Valerion VisionMaster Max projector review: Near-perfect image quality comes at a price

Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products . Steve Dent for Engadget Steve Dent for Engadget Steve Dent for Engadget The famously darkGame of ThronesNight King battle scene was easy to see on the VisionMaster Max.(Steve Dent for Engadget) Steve Dent for Engadget Valerion VisionMaster Max projector review: Near-perfect image quality comes at a price The projector offers inky blacks, high color accuracy and anti-rainbow tech, but costs a lot more than its rivals. After a widely hyped and successful Kickstarter campaign , Valerion’s 4K VisionMaster Max laser projector has finally arrived. It’s the company’s new flagship model in the VisionMaster series, offering better image quality and more convenience than its other models. However, it’s quite expensive and has some stiff competition from Anker’s Nebula X1 and XGIMI’s Horizon 20 Max. I was eager to see how it compared to those models and if it delivers on Valerion’s promise of “pure cinema.” It does offer better image quality, but the difference isn’t quite enough to justify the big jump in price for most users. Valerion’s VisionMaster Max delivers outstanding image quality thanks to its triple-laser system and dynamic iris. However, it’s not worth the extra money over rival projectors for most people. Category-leading image quality Simple automatic setup Beautiful design Dolby Atmos and DTX support Expensive Built-in sound is mediocre $3,999 at Amazon Features and design The VisionMaster Max has a classy squarish design with a glossy black finish up front and chrome fins on the side that house two 12W speakers. It’s smaller and fit my decor better than Nebula’s tall, plasticky X1, though to be fair the latter is also designed for outdoor use. The VisionMaster Max has a similar form factor to XGIMI’s Horizon 20 Max, but that model pivots on its stand, while the Valerion uses a kickstand-like support. For setup, the VisionMaster Max is quite flexible. It comes with a 0.9-1.5x optical zoom, so it can be installed between 7.8 and 13 feet away for a 120-inch screen size, which covers a wide range of scenarios. It also features a +/- 105 percent vertical shift option that helps you get an optically perfect screen fit without moving the projector or employing digital “keystone” adjustments that affect picture quality. If that still doesn’t work, you can swap out the included lens with a long-throw 0.9-2.0:1 option once it becomes available. The company has even promised an anamorphic lens for users with CinemaScope screens. Both of those items will be available for purchase separately with the prices yet to be disclosed. For my space, I placed the VisionMaster Max on a table about 12 feet from my 120-inch screen and centered it horizontally as there’s no horizontal shift option (it can also be ceiling mounted, of course). Then, I went into the auto-alignment setting, made sure that the projected...

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