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  1. Home
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XGIMI AURA 2 vs Horizon S Max

Which Projector Is Better?

    Top
    Main Differences
    Picture Quality
      BrightnessNative ContrastColor GamutPre-Calibration Color AccuracyPost-Calibration Color Accuracy
    Design
      ImagingOpticsPortabilityNoise
    Inputs
      Inputs & ConnectivitySupported ResolutionsVariable Refresh RateInput LagHDR Format SupportAudio Passthrough3D
    Features
      Smart Features & SoundIn The Box
    Comments

Products

XGIMI AURA 2
XGIMI Horizon S Max

Tested using Methodology v0.11

Updated Jan 21, 2026 08:27 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.11

Updated Feb 09, 2026 08:08 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
XGIMI AURA 2 Picture
XGIMI Horizon S Max Picture
Native Resolution
Pixel Shift 4k
Imaging Technology
DLP
Light Source
LED + Laser
Native Resolution
Pixel Shift 4k
Imaging Technology
DLP
Light Source
LED + Laser
  1. Recommended in 4 articles:
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  5. 1

Our Verdict

XGIMI AURA 2

XGIMI Horizon S Max

It's very close, but the XGIMI Horizon S Max is a bit better than the XGIMI AURA 2. They're very similar in image quality, but the Max has the edge in colors. Its biggest advantage over the AURA 2, however, is in portability: the AURA 2 is a massive unit, while the Max is smaller and has a fully rotating stand.

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Variants

  • AURA 2 (Moonlight Sand)
  • Horizon S Max (White)

Review

See XGIMI AURA 2 Review
See XGIMI Horizon S Max Review
4 
1 

Check Price

Moonlight Sand
AURA 2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
Horizon S Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Moonlight Sand
AURA 2
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B&H
White
Horizon S Max
SEE PRICE
XGIMI
Moonlight Sand
AURA 2
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White
Horizon S Max
SEE PRICE
B&H
Moonlight Sand
AURA 2
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XGIMI
White
Horizon S Max
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Moonlight Sand
AURA 2
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White
Horizon S Max
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Main Differences for
Movies

Threshold 

0.10

Movies 
 

8.2
8.4

Color Gamut 
 

7.9
9.3

Full Comparison

Picture Quality

Brightness 
 

8.2
8.1

Brightness Measurement Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
XGIMI AURA 2 Brightness Measurement Picture
Compare High-Res
XGIMI Horizon S Max Brightness Measurement Picture

White Light Output 
 

1,544 lm
1,524 lm

Color Light Output 
 

1,559 lm
1,387 lm

Brightness Uniformity 
 

96%
97%

Screen Brightness 
 

178 cd/m²
176 cd/m²
Show Text 

Native Contrast 
 

8.3
8.3

APL Native Contrast  

 Preview Graph
XGIMI AURA 2 APL Native Contrast
 Preview Graph
XGIMI Horizon S Max APL Native Contrast
 Compare in Graph Tool

0.1% APL Native Contrast 
 

1,967 : 1
1,582 : 1

0.5% APL Native Contrast 
 

1,931 : 1
1,567 : 1

1% APL Native Contrast 
 

1,827 : 1
1,544 : 1

5% APL Native Contrast 
 

1,390 : 1
1,398 : 1

10% APL Native Contrast 
 

1,066 : 1
1,227 : 1

15% APL Native Contrast 
 

869 : 1
1,100 : 1

25% APL Native Contrast 
 

620 : 1
907 : 1

50% APL Native Contrast 
 

370 : 1
631 : 1

Native Full-On/Full-Off Contrast 
 

2,097 : 1
1,602 : 1

Full-On/Full-Off Contrast 
 

2,082 : 1
1,602 : 1
Show Text 

Color Gamut 
 

7.9
9.3

Gamut Picture - Rec. 709 
 

Compare High-Res
XGIMI AURA 2 Gamut Picture - Rec. 709
Compare High-Res
XGIMI Horizon S Max Gamut Picture - Rec. 709

Rec. 709 xy 
 

94.26%
103.10%

Rec. 709 uv 
 

93.86%
103.39%

Gamut Picture - Rec. 2020 
 

Compare High-Res
XGIMI AURA 2 Gamut Picture - Rec. 2020
Compare High-Res
XGIMI Horizon S Max Gamut Picture - Rec. 2020

Rec. 2020 xy 
 

65.36%
83.00%

Rec. 2020 uv 
 

78.43%
91.38%
Show Text 

Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy 
 

8.5
8.4

Pre White Balance Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
XGIMI AURA 2 Pre White Balance Picture
Compare High-Res
XGIMI Horizon S Max Pre White Balance Picture

Pre Gamma Curve Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
XGIMI AURA 2 Pre Gamma Curve Picture
Compare High-Res
XGIMI Horizon S Max Pre Gamma Curve Picture

Pre Color Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
XGIMI AURA 2 Pre Color Picture
Compare High-Res
XGIMI Horizon S Max Pre Color Picture

White Balance dE 
 

1.66
2.04

Color dE 
 

2.24
2.00

Gamma 
 

2.16
2.16

Color Temperature 
 

6,730 K
6,882 K

Picture Mode 
 

Custom
Custom

Color Temp Setting 
 

Warm
Standard

Gamma Setting 
 

2.2
2.2
Show Text 

Post-Calibration Color Accuracy 
 

8.6
9.4

Post White Balance Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
XGIMI AURA 2 Post White Balance Picture
Compare High-Res
XGIMI Horizon S Max Post White Balance Picture

Post Gamma Curve Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
XGIMI AURA 2 Post Gamma Curve Picture
Compare High-Res
XGIMI Horizon S Max Post Gamma Curve Picture

Post Color Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
XGIMI AURA 2 Post Color Picture
Compare High-Res
XGIMI Horizon S Max Post Color Picture

White Balance dE 
 

1.62
0.80

Color dE 
 

2.25
0.83

Gamma 
 

2.17
2.17

Color Temperature 
 

6,513 K
6,537 K

White Balance Calibration 
 

2 point
2 point

Color Calibration 
 

Yes
Yes

Picture Mode 
 

Custom
Custom
Show Text 
Design

Imaging 
 

Style Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
XGIMI AURA 2 Style Picture
Compare High-Res
XGIMI Horizon S Max Style Picture

Imaging Technology 
 

DLP
DLP

Light Source 
 

LED + Laser
LED + Laser

Spectral Power Distribution 
 

Compare High-Res
XGIMI AURA 2 Spectral Power Distribution
Compare High-Res
XGIMI Horizon S Max Spectral Power Distribution
Show Text 

Optics 
 

Optical Zoom 
 

No
No

Focus 
 

Auto Focus
Auto Focus

Keystone 
 

Auto Keystone
Auto Keystone

Aspect Ratio 
 

16 : 9
16 : 9

Minimum Throw Ratio 
 

0.18
1.20

Maximum Throw Ratio 
 

0.18
1.20

Horizontal Lens Shift 
 

N/A
N/A

Vertical Lens Shift 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Portability 
 

4.5
6.0

Dimension Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
XGIMI AURA 2 Dimension Picture
Compare High-Res
XGIMI Horizon S Max Dimension Picture

Height  

5.7" (14.4 cm)
9.3" (23.5 cm)

Width  

20.1" (51.0 cm)
10.6" (27.0 cm)

Depth  

10.6" (27.0 cm)
6.9" (17.5 cm)

Weight 
 

17.6 lbs (8.0 kg)
10.6 lbs (4.8 kg)
Show Text 

Noise 
 

8.0
7.3

Noise @ Maximum Brightness Video  

Noise @ Maximum Brightness 
 

47.2dBA
51.1dBA
Show Text 
Inputs

Inputs & Connectivity 
 

Inputs Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
XGIMI AURA 2 Inputs Picture
Compare High-Res
XGIMI Horizon S Max Inputs Picture

HDMI 
 

3 (3x HDMI 2.0)
1 (HDMI 2.0)

HDMI 2.1 Rated Speed 
 

No HDMI 2.1
No HDMI 2.1

USB Data Ports 
 

3
2

Audio Out 3.5mm  

1
0

Digital Optical Audio Out  

1
0

Wi-Fi  

Yes
Yes

Ethernet Speed  

100Mbps
No Ethernet
Show Text 

Supported Resolutions 
 

7.3
7.3

Native Resolution 
 

Pixel Shift 4k
Pixel Shift 4k

4k @ 60Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

4k @ 120Hz 
 

No
No

1440p @ 60Hz 
 

Scaled (Forced)
Scaled (Forced)

1440p @ 120Hz 
 

No
No

1080p @ 60Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 
 

Yes
Yes

1080p @ 120Hz 
 

No
No

1080p Maximum Refresh Rate 
 

60 Hz
60 Hz
Show Text 

Variable Refresh Rate 
 

VRR 
 

No
No

Input Lag 
 

7.1
7.1

4k @ 60Hz 
 

19.7
19.3

4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode 
 

144.5
143.4

4k @ 120Hz 
 

N/A
N/A

1080p @ 60Hz 
 

19.8
19.6

1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode 
 

144.6
143.5

1080p @ 120Hz 
 

N/A
N/A

1080p @ Max Refresh Rate 
 

19.8
19.6
Show Text 

HDR Format Support  

HDR10 
 

Yes
Yes

HDR10+ 
 

No
No

Dolby Vision 
 

Yes
Yes

HLG 
 

Yes
Yes

Audio Passthrough 
 

ARC/eARC 
 

Yes (eARC)
Yes (eARC)

eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus 
 

Yes
No

eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 
 

Yes
No

eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT 
 

Yes
No

eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 
 

Yes
No

eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA 
 

No
No

eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 
 

No
No

eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream) 
 

2.0
0

ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1 
 

Yes
No

ARC: DTS 5.1 
 

Yes
No

Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1 
 

Yes
No

Optical: DTS 5.1 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 

3D  

3D Support 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 
Features

Smart Features & Sound 
 

Smart OS 
 

Android
Android

Cast Capable 
 

Yes
Yes

Speaker(s) 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
XGIMI AURA 2 In The Box Picture
Compare High-Res
XGIMI Horizon S Max In The Box Picture
Show Text 

Check Price

Moonlight Sand
AURA 2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
Horizon S Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Moonlight Sand
AURA 2
SEARCH
B&H
White
Horizon S Max
SEE PRICE
XGIMI
Moonlight Sand
AURA 2
SEARCH
BestBuy.com
White
Horizon S Max
SEE PRICE
B&H
Moonlight Sand
AURA 2
SEARCH
XGIMI
White
Horizon S Max
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Moonlight Sand
AURA 2
SEARCH
Walmart.com
White
Horizon S Max
SEARCH
BestBuy.com
Back to Top

XGIMI AURA 2

XGIMI Horizon S Max

Comments

  1. Comparison
 • Posted 6 months ago

XGIMI AURA 2 vs XGIMI Horizon S Max: Main Discussion

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