XGIMI Horizon S MAX In-Depth Review

If you’re a home cinema fan and have even briefly explored the world of video projection, you probably already know XGIMI, a company that has built a strong reputation in this field over the past 12 years.

XGIMI is a Chinese technology company, founded on November 18, 2013, and based in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. It specializes in developing and producing smart lifestyle DLP projectors, offering solutions for both home and portable use.

Over the years, XGIMI has become a true leader in the DLP projector category. In my opinion, when it comes to lifestyle DLP projectors, there is XGIMI, and then there is everyone else. What I truly admire about this company is that it always follows its own path. It never copies others, but instead evolves and uses its own technology, consistently creating original and groundbreaking products without compromising on quality or reliability.

With over 5 million units sold worldwide, a presence in more than 4,500 physical stores, and 866 registered patents, XGIMI stands in a class of its own. The company has introduced innovative models such as the Horizon series, the UST AURA series, and the portable MoGo series, winning numerous major international awards, including the prestigious EISA Awards. XGIMI has also built strong partnerships with leading companies such as Harman Kardon, to integrate high-quality audio systems into its products, and Google, to bring Android TV to its projectors.

Moreover, by offering advanced technologies not only in hardware, with the unique dual-light engine that combines RGB laser and RGB LED light sources powering its latest home cinema models, but also in software, supporting Dolby Vision and IMAX Enhanced technologies for example, XGIMI is not just following the industry, it is leading it.

The latest creation from XGIMI in the lifestyle home cinema projector category is the Horizon S MAX, and this is the model we will be discussing in this review. As always, this is a non sponsored review.

XGIMI Horizon S MAX : Specs & Features

The Horizon S MAX is a gimbal lifestyle projector, weighing just 4.8 Kg and with compact dimensions of 23.4 x 27.3 x 17.4cm, making it easy to fit into almost any living space.

It uses DLP technology and is equipped with the familiar 0.47-inch DMD chip from Texas Instruments, delivering a 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels) through XPR technology.

XGIMI announces a brightness of 3100 ISO lumens for the Horizon S MAX, a number that if confirmed in practice, places it among the brightest models in its class.

The projector also boasts a dynamic contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, taking advantage of the laser light engine’s modulation capabilities to enhance perceived contrast during real-time projection.

At the heart of the Horizon S MAX we find XGIMI’s latest-generation Dual Light Engine (Dual Light 2.0), combining Laser and LED light sources. This hybrid system aims to deliver not only high brightness (3100 ISO lumens) but also a wide color gamut (110% of BT.2020).

Dual Light 2.0 is XGIMI’s advanced lighting system that combines Triple RGB Laser and RGB LED light sources in a unique way.

By blending wide and narrow spectrum light, it delivers a picture with higher brightness, a more natural looking that closely matches how the human eye sees, with more accurate colors.

At the same time, it reduces known issues like color fringing and laser speckle. The result is a smooth, high-quality image that brings out the best of both technologies in one projector.

In terms of functionality, the S MAX runs on Android TV™11.0, offering access to a vast library of apps and streaming services without the need for external devices.

To run Android TV 11, the Horizon S Max is equipped with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor running at 1.8 GHz, a Mali-G52 GPU, 2 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of internal storage.

The Horizon S Max supports all the latest formats, including HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision (but not HDR10+), which combined with IMAX Enhanced, form one of the most powerful package modern projection technology has to offer.

The Horizon S Max features a powerful laser autofocus system, automatic and 4-point manual keystone correction on both axes, smart screen adaptation with obstacle avoidance, screen rotation and auto screen fit, making setup virtually effortless even in less-than-ideal environments.

However, it lacks optical zoom and instead comes with a fixed lens featuring a 1.20:1 throw ratio.

This means that, to project a 120-inch diagonal image with the Horizon S MAX, you’ll ideally need to place the projector 3.2 meters (10.5 feet) away from the screen, unless you prefer to use the available digital zoom.

All of the image auto-correction functions are made possible by a front-facing camera and a built-in ToF (Time-of-Flight) sensor.

Audio performance is handled by a built-in Harman Kardon sound system, with dual 12-watt speakers supporting Dolby Audio and DTS-Virtual:X, promising a rich and immersive sound experience right out of the box.

Wireless connectivity includes not only dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (2.4/5GHz) but also Bluetooth 5.1, making it easy to pair the projector with external speakers, headphones, or controllers when needed.

As for wired connections, the Horizon S Max offers a single HDMI 2.1 port with eARC support and two USB 2.0 ports, providing flexibility for both wired and wireless setups. An important detail is that this HDMI port also offers a dedicated gaming mode, delivering input latency as low as ≤ 20ms.

Finally, the Horizon S MAX offers support for 3D playback, which combined with its brightness of 3,100 ISO lumens, promises a truly impressive 3D viewing experience.

XGIMI Horizon S Max : Design and Build Overview

Color

I’ve decided to dedicate an entire section to explore these aspects in depth, because, trust me, the Horizon S Max truly deserves it. Let me start with its color, which might seem like a simple design choice at first, but I believe there’s much more behind it. Personally, I’m convinced XGIMI put a lot of thought and research into selecting this particular shade.

This earthy tone they’ve created for the Horizon S Max chassis is the most neutral color I’ve ever seen on a projector. No matter how your home is decorated, whether it’s a chalet in the Alps, a beachfront house in the Bahamas, or an apartment at Trump Tower, the Horizon S Max blends into the space as if it were custom-made for it.

I’ve had this projector in my hands for over three months now (sorry XGIMI, but if I don’t test something thoroughly, I can’t present it to my audience. Thank you for your understanding). Thanks to its compact size, light weight, and effortless setup, I’ve taken it to several friends’ homes for movie or sports nights, and without exception everyone, and I mean EVERYONE commented on how seamlessly it fit into their space. And I’m talking about houses with completely different styles and decoration.

As a projector reviewer, I honestly felt a bit ridiculous while writing these lines. I kept thinking to myself, ‘Really? You’re about to write a detailed analysis about… the projector’s exterior chassis color? Get a grip! But I just couldn’t ignore it. Even in my own space, I sometimes find myself looking around to spot the Horizon S Max, because it blends in like a chameleon.

That’s a win for XGIMI, because with the Horizon S Max, I truly believe even the most reluctant, the ones who’ve always refused to integrate a projector into their space, might finally change their minds.

Design

The design of the Horizon S Max is truly unique, no matter how you look at it.

To start with, the projector features a built-in gimbal, which not only allows for tilting along the vertical axis, but also includes a 360-degree rotating base at the bottom, making horizontal adjustments incredibly easy and effortless.

The power cable port is cleverly hidden within the base rather than on the projector’s main body, a smart design choice that keeps the cable neatly tucked away.

Thanks to this setup, the power cable doesn’t hang awkwardly or get in the way while you’re adjusting the Horizon S Max, and more importantly, it doesn’t experience any strain or tension during movement.

An extra touch to this already impressive and thoughtful design is the front panel with a fabric-like texture, which slides open silently and electronically to reveal the lens when you power on the projector. When turned off, the panel returns to its original position, protecting the lens in both a stylish and functional way.

Build Quality

The Horizon S Max is built from a high-quality plastic that, to give you a better idea, feels similar to the premium materials used in modern car dashboards.

It’s solid and well-crafted, with excellent fit and finish between the individual parts. No matter how closely you examine it, what stands out is the high level of quality and precision in its construction.

Credit goes not only to XGIMI’s design team, but also to the skilled workers involved in the production of the Horizon S Max, a job truly well done.

The remote, although simple in terms of functionality, inspires a sense of finesse and luxury when you hold it in your hands.

Even the way the batteries are inserted into the remote control is somewhat unique. You press a button on the back and a compartment pops out at the bottom.

The level of attention to detail from XGIMI’s design team is revealed through a small, yet incredibly practical touch, one that genuinely made using the remote control easier than any other I’ve ever held.

I’m referring to the different textures and shapes used on the various buttons, allowing you to identify each one purely by feel. Some are raised, others have the classic curved shape, and a few are slightly recessed, take a look.

On the back of the Horizon S MAX there are two USB ports, the single and only HDMI 2.1 port, and a power on/off button. The simplicity and minimalist design of the Horizon S MAX are evident everywhere.

Its size is surprisingly compact, so much that it actually catches you off guard the first time you take it out of the box. Here it is next to the Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 for comparison.

As small and elegant as the Horizon S MAX may be, its external power supply is the exact opposite — brutal and beastly. We’re talking about a 1.2 kg power brick, measuring 20 x 9 x 4 cm. It looks and feels like industrial-grade hardware, built to last.

Accessories

XGIMI has made sure that even the accessories for the Horizon S MAX reflect the same sense of high quality and original design.

This is the floor stand that Horizon S MAX owners can purchase as an optional accessory.

The ceiling mount is also very interesting in terms of design, it’s the first I’ve seen that includes a solution for hiding the (huge!) projector’s external power supply.

Stylish and impressive, with XGIMI’s signature attention to detail!

Firing Up the Horizon S Max : Interface & Menu Overview

When you power on the Horizon S Max for the first time, you’re guided through the familiar Android TV setup process, where you’ll be prompted to sign in with your Google account and select the apps you’d like to install.

During my own setup, I was also notified that a firmware update was available, which I, of course proceeded to install.

The Android TV interface takes exactly 47.89 seconds to load. This startup time refers to when the Horizon S MAX is plugged into power for the first time. If the projector remains plugged in and is in standby mode, startup takes just 7 seconds.

The first screen you’re greeted with once it’s ready is the following:

Here we find all the well-known streaming apps, and of course, you can add more (like PLEX and VLC, which I have installed) through the Google Play Store. Unfortunatelly the Netxflix app is missing.

This is the first screen you see when you press the settings button on the remote control.

The first section of the menu is about image correction, while the second one, the ‘Other Projector Settings’ menu, contains everything related to image and audio settings.

Horizon S MAX features fully automated functions such as auto focus, auto keystone correction, auto obstacle avoidance, and auto screen fit, so with the press of a single button the projected image frame can be perfectly aligned within seconds, achieving the correct size and shape effortlessly. Of course everything exists as manual settings also.

Perhaps the most important submenu is the Picture Settings. Inside, you will find everything related to image adjustments.

Here, there is a setting that initially surprised me, I wasn’t expecting it.

With the Horizon S MAX, the user can actually choose whether the projector will operate using the hybrid laser/LED ‘Dual Light 2.0’ engine, or remove the LEDs from the equation and turn it into a pure RGB laser projector, cool!

The Dual Light 2.0 engine power can be adjusted from 1 up to 10.

There is also a boost setting, the ’10+’, which can be selected if you insist by pressing the right button on the remote control, after a prompt appears.

How much it increases the brightness will be shown later in the measurements.

Right below, there is a manual iris setting. Yes, the Horizon S MAX features a mechanical iris, which can be adjusted to just two positions: open and closed.

Continuing, we find the submenu options:

– Picture Mode, where we can select one of the seven available picture presets.

– Game Mode, which can be enabled to reduce input lag to below 20ms.

– Dolby Vision, where we can set the screen size and gain.

– IMAX Enhanced Mode, where we can choose between Off and Auto. When set to Auto, IMAX Enhanced will automatically engage if the HDR10 content being played is IMAX-compatible.

– 3D Video Setup, where we can select the type of 3D format we want to use.

– Professional-grade Color Accuracy, a feature that automatically optimizes settings based on the content being viewed. When enabled, the Horizon S MAX will automatically adjust parameters — such as brightness and dynamic black — to what it considers the best possible configuration, essentially performing an automatic calibration.

Α few words about IMAX enhanced

IMAX Enhanced is a collaboration between IMAX and DTS, aimed at bringing consumers as close as possible to the authentic IMAX cinema experience at home. The mode is activated automatically when compatible content is detected. Once enabled, it applies image profile settings calibrated to faithfully reflect the creators’ intent, with particular focus on brightness, contrast, and color accuracy.

It also disables hidden image processing features often found in projectors, in order to deliver a cleaner and more pure cinematic picture. IMAX Enhanced reduces the black bars in many IMAX-shot movies, which is especially important for those who want the largest possible image on their screen. The classic cinematic ratio of 2.39:1 (or 2.35:1) is converted to 1.90:1 when the content is IMAX Enhanced, offering a larger image with smaller black bars at the top and bottom.

In addition to video optimization, IMAX Enhanced offers 3D object-based sound, specially tuned by DTS for IMAX certification, to further elevate the home theater experience.

Although the Horizon S MAX offers plenty of factory preset modes, seven for SDR and HDR (Standard, Movie, Sport, Brilliant, Soft, Custom, and High Power) and three for Dolby Vision content (Dolby Vision Bright, Dolby Vision Dark, and Custom), all modes except the Custom ones use predefined white balance and color space settings, which cannot be adjusted.

If the user selects the Custom mode, this unlocks access to an advanced menu where the Horizon S MAX offers all the necessary controls, even for a professional calibrator, to fine-tune every single aspect of the image to perfection.

In the Color Temperature submenu, we can choose between four modes: Standard, Cold, Warm, and Custom.

If you select the Custom option, you gain access to detailed adjustments for the three primary colors individually, allowing you to achieve perfect white balance.

What’s unusual is that there are two separate white balance adjustment menus, one that works globally, and another that applies specifically to the content being played. Honestly, I’m not sure why XGIMI designed it this way.

When you select the Custom mode on Color Temperature in order to manual adjust the three basic colors, the laser power is automatically locked at level 10, and you can no longer manually adjust the brightness. The good news is that by choosing ‘Warm‘ in the Color Temperature setting and ‘Standard‘ in the Picture Color Temperature setting, you get an almost perfect white balance and gamma response so you don’t have to use Custom mode at all.

The Horizon S MAX also includes a submenu for selecting the desired color gamut between Rec.709, DCI-P3, and BT.2020, or you can let the projector choose the appropriate one automatically by selecting the ‘Default Color‘ option.

Finally, we reach the Advanced Settings menu, which includes the following options:

– Motion Compensation, where you can choose between Off, Weak, Medium, and Strong. This is the well-known frame interpolation algorithm that adds extra frames to smooth out motion in 24p films. Personally, I kept it locked on Weak, as this setting gave me excellent motion without any trace of the dreaded soap opera effect.

– HDR, which can be set to Off or Auto. I always had it set to Auto.

– Local Contrast, available in Off, Weak, Medium, and Strong. This is an algorithm that subtly adjusts gamma in localized parts of the image to increase in-scene contrast. I really liked how this function worked and ended up leaving it permanently on Strong.

– Noise Reduction, with options Off, Weak, Medium, and Strong. It’s the classic noise reduction algorithm that softens image grain. It works well, but personally I’m not a fan of such processing, so I usually kept it set to Off or occasionally Weak.

– Dynamic Contrast can only be turned On or Off. When enabled, it noticeably boosts overall brightness while maintaining deep black levels. It works by adjusting gamma only, not laser power, which I confirmed through extensive testing, despite my initial assumption that it was some kind of laser dimming algorithm. It delivers a striking improvement in perceived image quality and a clear contrast boost, so I always kept it enabled.

– Color Optimization, a somewhat unusual feature that reflects XGIMI’s overall philosophy of simplicity and ease of use. When enabled, the projector automatically adjusts its color settings based on the content being played.

– Color Correction, which gives us access to the Horizon S MAX’s CMS (Color Management System). It works flawlessly, though most users won’t need to touch it, as the Horizon S MAX comes factory-calibrated with impressively accurate color performance right out of the box.

Finally, I want to mention the sound settings, which can be used to adjust the performance of the Harman Kardon sound system built into the Horizon S MAX.

There are two settings that highlight just how much effort XGIMI has put into making the Horizon S MAX as user-friendly, and as much of a true lifestyle projector as possible. The first is a kind of auto-calibration function…

…and the second is the automatic white balance adjustment based on the wall color where the image is projected.

With the Wall Color Adaption feature, the owner of the Horizon S MAX doesn’t need to worry about the color of the wall and how it might affect the final result.

The projector will automatically detect the wall color and make adjustments to the grayscale, ensuring it remains neutral as it should.

Both of these features make use of the CMOS sensor located at the front of the Horizon S MAX, which analyzes the environment and the reflected image from the screen or wall in order to apply the appropriate adjustments automatically.

I have to say that Android TV on this XGIMI projector runs flawlessly, fast, smooth, without any lag or freezing. Even when I tested it with demanding, high-bitrate files, whether via streaming or from a USB stick, it showed no signs of weakness or hardware limitations in keeping up with my commands. I mention this because it’s not something you often see in lifestyle projectors out there.

XGIMI Horizon S MAX : XGIMI Wall

I’d like to dedicate a section to a feature commonly found in many lifestyle laser projectors, but here XGIMI has taken it to the next level. It’s called XGIMI Wall, and it comes pre-installed as a built-in app.

This app offers a wide variety of animated wallpapers with different themes, designed for various types of projection whether on a wall, the ceiling, or any other surface you choose.

With those impressive space-themed animated wallpapers, for example, you can light up your ceiling as you fall asleep, creating a unique and relaxing atmosphere.

When I say that XGIMI has taken these wallpapers a step further, I mean it. While you’re projecting a window view from a station on Mars, for example, an astronaut suddenly floats by, enjoying a stroll on the Red Planet.

Honestly, the image produced by the Horizon S MAX — so bright and rich in color — gave me chills for a moment. That particular wallpaper made me reflect on the vastness of the universe and the beauty of our own solar system.

Let’s hope Elon and SpaceX manages to give us some real versions of these wallpapers in the future.

You can enjoy a view of Earth through the window of a space station orbiting the planet. ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL, and easily the wallpaper I choose most often at night while working at my desk.

Believe me, the XGIMI Wall app is a truly unique experience.

Now, if you’re a fan of art and want to decorate your wall each day with a different painting to match your mood, XGIMI Wall has you covered as well.

The laser speckle-free image of the Horizon S MAX is so convincing that, with certain artworks, you almost feel like you could touch the screen and feel the texture of the canvas. Truly impressive.

Taking into account the Horizon S MAX’s extremely low power consumption — as we’ll see in the measurements below — combined with its completely silent operation, I can honestly say that even if I had no interest in building a personal home cinema or watching movies and series at all, I would still buy this projector just for home decoration using the XGIMI Wall function. I truly mean that.

But now, let’s move on to the measurements and break down the Horizon S MAX’s performance with actual numbers.

XGIMI Horizon S MAX Measurements

Grayscale & Gamma

I took grayscale and gamma measurements from the Horizon S MAX in all available modes. I did this because, apart from the Custom mode, none of the others allow for any manual adjustments or corrections, not even the standard ones.

So I believe it’s important to measure all modes and examine how each one behaves. All measurements were taken with the laser power set to 10 and IRIS in off position.

Let’s take a look.

Standard Mode

Movie mode

Sport mode

Brilliant Mode

Soft Mode

Custom Mode

High Power Mode

This mode is completely unnecessary, which is why I didn’t even bother measuring it. When selected, the image turns overwhelmingly green, and the Horizon S MAX’s cooling system suddenly sounds like an F-22 Raptor taking off from an aircraft carrier. Why, XGIMI? Why include such a useless mode? What’s the point? I truly hope it gets removed in a future firmware update.

The overall conclusion from the measurements is that all Picture Modes on the Horizon S MAX are usable, depending on the situation. Both the Movie and Custom modes come factory-calibrated with excellent, even near-perfect white balance.

As for gamma, while the Custom mode reaches near-perfect levels, the readings in the other factory modes suggest that a dynamic contrast algorithm is active. This doesn’t necessarily mean that gamma is off in real-world use, with such processing enabled, it’s expected to see these kinds of fluctuations in measurement data.

For me, the Custom mode is the ideal choice for any situation. By simply selecting ‘Warm’ in the Color Temperature setting and ‘Standard’ in Picture Color Temperature and without adjusting anything else, you get an outstanding results, both in terms of grayscale neutrality and gamma correction values.

Now let’s take a closer look at the Custom Mode with different laser power levels to see if XGIMI can maintain this excellent performance regardless of the brightness setting chosen by the user.

Custom Mode – Laser 1

Custom Mode – Laser 5

Custom Mode – Laser 10+

Custom Mode – Laser 10+ – Iris On

Custom Mode – Laser 10+ – RGB laser engine (dual light 2.0 disabled)

The stability shown by the Horizon S MAX in white balance and gamma measurements across all power levels of the Dual Light 2.0 engine is truly remarkable. From setting 1 all the way up to 10+, the Delta E 2000 error remains consistently low, something that is rare, if not unheard of, in the RGB laser projector category.

Even more impressive is that the Horizon S MAX maintains this same level of stability when the LEDs are turned off and it operates as a pure RGB laser projector. Even in that case, we still get a Delta E 2000 error of just 1.8.

Colors

I managed to take every possible color measurement because I was genuinely curious to see how the Horizon S MAX would ‘register’ on my colormeter with its unique Dual Light 2.0 hybrid engine. The results brought a smile to my face and a very pleasant surprise.

Let’s take a closer look.

Rec.709

DCI-P3

BT.2020

The color accuracy of the XGIMI Horizon S MAX straight out of the box is simply unbelievable. I actually considered uploading the full brightness measurement charts for each primary and secondary color in addition to the saturation and hue diagrams I usually publish, but I don’t want to overcomplicate things for you. Still, even those charts are nearly perfect. How on earth did they manage to control two completely different light sources so well and combine them so harmoniously to deliver such an excellent final result?

In terms of color gamut coverage, we’re getting 100% of Rec.709, 97.3% of DCI-P3, and just 78.7% of BT.2020. Wait a minute, where is the 110% BT.2020 coverage that XGIMI advertises? Be patient, all your questions will be answered in the following chart.

When the Dual Light 2.0 hybrid engine is disabled and the projector runs in pure RGB laser mode (which, honestly, I still can’t believe is even possible), the BT.2020 coverage changes dramatically, jumping from 78.7% to an impressive 93.2%.

ΒΤ.2020 (RGB laser only)

As a general conclusion, I’d say the Horizon S MAX comes exceptionally well-calibrated from the factory, and its owner doesn’t need to worry about making any additional adjustments, beyond plugging it in, connecting it to the internet, and placing it in position.

This is truly a lifestyle projector in every sense. Now, let’s move on to the rest of the measurements.

Brightness

The brightness measurements were taken using a light meter aimed directly at the projector’s lens while projecting a 100-inch image.

Let’s take a look at all the measurements I recorded.

The highest usable brightness is achieved using the Standard mode with the Dual Light 2.0 engine set to 10+, delivering 3174 lumens. This means that XGIMI not only reports a fully accurate brightness spec for the Horizon S MAX (3100 ISO lumens), but also that these lumens are entirely usable in real-world viewing.

The brightness range you can work with, simply by adjusting the power of the Dual Light 2.0 engine, spans from 946 lumens at setting 1 all the way up to 3174 lumens at 10+. That’s an incredibly wide adjustment range and, as shown in the white balance and gamma measurements above, the performance of the Horizon S MAX is stable and doesn’t introduce any visible color distortions.

If you enable the iris, you’ll see a brightness drop of approximately 15%, bringing the output down from 3174 to 2704 lumens. What’s even more impressive is that in Custom mode, where the Horizon S MAX is factory-calibrated with excellent accuracy, brightness drops only slightly, by around 11.5%, still delivering 2804 lumens. And if you combine that with the manual iris engaged, brightness drops to 2346 lumens.

That’s still an outstanding result for a fully calibrated projector with the iris enabled, more than enough to comfortably fill screens up to 150 inches.

Contrast

The on/off contrast was measured using a light meter placed 40 cm from the lens.

The measurement was taken in Custom picture mode with the projector fully calibrated, and it was done in two stages: with the iris disabled and then enabled.

Here are the results:

On/Off Contrast – Iris disabled: 1270:1

On/Off Contrast – Iris enabled: 1890:1

This is where we find the Achilles’ heel of the Horizon S MAX, its relatively modest native on/off contrast. Enabling the manual iris is, in my opinion, a must. I see no real reason to leave it off unless you need maximum brightness, such as for watching sports in a bright, uncontrolled lighting environment.

While 1900:1 may sound average on paper for on/off contrast, in practice it feels much higher. That’s thanks to the excellent Dynamic Contrast algorithm, which lifts brightness in low to mid IRE ranges, significantly boosting in-scene contrast. Combined with a moderate setting on the Dual Light 2.0 engine (around level 5 or 6), you get an image that’s still very bright, rich in contrast and with acceptable blacl level.

As for the 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio that XGIMI claims, I neither measured it, nor saw any indication of it in practice.

XGIMI Horizon S MAX : Performance

Brightness

Before analyzing anything else, I would like to highlight something that really caught my attention and which I confirmed after watching several movies and TV series with the Horizon S MAX. It’s a phenomenon that I concluded is probably related in some way to the Dual Light 2.0 engine. Here’s what I observed: compared to almost all of the DLP laser projectors in my collection, the Horizon S MAX simply looks brighter.

And what do I mean by ‘looks brighter’?

If I calibrate all my DLP projectors to produce, for example, 1500 lumens of brightness (full white) and then play the exact same movie from the same source, with all dynamic image processing features turned off, the Horizon S MAX appears noticeably brighter, everywhere and always.

I believe this happens because the LED components of the Horizon S MAX light engine emit a more diffused and fuller light, which enhances perceived brightness in scenes with low to medium average picture levels (APL). And how did I verify this?

The Horizon S MAX offers the option to operate either as a pure RGB laser projector or as a hybrid laser-LED projector. When I select the pure RGB laser mode and match the brightness to my other DLP projectors, it performs exactly like the others in terms of in-scene brightness. However, when I enable the Dual Light 2.0 engine, the phenomenon returns!

All these older movies that always seemed underlit to me, even when watching them on very bright projectors (for example Groundhog Day with Bill Murray) , appears noticeably brighter on the Horizon S MAX.

Having now gained quite a lot of experience with the new generation of projectors, both pure RGB laser models and hybrid LED-laser ones, I have come to a safe conclusion that to be honest, I’ve been hesitant to share publicly, as it might expose me a little, but i will.

Brightness and color measurements on these pure RGB laser or hybrid RGB LED-laser projectors are playing an increasingly smaller role in the final image your eyes actually perceive. It’s a phenomenon I was reluctant to accept at first, but it’s real, and it challenges much of what we thought we knew until now.

Two projectors with identical measured brightness (at 100% white) can still appear noticeably different in brightness when displaying real-world content. Likewise, with identical color measurements, two viewers can perceive color completely differently on two projectors. This is just a personal observation but i had to share it with you.

Generally speaking, regardless of what the numbers and measurements say, I would place the Horizon S MAX among the brightest home cinema projectors I’ve tested in recent years.

Contrast

Contrast and black level are definitely not the strongest points of the Horizon S MAX. With an on/off contrast ratio of around 1900:1, you more or less know what to expect, and that’s exactly what you get. However, the manual iris makes a noticeable difference and, in my opinion, should be left permanently enabled. It significantly improves black level performance, and the difference is not only visible but greater than what the numbers suggest (going from 1300:1 to 1900:1).

It reduces brightness by only about 15%, while delivering nearly a 50% improvement in contrast, not a bad trade-off at all. You can see the difference clearly in the comparison screenshots below, both taken with identical manual camera settings.

Iris On

Iris Off

The Horizon S MAX has two more tricks up its sleeve when it comes to improving in-scene contrast and those are the Dynamic Contrast and Local Contrast algorithms. When enabled, these features intelligently adjust gamma frame-by-frame, either locally in specific areas of the image or globally across the entire frame.

It’s worth noting that the Horizon S MAX does not use any form of laser dimming, or at least none that I could detect. I didn’t see any behavior consistent with laser modulation, and my power consumption measurements during playback didn’t show any signs of it either. All of the projector’s “dynamic” features are clearly part of the signal processing pipeline, not light source modulation, but they work remarkably well, and I definitely recommend keeping them turned on.

Overall, the Horizon S MAX handles dark tone gradations in dark scenes with precision, thanks to its excellent factory calibration. Combined with the help of these two algorithms, its high brightness, and the rich, natural color output of the Dual Light 2.0 engine, the projector effectively masks its modest native on/off contrast. To the viewer, it often feels like you’re watching a projector with a much higher contrast ratio than the specs suggest.

Laser Speckle Phenomenon

What is Laser Speckle?

When watching a projector that uses RGB lasers diodes as a light source, you might notice a kind of fine, grainy pattern on the image, especially on bright or solid-colored areas. This is called laser speckle. It’s a visual effect that happens because of how laser light bounces off the screen surface and reaches our eyes in slightly different ways. The result is a shimmering or “sparkling” texture that can look a bit like tiny moving dots. This doesn’t always bother viewers, but some people might find it distracting, especially when looking at white or bright areas. The amount of speckle can also change depending on the screen type, viewing angle, and distance from the screen.

For those who want a more technical, in-depth explanation of the phenomenon, here it is:

When the coherent laser light of a pure RGB laser projector hits a surface (like your projection screen) it doesn’t reflect evenly. Even if the surface appears smooth to the naked eye, it contains microscopic imperfections and textures. As the laser light reflects off these tiny irregularities, the light waves begin to interfere with one another. Some waves combine (constructive interference), while others cancel each other out (destructive interference). The result is a random pattern of bright and dark spots (or red, blue and green dots as we are speaking about RGB laser engine here), which appears as a grainy or shimmering texture on the image. This effect is known as laser speckle.

Laser speckle looks like this:

As I’ve already mentioned earlier in this article, the Horizon S MAX uses XGIMI’s second-generation hybrid light engine, known as Dual Light 2.0. This hybrid light source was designed not only to bridge the gap between the highly focused, intense, and coherent light of lasers and the softer, more natural incoherent light produced by LED diodes, but also to significantly reduce laser speckle. Does it succeed? Yes, it absolutely does.

You can clearly understand how effective the Dual Light 2.0 engine is at reducing laser speckle simply by closely observing the image produced by the Horizon S MAX with the Dual Light 2.0 engine enabled, and then comparing it to the image when this engine is disabled from the projector’s menu, effectively turning it into a pure RGB laser projector. See the differences for yourself in the screenshots below.

With the Dual Light 2.0 engine enabled, laser speckle is reduced by approximately 80%, I would say. An even better comparison for understanding more is with a pure RGB laser projector, like the Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 and you’ll likely get a much clearer picture of what the Horizon S MAX actually achieves in reducing laser speckle.

Here is the comparison.

I can say with confidence that the Horizon S MAX is the first projector I’ve tested that uses RGB laser diodes and is effectively laser speckle–free. Personally, I’m not particularly sensitive to this phenomenon (it doesn’t really bother me) so I might not be the best person to fully appreciate this advantage. However, I’m certain many others will. I already know several people for whom the presence of laser speckle is a deal-breaker, and for them, I believe the XGIMI Horizon S MAX is exactly what they’ve been waiting for.

SDR Performance

While watching various SDR movies from my personal collection, I came to a clear conclusion: the Horizon S MAX absolutely loves SDR content. Whether I played black-and-white classics from the ’50s and ’60s or blockbuster favorites from the ’90s and early 2000s, what I experienced was a truly cinematic image free from the digital harshness and artificial sharpness I often encounter with other laser DLP projectors.

The image felt so relaxing and warm, it literally glued me to the couch. One movie led to another, and before I knew it, I started to feel like I was being pulled into a black hole, completely disconnected from the real world. I was living inside those movies.

That’s the feeling I want to have when I watch a film, to forget everything and fully immerse myself in the world the director has created for me. In the end, this is the true way to judge a home cinema setup, not by its specs or measurements, but by how deeply it allows you to dive into the story you’re watching.

All image adjustment menus are fully accessible during SDR playback, giving you the freedom to adjust gamma, white balance, and other parameters to fine-tune the picture exactly the way you like it, even though in Custom mode, the image is already beautifully balanced right out of the box, so you probably won’t need to change much.

The screenshot below is from one of my all-time favorite films, The Legend of 1900 with Tim Roth. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it, a true masterpiece.

I tested movie playback in every possible way, through PLEX with my PC as the server, over the network using VLC, via USB stick, and finally through a Blu-ray player connected to the HDMI port. In all cases, playback was smooth and completely trouble-free. Even when I needed to use an external SRT subtitle file, it worked perfectly without any issues.

The Horizon S MAX does not support native 24Hz playback, but this isn’t really a problem thanks to its built-in frame interpolation algorithm, which XGIMI calls Motion Compensation. It offers three levels of intensity, and in the “Weak” setting, which is the least aggressive without a trace of soap effect, giving you the impression that you’re watching true native 24Hz.

IMAX Enhanced & Dolby Vision Performance

When the Horizon S MAX detects HDR content that is also compatible with IMAX Enhanced (provided that the IMAX Enhanced mode is set to “Auto”), it will automatically activate IMAX Enhanced. What happens then is the laser power is switched to level 10, access to picture modes and all further image adjustments are disabled, and the content starts playing locked to the settings that the Horizon S MAX considers ideal for that type of content. You can still adjust laser power after playback starts, but that’s all. Performance in IMAX Enhanced mode is fine, but personally, not being able to tweak basic picture settings doesn’t really sit well with me.

On the other hand, if the Horizon S MAX detects Dolby Vision content, it will automatically bring up the Dolby Vision menu, where you can choose between Dolby Vision Bright, Dolby Vision Dark, and Custom modes. In the first two, no further image adjustment is allowed, and the main difference between them appears to be the EOTF curve, with the Dark mode applying a noticeably heavier gamma correction, resulting in a darker and higher-contrast image.

In Custom mode, some adjustments are allowed, but they’re quite limited. You can’t set a custom Color Temperature, nor can you select a gamma preset.

The image below shows Dolby Vision content playing in Dolby Vision Bright mode. It’s a scene from one of my favorite films, Passengers, with Chris Pratt and the amazing Jennifer Lawrence.

This film includes several demanding dark scenes, requiring precise shadow detail, and others brighter, shot in indoor environments with strong artificial lighting where it’s easy to lose highlight detail and end up with blown-out whites. The Horizon S MAX proved to be carefully tuned by XGIMI to handle this kind of Dolby Vision content. Only in one or two moments did I notice some slight clipping in the brightest areas, where fine details were lost. In darker scenes, though, the performance was outstanding with excellent balance and depth.

If I had one complaint, it would be that I personally wanted the gamma just a bit higher, to make the image feel a bit more contrasty with greater depth. Unfortunately, there’s no EOTF adjustment option (or some kind of tone mapping) available in HDR IMAX Enhanced or Dolby Vision mode.

The solution is to simply switch to Dolby Vision Dark mode. This mode gave me exactly the darker, more dynamic look I was looking for. Bright highlights started to pop, and the image gained that three-dimensional feeling I was missing before. Take a look below to see what I mean.

Moana 2 was the true revelation of what the Horizon S MAX is capable of delivering when it comes to Dolby Vision content. The image produced by its hybrid laser/LED Dual Light 2.0 engine is simply breathtaking. Thanks to the near-complete absence of laser speckle, combined with the remarkably natural color rendering of this next-generation light source, the entire viewing experience feels truly magical.

Watching this amazing film at 100 inches on a Fresnel screen with the Horizon S MAX was something genuinely unique, I must admit one of those rare moments where I honestly felt lucky, as a reviewer, to experience this revolution in projection technology firsthand.

If I had to summarize the Horizon S MAX’s performance with HDR (IMAX Enhanced) and Dolby Vision content, I’d say the overall impression was very positive, with only one real drawback in my opinion, the complete lack of user control over basic picture settings in these modes.

Another thing I noticed, which might even be a firmware bug, is that every time HDR or Dolby Vision content is played, the laser power automatically resets to level 10, no matter what the user had set before. This means you have to manually readjust it each time, which can be a bit frustrating, unless maximum brightness (level 10) happens to suit your space and screen.

On my 100-inch Fresnel screen, anything above level 7–8 already looked extremely bright, uncomfortably bright.

Gaming

Gaming is without a doubt one of the Horizon S MAX’s strongest features by far. Gamers, if you’re looking for a lifestyle projector to enjoy your PS5 or Xbox, I think your search might just be over.

The Horizon S MAX gave me one of the best gaming experiences I’ve ever had on a projector. Let me explain why…

First of all, the moment you connect your PS5, the projector automatically switches to Game Mode for reduced input lag. It also instantly recognizes the PS5 as an IMAX Enhanced compatible device, activating HDR IMAX Enhanced mode without you having to do anything manually.

I’ve played around 40 hours on the Horizon S MAX so far. Most of that time was spent in Kojima’s mesmerizing world of Death Stranding (getting ready for Death Stranding 2 this July).

After that, I moved on to one of my all-time favorites: Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy.

This is a remaster of the original 1999 game, released as a special 25th anniversary edition, packaged in a beautifully designed art book case for the Blu-ray disc. If you’ve never played it before, I highly recommend it, and even more so if you get the chance to experience it on the Horizon S MAX, because the way this projector brings that mysterious, atmospheric world to life is truly something special.

To begin with, the input lag on the Horizon S MAX is definitely under 20ms, which makes it perfectly suitable for casual gaming. However, it might not be ideal for hardcore competitive players, especially in fast-paced online titles like Call of Duty, where every millisecond counts.

Secondly, let’s talk about the Horizon S MAX’s performance in HDR IMAX Enhanced or Dolby Vision gaming as this is where it truly shines. Its ability to render blindingly bright highlights alongside with deep shadowed areas, all wrapped in a color palette so natural and lifelike that it feels more like looking out a window than playing a game, is genuinely impressive.

The way I experienced Death Stranding, and now Amerzone, on the Horizon S MAX is honestly hard to put into words. I own two 4K monitors (a 34″ ultrawide and a 32″) and I can confidently say they don’t even come close to what the XGIMI delivers.

With its BT.2020 color gamut, high brightness (on my Fresnel screen, the image is noticeably brighter than on either of my monitors), and a clean, speckle-free 100″ image powered by the Dual Light 2.0 engine, the overall experience is on another level, one I truly wish every gamer could enjoy at least once in their life.

You know, gaming is a way to escape reality and explore different imaginary worlds — from the broken, haunting landscape of Death Stranding, to the enchanting universe of Amerzone, or even the magical, playful world of a Super Mario game.

Well, the Horizon S MAX doesn’t just help you escape reality, it does it in a way that feels more realistic than ever.
It doesn’t just show you the world, it puts you in the shoes of the character you’re controlling. Literally.

If I had to rate the Horizon S MAX on its gaming performance, I’d easily give it a 10 out of 10. It absolutely deserves it.

3D Performance

For 3D lovers like myself, I have both good news and bad news. Where should I start? Okay, let’s get the bad news out of the way first, you asked for it! 😊

The Horizon S MAX is not compatible with frame-packing 3D, which means you can forget about watching your Blu-ray 3D discs. Why XGIMI?Why?

I have to admit, I was deeply disappointed when I found this out, especially since, unless I missed something, it’s not mentioned anywhere in the official specs. I’m not sure whether this limitation is due to a hardware constraint or if it might be added in a future firmware update. But for now, there is no frame-packing option available in the 3D menu of the projector.

Side-by-side and top-and-bottom 3D modes are both available, and of course, I wasn’t going to skip testing them. I absolutely had to experience 3D on this projector, even if only through these formats. So, with mixed feelings, I loaded up my first test file, Dune: Part One in SBS (Side-by-Side) format, and selected the matching option in the Horizon S MAX 3D menu. Playback started immediately.

Wait a minute… What am I seeing?!

Incredible depth, smooth motion, beautiful colors, and an image so bright and easy on the eyes, I honestly felt like I wasn’t even wearing 3D glasses. Wow.
It was such a great experience, I ended up watching the entire movie all over again even though I’ve already seen it two or three times. The colors were perfect, gamma and white balance were spot on, and both contrast and black level felt just so 2D right. It was easily one of the most comfortable 3D viewings I’ve had with active glasses. Naturally, I went for a second round and what better follow-up than Avatar: The Way of Water in SBS 3D?

Unfortunately, this time the results were… the exact opposite. The moment the movie started, I felt something was off. I even checked if I needed to switch polarity on my glasses but no, everything was set correctly. The image had average depth, noticeable ghosting, blown-out highlights, and overall, the viewing experience was tiring and uncomfortable. I stopped watching after about 15 minutes because it actually started to make me feel nauseous.

After that, I played a few 3D trailers on YouTube, and once again, the image was so impressive. Honestly, I don’t know what to say, that’s exactly why I usually prefer watching 3D content through frame-packing Blu-ray discs. I just don’t fully trust these compressed SBS files, the quality varies too much.

The Horizon S MAX left me with mixed feelings when it comes to 3D playback. It can deliver amazing results, but it also seems a bit unpredictable depending on the source material.

One important thing I should point out: When you activate 3D mode from the projector’s menu, you cannot adjust any picture settings, not even laser power which is disappointing. However, there is a workaround, you can temporarily turn off 3D, make any adjustments you want, and then re-enable 3D. The settings you’ve applied will stay in effect.

Sound Performance

This is, without a doubt, one of the Horizon S MAX’s strongest features. The built-in 24W stereo Harman Kardon sound system is among the best I’ve ever heard in a lifestyle projector, and perhaps not just in its category. It’s beautifully tuned, delivering clear dialogue, crisp effects, and rich sound balance that’s hard to find even in more expensive models.

What truly impressed me was how well-balanced everything sounded, whether it was a movie, a series, or a music video. Voices never get lost in the mix, sound effects stay sharp and detailed, and the background sounds always feels present but never overwhelming. Highs, mids, and lows all come through naturally, creating a well-rounded audio experience that fits every type of content.

Another big plus is how consistent the audio performance remains across all volume levels. Whether you’re watching late at night at low volume or filling the room with the sound adjusted to be as loud as possible during an action scene, the system maintains the same excellent clarity and balance, no distortion, no drop in quality.

There are four available sound modes. After testing them all, I found that “Standard” is probably the most balanced overall, with “Movie” coming in a close second. Both offer a natural sound profile, but Standard seems to maintain the best balance across different types of content.

There are only two sound effect options available. The “Harman Kardon Original” setting is by far the best, offering powerful, well-balanced audio with excellent dynamics.
On the other hand, “DTS Virtual:X” is rather disappointing. It seems unable to properly manage the different audio channels, which results in a lack of balance between effects, dialogue and music.

Honestly, I would rate the Horizon S MAX sound performance a solid 10 out of 10. In my opinion, this is the most complete and polished sound system I’ve ever experienced in a projector of this type. XGIMI and Harman Kardon have clearly done their homework.

Operation Noise – Temperature – Power Consumption

The Horizon S MAX is one of the quietest projectors I’ve tested. You can hardly hear it running, it almost feels like there is no fan inside at all. Even when using the projector at full brightness (power level 10+), the cooling system stays very quiet and never becomes distracting. This quiet performance is likely thanks to its very low operating temperature. Even after watching a full movie or using the projector for several hours, it remains so cool that you’d never guess powerful laser and LED light sources are running inside. It’s genuinely impressive what XGIMI has achieved with its thermal design.

Producing over 3,100 lumens at only 153W, the Horizon S MAX achieves an electrical-to-light conversion that must be a record. I’ve prepared a chart to show the power consumption of the Horizon S MAX at different laser power levels, as well as the difference between Dual Light 2.0 and Pure Laser modes.

When the laser power is set to level 1, the Horizon S MAX consumes just 57W (or only 51W if you disable the Dual Light 2.0 engine). That means you can leave it on all night, projecting a calming nebula onto your ceiling using the XGIMI Wall app, without worrying about your electricity bill or the longevity of the projector itself. At this setting, the Horizon S MAX is barely even trying… it’s practically yawning…

Let me give you one more detail that shows just how much this company values quality and long-term reliability. The power supply of the Horizon S MAX doesn’t just look like a high-end industrial-grade component, it performs like one too. It delivers a full 300W of output, which is twice the maximum power the projector actually consumes.

What does this mean in real-world use? It means the power supply runs cool, stable, and under very little stress, even at full brightness. That kind of over-spec engineering is rare in this category and clearly shows XGIMI’s commitment to durability and long-term performance.

Honestly, even with all my experience in projectors, I still find myself pleasantly surprised by what the latest laser models can achieve. We are now seeing something that, just a few years ago, felt almost impossible: high brightness, low power consumption, and near-silent operation, all at incredibly low operating temperatures.

For those of us who have been in this field since the days when high-pressure lamp projectors were dominant, this kind of progress feels almost unbelievable. What used to require noisy fans, a lot of energy producing extreme heat, is now done coolly and efficiently by compact machines like the Horizon S MAX. It’s a true testament to how far projection technology has come, and perhaps how much better it’s about to get.

A video with the XGIMI Horizon S MAX in action is coming soon… stay tuned!

My Opinion about XGIMI Horizon S MAX

The XGIMI Horizon S MAX is a rare example of a projector that truly combines lifestyle design with serious performance. From its sleek and compact body to its bright, speckle-free image and the surprisingly powerful Harman Kardon sound system, it delivers far more than what you’d expect from its size and price.

Whether you want a projector for casual, everyday use or as a full TV replacement, the Horizon S MAX is more than capable. Its simplicity, whisper-quiet operation, excellent factory calibration, and modern feature set (including Dolby Vision and IMAX Enhanced support) make it ideal for almost any home setup, especially when you consider how quick and easy it is to install and use it.

If you can live with a single HDMI input and deep black levels are not your top priority, this projector has very few compromises. In return, it gives you a vibrant bright image, excellent sound quality, ultra-low power consumption, and an overall experience that clearly stands above most lifestyle projectors in its class, and all of this comes at a very reasonable price.

The Horizon S MAX is much more than just a projector, it’s a complete lifestyle entertainment system. It’s bright, quiet, energy-efficient, laser speckle–free, with amazing gaming capabilities and comes with a fully integrated Google smart interface and an impressive audio performance as a bonus. And when you’re not watching anything, the XGIMI Wall app gives it a second life, turning your space into a digital canvas that refreshes the mood and atmosphere of your entire room. Well done XGIMI.

✅ Pros

• Excellent build quality and compact design

• Very bright, with a wide brightness adjustment range

• Silent operation and low heat, even at full power

• Dual Light 2.0 engine dramatically reduces laser speckle

• Factory-calibrated with accurate white balance and gamma

• Harman Kardon sound system delivers rich, high-quality audio

• Very low power consumption (as low as 57W)

• Supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, and IMAX Enhanced

• Android TV 11 with Google Assistant

• XGIMI Wall app adds real lifestyle value and ambient decor features

• Excellent gaming performance

❌ Cons

• Only one HDMI port

• Native on/off contrast is relatively low

• No support for frame-packed 3D content (e.g. 3D Blu-ray)

• Limited access to advanced image settings in HDR and Dolby Vision modes

Until next time, take care, and don’t forget to enjoy your home cinema to the fullest.

Nikos Tsolas