The biggest screen I own is a Sony 55-inch 4K TV. It works well enough, and I bought it with an Xbox One X about seven years ago. For a television it does its job for response time while gaming. When I can stream in 4K it is still a sight to behold, and I am pleased with it. My only issue? I can’t believe I’m going to say it, but it seems small (considering I was thrilled with a 19-inch tube just 20 years ago). Needless to say, when Yaber asked me to test a projector that throws a 150-inch screen on my wall, I’m all in.
I pop open the box to the Yaber Ace K1 and find a beautifully designed projector with a tightly woven fabric top. Additionally, Yaber includes a remote (no batteries), HDMI cord, power cable, and AV cable. It works right out of the box with no setup needed. Sincerely, I just plug it in and it’s good to go. My first test is a quick wireless Netflix stream of Jim Gaffigan from my phone.
I’m a bit bummed as the device chooses to use Miracast as opposed to Chromecast. I find Chromecast to be faster and better quality. The picture looks alright if not slightly faded. It is literally just a duplication of my phone, but the nice thing is it doesn’t stop when my screen goes off which helps with my phone battery. This is a big win in my book. Although, I am hoping it gets better as I test other device connections. Thankfully, the World Cup is here and offers the prime opportunity. I plug in a Roku device and my mouth drops.
I hop on my treadmill and begin to watch Belgium take on Canada. Both the 1080p resolution (4K support) and 12,000:1 contrast ratio make the picture gorgeous. My kids come running into the room to see what all the fuss is about. “WHOOOAAAA!” they say, “this is awesome.” They are right – it is awesome. I get the screen to about 125-inches due to the size of my room, and it auto-focuses with ease. The image is bright, smooth, and crisp. There is absolutely no noticeable motion blur in the high-speed game either. This is something some TVs cannot boast about while streaming (this TV is great though!).
The Ace K1 looks best (as projectors do) in dim light, but even with windows open or lights on I can clearly see the screen (just not quite as well). This is due to the 650 ANSI lumens built into the Ace K1. Keep in mind high end projectors with more lumens will run you well over $1000. For $499 ($299 Black Friday/Cyber Monday) this thing does a fantastic job. It even puts out some decent sound for how small it is.
I crank the sound thinking it will distort, but it does not. It boasts 15W stereo speakers and they really don’t disappoint for basic use. The projector sound is fine for sports and a few other streaming options for me. I will say, on movie nights, I will definitely want to hook up some additional speakers either via the aux port or Bluetooth 5.0.
During my time with the Yaber Ace K1, I keep asking myself why I haven’t ever bought a projector. It is a no-brainer for my space. I have an open room in my basement with a plain white wall just begging to be useful. Why the heck wouldn’t I project on it.
It definitely looks best when hard-wired (HDMI) with a device, and the sound and picture make this a blast to have for family gatherings. The projector will be great for outdoor movie nights in the summer. Overall, for the cost, the Yaber Ace K1 is a sweet little deal with a beautiful giant 150-inch return on investment.
