XGIMI Aura 4K ultra-short distance laser projector with 2400 ANSI lumens presented

Up to 150″ cinema experience

What strikes me first when looking at the table is that there aren’t that ultra many differences from the Xiaomi short-throw projector purely from the specs in the table. Both beamers work with DLP display technology, have a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels and a maximum screen diagonal of 150″ at the appropriate distance, which is about 3.8 meters.

In most cases, however, 4K does not mean native 4K, which is only possible with much more expensive projectors and then not very many. These then have a resolution of 4,096 x 2,160 pixels, in this case the resolution corresponds to UHD (Ultra High Definition) with 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. A 0.47″ DMD chip was installed for this.

For the 150″ screen diagonal, the short-throw projector must be placed 17.3″ away from the wall, which is the equivalent of about 44 cm. This should be possible with almost any standard TV wall. Logically, the closer the projector is to the wall, the smaller the projection will be.

To ensure that the projection really works flawlessly from this small distance, an automatic 8-point keystone correction must of course not be missing.

15 kilo lump

One of the few and very noticeable differences to the Xiaomi short-range beamer is that the Aura weighs a hefty 14.93 kg, as much as an average 3-year-old child. Accordingly, the dimensions of 60.6 x 40.1 x 13.95 cm are not exactly the smallest. However, this is quite legitimate, as this beamer is obviously not meant for on the go. While the weight can still be a point of criticism for some situations or mounting options, for simple stationary use on a TV bench it’s pretty minor, in my opinion. Moreover, it looks very stylish in very plain gray and simple lines.

The weight is also justified. Because the projector itself contains a lot. Among other things, we have an integrated harman/kardon sound system. This includes two tweeters and two woofers with 15W each. These are supposed to provide “crisp highs, dynamic mids and rich bass”. In addition, there is dts and Dolby Audio. The noise level is specified at under 30 dB.

In addition, the XGIMI Aura also offers quite a few ports: 3 x HDMI 2.0, 3 x USB 2.0, 1 x DC, 1 x LAN. In addition, there is a mini-USB, headphones and optical output.

2400 ANSI lumens for sufficient brightness

The XGIMI Aura promises us a sufficiently bright image with 2400 ANSI lumens. That is even 400 lumens more than the Xiaomi laser distance projector, which was already more than bright enough in our test. These are good prerequisites.

The XGIMI Aura advertises its exceptional brightness, which remains just as exceptional for years. This also supports the longevity of the laser light source, which is more than sufficient with 25000 hours, or 17 years and 4 hours.

3D cinema experience

With the XGIMI Aura, you can not only consume bright and crystal clear visuals, but also 3D footage. The matching glasses for this are not included. But the option is at least given to you.

The recordings you watch also become much more enjoyable to watch thanks to MEMC. This is a 60 Hz motion compensation technology that makes for a smoother experience.

Android TV, Google Assistant and Chromecast

To make its beamer evening even easier and more enjoyable, the XGIMI Aura short-throw beamer features Android TV as its operating system, as well as Google Assistant and Chromecast. Thus, operating the projector is quite simple and you do not have to get used to a brand-new operating system, at least probably in most cases.

New top model?

Let’s summarize: 4K resolution, 2400 ANSI lumens, DLP technology, four harman/kardon speakers, Android TV, 25000 hours of light and 150″ screen diagonal. That all sounds really more than convincing, but also for 2500€/£2149? Is it really better than the Xiaomi short-throw beamer or other comparable models? On the sheet, at least, it reads that way. A more than interesting beamer, I would say.