes is lost.

Ultimately, what we have here is a decent picture that’s fine for casual use, and family screenings.

Sound Quality

• 5W monophonic speaker
• Bluetooth pairing

The internal mono speaker in the N6 Pro is serviceable. Clear enough for dialogue, but not suited to big action scenes. It lacks power and bass. Fortunately, Bluetooth speaker pairing is fast and stable, giving you an easy upgrade path.

I coupled the N6 Pro with a JBL Flip Bluetooth speaker and was immediately rewarded with copious volume and the Flip’s well-balanced sound presentation.

Should you buy it?

FAQs