XGIMI Horizon 20 Max: Test / Review
Published on: 04-09-2025 / Modified: 04-09-2025
I tested my first XGIMI projector in January 2017, so it's been over 8 years at the time of writing. In 8 years, the world has changed, and so has the world of home video projection. XGIMI has clearly played a part in this democratization of home cinema, without being the benchmark in every field. With the launch of the new Horizon 20 range, available in 3 models (20, 20 Pro, 20 Max), I have the impression that XGIMI's engineers wanted to demonstrate all their know-how by bringing together all the best that is available today. These three new models are theoretically very bright, have ultra-high contrast, optical zoom, lens shift (a first!), super-high gaming frequency, compatibility with all recent formats (e.g. Dolby Vision) and lots more. That's all very well in theory, but these features still need to be verified in reality
I'm going to test the XGIMI Horizon 20 Max with my usual test protocol to check whether this new range lives up to what's been announced. The official launch is scheduled for October 15, 2025, but you can pre-order these 3 models from September 5 with an introductory offer valid until October 14. So, unless you're in a hurry, you can wait for my review while taking advantage of the launch offer, and I hope to publish my results in mid-September. It depends on when I get the projector.
Launch gifts: free XGIMI tripod (value: 199€), free Assassins Creed Shadows games (downloadable) and for the USA a 750$ discount. There will also be a competition if you share your experience, you could win a Vividstorm screen
To take advantage of the launch offer:
Launch offer
I don't yet know whether I'll be testing the other models, but in the meantime I'll give you my theoretical opinion on the other two
Manufacturer web site:
https://www.xgimi.com
Price XGIMI Horizon 20 Max
Not yet available / testedTimeline
September 5: XGIMI Horizon 20 range available for presale with giftsOctober 15: official launch
Why this projector?
If I compare the 3 models in the new Horizon 20 range, the only difference is the level of brightness. As was already the case with the previous range, brightness (and indirectly contrast) was the only difference between the S Max and S Pro. Both models were well below 2000 lumens, making daylight projection impossible. With the Horizon 20 range, the base model is advertised at 3200 lumens and the max model flirts with 6000 lumens. In theory, daylight use should be possible, and that's what you'll find out in this test.Beyond brightness, there are a number of other elements that interest me. First of all, there's the contrast, which is advertised with figures that don't seem realistic to me, but given that we're talking about a new generation here, even if the actual contrast is 50% of what's advertised, it's still very good. Then there's the optical zoom and, above all, the lens shift. How many times have I received messages from projector users (not just XGIMI) complaining about a gray border appearing around the image. In principle, with lens shift, this should no longer be the case, offering much greater flexibility of placement
The last point highlighted in the comparison is the display frequency. Why is this important? Being able to display a 240 Hz image will ensure exceptional fluidity for games, provided you have a source capable of exploiting this type of frequency. Just in time, I've just bought a second-hand XBOX Series X for my son, which can go up to 120 Hz. I'm not a regular gamer, but I'm attentive enough to this kind of thing to perceive the difference between 60 and 120 Hz.
Unpacking
Not yet available / testedOperating system
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Finish
Not yet available / testedProjection room
My projection room is rectangular, 4.6m by 2.9m (height 2.2m). I have two projection walls, one white wall 2.9m wide with just white paint with a possible 4m setback. I then have a 133 inch ALR screen on another wall with a possible setback of 2.8m. I mainly use the ALR screen except when the layout or type of projector is not suitable for this situation.Battery autonomy
Not yet available / testedPower consumption
Not yet available / testedOperating noise
Not yet available / testedImage quality
Not yet available / testedColorimetry
More explanations on colorimetry
Measuring color fidelity (colorimetry) is not a subjective question, it is something completely measurable. This measurement is carried out with a device (colorimeter, spectrometer, ...) which measures the difference between the real color and the displayed color. This difference is expressed in delta E (abbreviation: dE). A dE greater than 3 indicates a deviation perceptible to the human eye.
The dE must therefore be as low as possible but projectors rarely have a dE lower than 3 out of the box. They are often between 5 and 10, only a calibration can correctly adjust the colors.
For a perfect calibration, you must call a professional. I give you my parameters which correspond to my situation. These settings might work for your situation but it is not a guarantee, so take them as an indication of the direction to follow.
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Image Settings
Not yet available / tested
Brightness
More explanations on brightness
The brightness for a projector is absolutely crucial. The brightness is measured in ANSI lumens and the values provided by the manufacturer are very often higher than reality.
I measure the brightness with a lux meter and I convert my measurements into ANSI lumens in relation to the projection surface. You thus obtain a real value.
A video projector, even if it is bright, cannot compete with a television. The contribution of light (natural or artificial) will have the effect of drastically reducing the contrast of your image. With a brightness lower than 1000 ANSI lumens, the projector must be used in total darkness.
Not yet available / tested
Sharpness
Not yet available / tested
Contrast
More explanations on contrast
Contrast (on/off) is used to measure the difference between white and black. This measurement gives an indication of the ability of a projector to produce a good rendering in dark scenes.
A contrast lower than 500:1 should be considered as a very low contrast and the consequence will be especially visible in dark scenes where you will lose details. This is less of a problem for sports, bright films or even cartoons.
A low contrast ratio does not mean that a projector is not usable, you just have to be aware that for films like Aliens, dark scenes will no longer allow you to distinguish details.
Not yet available / tested
Motion compensation
More on Motion Compensation (MEMC)
Many projectors use a frequency of 60 Hz, which means that they broadcast 60 frames per second. Many films were designed to broadcast 24 frames per second. This means that for each second, the film does not have enough frames to fill the 60 frames broadcast by the projector.
This most often results in a jerkiness in the image. Some projectors are able to attenuate this jerkiness with a motion compensation system (also called MEMC). If you abuse this compensation, you will get what is called the 'soap opera' effect which makes the image a little artificial like the TV series of the 80s.
Not yet available / tested
Image size and projection distance
More explanations on the projection distance
The projection distance determines the size of the image and the size of the image is determined by the projector's throw ratio. If a projector has a throw ratio of 1.2, it will have an image width of 83 cm with possibly a gray border.
The distance also plays a role in the brightness because the brightness decreases with the square of the distance. A projector placed at 4 meters will therefore lose 4 times more brightness than a projector placed at 2 meters.
Keystone image correction does not modify the projection cone, it resizes the image inside the projection cone. This means that in the event of a significant correction, you will see a large gray border appear around your image.
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Screen choice
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Audio quality
More explanations on audio quality
I use several types of music tracks to illustrate the sound quality of the projector but the rendering will always be limited by the recording device. Since I always use the same device, you will be able to compare the difference on the same basis.
I regularly use well-known songs protected by copyright to illustrate the sound quality of a video projector. It therefore sometimes happens that YouTube decides to block my videos for these reasons. In this case, you can listen to the soundtracks directly on YouTube and hope that YouTube has not completely blocked my channel.
Not yet available / tested
Video games
More explanations video games
To be able to play in good conditions with a projector, the latency must be low. Latency is the reaction time between pressing a button on your controller and the reaction on the screen, this latency is expressed in milliseconds and is also called 'input lag'.
I measure this latency with a specialized device. To be able to play fast-paced FPS-type games online, you need to obtain a latency of less than 30 ms. For games where the reaction time is less important, a latency of less than 100ms should be suitable for most situations.
I generally test ShadowRunner from Geforce Now on my Nvidia Shield except when this is not possible. I'm not used to playing with a controller, so I'm not very good at it, but the point is to show the projector's ability, not mine.
Not yet available / tested
Encoutered bugs
Comparison Horizon 20 vs Horizon 20 Pro vs Horizon 20 Max
If you're new to the world of video projection, you're probably going to find it hard to make the right choice, especially when it comes to brightness levels. In principle, a projector is not designed to be used in daylight, but with the brightness levels advertised by XGIMI, I'm first going to make a small theoretical calculation, then validate this calculation with my actual measurements.
Brightness is determined by the light output of the source, the distance and therefore the image size. Brightness decreases with the square of the distance, so a projector placed 4 meters away will be 4 times less bright than one placed 2 meters away
I'm going to use a projection ratio of 1.2 as a basis. With this projection ratio you get an image of 83 cm per meter of distance from the projection surface. A projector placed 2 meters away will therefore produce an image 166 cm wide
Screen size 100 inches (neutral/white)
Brightness 3200 lumens: room with medium light possible
Brightness 4100 lumens: room with light possible
Brightness 5700 lumens: room with high light possible
This is all theoretical, of course, and you'll also need to check the impact on contrast, but it gives you an idea of the possibilities. This was not possible with the previous range.
ALR/CLR Projection screen
Are you looking for a good ALR/CLR screen for your projector? I may have what you need:ALR/CLR NothingProjector Screen
Test / Review conclusion
Not yet available / testedStrengths
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Weaknesses
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LAURENT WILLENHead of myself on this blog
I share my passions on my blog in my free time since 2006, I prefer that to watching nonsense on TV or on social networks. I work alone, I am undoubtedly one of the last survivors of the world of blogs and personal sites.
My speciality? Digital in all its forms. I have spent the last 25 years working for multinationals where I managed digital teams and generated revenues of over €500 million per year. I have expertise in telecoms, media, aviation, travel and tourism.
Questions/Comments