The XGIMI AURA is a 4k HDR Ultra Short Throw (UST) projector. It's capable of projecting on large surfaces from a very short distance: it projects an 80" image at a distance of 4.3" and up to 150" at 17.3". The projector comes with 8-Point and 4-Point Keystone correction technology to help eliminate trapezoid effects if you've installed it off-center or at an angle. The projector uses a laser light source with a lamp life of at least 20000 hours. It comes with Android TV with Chromecast built-in, with three HDMI 2.0 ports, each capable of 4k @ 60Hz. Finally, it supports DTS and Dolby advanced audio formats and has four integrated 15W Harman/Kardon speakers.
Our Verdict
The XGIMI AURA is decent for watching movies. Its native contrast is very good, and its brightness is okay, leading to deep blacks and a somewhat bright image when watched in a dark room. Unfortunately, the projector's color accuracy before calibration is bad, and it lacks any color calibration to significantly improve the colors after calibration, so it's not the projector for color purists.
- Very good contrast for deep blacks in dark rooms.
- Ultra Short Throw technology allows large screens from a very short distance.
- Dull and inaccurate colors.
Changelog
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Updated Feb 10, 2025:
We mentioned the newly reviewed XGIMI AURA 2 in the Differences Between Variants and the Compared To Other Projectors sections of this review.
- Updated Sep 30, 2024: Mentioned the newly reviewed Samsung The Premiere LPU7D in the Color Gamut section of this review.
- Updated Aug 02, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 0.9. We've overhauled our Contrast tests, as we now measure contrast at various average pixel levels (APL). You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Mar 18, 2024: We mentioned the newly-reviewed Formovie THEATER in the Post-Calibration Color Accuracy section of this review.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the XGIMI AURA. It has a successor, the XGIMI AURA 2. While they have a similar feature set, the AURA 2 is brighter, has more HDR formats, and has a more modern feature set. You can see the primary differences between the two units in the table below.
| Model | Luminance (Lumens) | HDR Formats | Light Source | Bluetooth | Smart OS | Auto Keystone/Autofocus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AURA 2 | 2400 | HDR10, Dolby Vision, IMAX Enhanced | LED + Laser | 5.2/BLE | Android TV 11 | Yes |
| AURA | 1800 | HDR10 | Laser | 5.0 | Android TV 10 | No |
See our unit's label.
Popular Projector Comparisons
The XGIMI AURA is packed with technology, and its Ultra Short Throw (UST) lens projects very large images from a very short distance. Still, it's very expensive for what you're getting. The Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS300 is another UST laser projector that's cheaper than the XGIMI and better due to its significantly higher brightness and image accuracy. However, it's only a 1080p projector, so it doesn't look as sharp as the XGIMI when projecting on large surfaces. The AURA also has a successor, the XGIMI AURA 2. The newer model is better in every way and is also now more widely available than the original.
Check out our recommendations for the best short-throw projectors and the best projectors. If you'd prefer a cheaper unit, look up the best cheap projectors instead.
The Hisense PX1-PRO is a bit better than the XGIMI AURA. The Hisense is a bit more colorful due to its wider color gamut and is much more color-accurate both prior and after calibration. However, the XGIMI has better contrast and looks better in a dark room.
The Samsung The Premiere LSP7T and the XGIMI AURA are similar projectors, but the XGIMI is better overall. They're both Ultra Short Throw projectors, so they can project very large images from a very short distance. The XGIMI has significantly better contrast and looks much better in a dark room. Still, the Samsung has a wider color gamut, and while both projectors have inaccurate colors out-of-the-box, the Samsung's colors are much more accurate than the XGIMI's after calibration.
The Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS300 is better than the XGIMI AURA. They're both ultra-short-throw (UST) projectors, which can project large images from very short distances. The XGIMI is a 4k projector, so its image looks sharper overall and is better in a dark room due to its better contrast. However, the Epson is significantly brighter and has vastly better image accuracy, so it looks truer to the content creator's intent.
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra is better than the XGIMI AURA. The Ultra is significantly brighter than the AURA and has superior image accuracy. The Ultra also has full auto keystone correction and autofocus, which the AURA lacks, so the Ultra is easier to set up correctly. However, due to its Ultra Short Throw lens, the AURA can project large images at much smaller distances. Otherwise, the Ultra is better.
We've independently bought and tested over 80 projectors and published detailed results for each, so you can decide which one to buy. These have all been tested under the same standardized methodology, allowing you to compare them side by side. We still have all these projects in our lab, so we can continually go back and compare them to ensure our reviews are still accurate. All our test methodologies are also public on our website, so you can validate the results yourself.
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