BenQ X500i Projector Review: Hail the Short (Pulse) King

There are three broad categories in the projector world. At one end are traditional projectors (long throw), which sit about 10 feet away from a 100-inch screen, sometimes even farther. At the other end are ultra-short throw projectors, which sit just a few inches away from the screen. In between are short throw models like the BenQ X500i, which sit about 5 feet away from the screen and potentially offer larger images for table placement and smaller rooms.

The X500i also has 4K resolution, a quad-LED light engine with serious light output potential, and Android TV built in. So the BenQ is promising a lot on paper. It also comes with a hefty price tag of $1,700.

Impressively, the X500i justifies this price with its excellent performance across the board. It has one of the best contrast ratios I’ve tested in many years, above-average brightness, excellent detail and produces generally great images. Because of the “leg room” required, the BenQ X500i will only fit into certain rooms, but in those rooms it does, it delivers impressive image quality.

Features and so on

• Resolution: 3,840×2,160
• HDR compatible: yes
• 4K compatible: yes
• 3D compatible: yes
• Lumen specification: 2,200
• Zoom: 1.2x
• Lens shift: no
• Lamp life (normal mode): 20,000 (30,000 in ECO mode)

The X500i is a 4K HDR projector with all the typical features. It also has 3D compatibility if you’re still interested and have compatible glasses. No projector Take full advantage of HDR contentbut BenQ’s tone mapping isn’t bad so far, so there’s no harm in having that compatibility.

The unit offers a bit of optical zoom, about the same as most other projectors in this range. This is enough to give you some flexibility in how far away you need to position the projector to fill a given screen size. There’s no lens shift, which is pretty rare on DLP projectors, but BenQ’s own, cheaper HT2060 And TK860i both of them have it.

Rated at 2,200 lumens, I was expecting a fairly bright projector. In its most accurate mode, I measured 911 lumens, which isn’t bad, but it’s not amazing. In the brighter but greener Bright mode, I was able to get 1,549. I’ve definitely measured brighter projectors, especially ones that are similarly priced. Xgimi Horizon Ultrabut this is more than enough for 100-inch screens and even slightly larger ones.

Where the X500i really stands out is its contrast ratio. I measured 1,990:1 average, the best I’ve measured since $4,000 Epson LS11000 two years ago. That’s an impressive number, six times better than the aforementioned Xgimi and nearly 50% better than our Editors’ Choice winner, the Xgimi. BenQ HT2060Only the BenQ X300G (which I’ll be reviewing soon) rivals its tag-mate at 1,762:1. Like the X300G, I suspect there could be a slight brightness boost in the LED light engine to bump that number up a bit, but when viewed alongside actual content it subjectively looks every bit as great as that number suggests.

Like most new projectors, the X500i eschews the mercury-filled UHP lamp and instead uses the aforementioned LEDs. In this case, it’s a quad-LED design with an extra LED to add additional brightness on top of the typical RGB. This configuration is rated for 20,000 hours, which is basically the projector’s lifespan. If you’re watching for four hours a night, that’s around 14 years.

Links

• HDMI inputs: 2
• USB port: 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A
• Audio output: speakers (5Wx2), HDMI ARC, optical, Bluetooth, 3.5mm analog
• Control: RS-232
• Internet: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4G/5G)
• Operating System: Android TV
• Remote control: backlit

Two HDMI inputs are actually generous when you consider that the X500i includes an Android TV streaming stick that doesn’t require HDMI – it has its own connections hidden behind a removable panel on the back of the projector.

The two 5W speakers are sufficient. They don’t have much bass (not surprising), but they are clear and loud enough to enjoy a movie. With any projector, sound bar or buyer and speakers are a valuable addition.

The remote control is backlit, connects to the streaming stick via Bluetooth, and provides quick access to frequently used features and settings.

Image quality comparisons

BenQ TK860i

BenQ X300G

Check out this rare single-brand projector comparison! The TK860i is a new 4K projector that’s a bit cheaper but performed well in our tests. It’s not short-throw, but it could be a bit brighter. The X300G has very similar specs to the X500i and comes in a cute, cube-shaped design, but it’s not short-throw. I hooked these three up to a Monoprice 1×4 distribution amplifier and watched them side by side on a 102-inch 1.0 gain screen.

Starting with light output, the X500i and TK860i are pretty much the same, with just over 900 lumens in their most accurate mode, Cinema mode. If you remove that restriction, both can do a lot more in their visible Green Bright mode. In this mode, you get about 25% more light than the TK860i. The X300G is a step behind, with all of them being about 25% dimmer in Cinema mode. In its Greenish Bright mode, it can do about 25% more light than the others in their accurate mode, but it’s a lot less than what they can produce in their brightest mode.

What really sets the three apart is the contrast ratio. The TK860i’s is a bit below average. I measured it at around 551:1. That’s not terrible, but it’s competing against two of the best performers of the last few years here. The 1,990:1 I measured from the X500i is outstanding, and the best I’ve measured in a few years. The X300G is right behind at 1,762:1. So both appear to have much better depth and realism than the TK860i.

The X500i’s color is also more vibrant than the TK860i. There are rich, natural-looking greens, blues, and reds, but there are also truly accurate midtones that lead to healthy-looking skin tones, realistic variations in the greens of grass, and so on. The X300G is similar in this regard, but not as good. The TK860i is a step behind. It’s not bad, but it’s not as colorful or accurate. Color temperature is also a bit less “real,” making the image appear a bit cooler than its more accurate X siblings.

Detail is pretty much the same across all three, but that’s not surprising since they’re all 4K. All three are DLP, meaning there’s no motion blur, something that can’t be said for any other current display technology, so they all look sharper than a similar-resolution LCD projector in many cases.

Overall, the X500i stands out from the others here, with its punchy contrast, excellent colour and above-average brightness. The TK860i’s extra light output may come in handy in some situations, but on all but the largest screens, the X500i will produce a better-looking image.

Close-up contestant

The X500i’s performance is so good that I wish it wasn’t a short-throw projector. That’s entirely down to how my home cinema setup is, and it’s impossible to get such a projector into position properly. Contrast is great, it’s bright enough, and colors are accurate and vibrant. It has all the makings of a great projector, but with the caveat that short-throw projectors aren’t for everyone. The same can be said for “normal” projectors, of course, but if you have a room already set up for a projector, it can be difficult to reconfigure it for something like the X500i.

There’s also the price tag. With top-tier performance, 4K, and streaming included, the BenQ was never going to be cheap. Throw in a regular (but unnecessary) short-throw “tax,” and suddenly the X500i looks pretty expensive compared to some other 4K projectors. But if you have a smaller room or can only place the projector fairly close to the screen, the X500i can produce absolutely stunning images. So stunning, it’s worth the extra few hundred dollars over lesser short-throws.