Hands on: Nebula X1 review

Nebula has produced a reliable stream of projectors over the last few years, from portable models such as the four-star Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air to pricier purchases such as the Cosmos Laser 4K projector.

Now, Nebula, which is owned by Anker, is launching another 4K projector that it says is a “cinema-grade outdoor entertainment system.”

The Nebula X1's (supposedly) portable design and easy setup mean it could be ideal for indoor and outdoor movie screenings.

However, a glance at the specs sheet reveals the projector needs an external power supply and is heavier than your average portable model. That means it could be better described as a 'coffee table projector' that can be easily packed away and moved outdoors if there is a power supply available.

Also available are two optional wireless speakers for proper surround sound wherever you are.

An intriguing proposition, to be sure, but is the Nebula X1 actually any good?

We won't deliver our final verdict until we've had a production sample in to our test rooms for comprehensive, comparative testing, but I was recently given the opportunity to see it in action in a swanky screening room and, so far, I'm impressed.

Price

The Nebula X1 will be available for £2200 / $2999 (around AU$4550) from 21st May.

There’s also an ‘accessory pack’ that includes the two wireless satellite speakers, a carry case and two wireless microphones (more on these shortly) for £500 / $999 (around AU$1040).

The price for the projector alone pits it against premium models such as the BenQ X3100i (£2099 / $2399 / AU$3599), which earned a What Hi-Fi? Award last year for its all-round picture performance.

Both of these projectors need an external power supply to operate. The BenQ doesn't support 4K/120Hz or Dolby Vision, though, which the X1 does.

When looking at the competition in the outdoor projector market, the Nebula X1 stands out as one of the largest and more expensive options, with the likes of the Epson EF-22 and the brand’s own Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air being much cheaper but more portable choices for a night of cinema in the fresh air.

It’s worth noting that Nebula is offering a special promotion from 21st May to 15th June, when you will be able to buy the projector with all of the accessories for £2350 / $3298 (around AU$4885).

The projector on its own is also available at a lower price of £2100 (around $2790 / AU$4370) during this period.

Design

The X1 has a fairly smart and neat design, including a bucket-like handle that can be activated with a touch. It is available in one colour: a light yet metallic-looking grey.

The projector measures 24 x 19 x 28cm and weighs 6.2kg. Those are pretty standard figures for a coffee table projector, but decidedly big numbers compared with those of most battery-operated portable models.

If you go for the bundle with the added satellite speakers, that will of course add on some weight, but even the full package seems portable enough for a short distance.

The projector features a built-in gimbal and can be placed on a projector stand, table, or the floor, with an optical engine and lens array that then tilts up to 25 degrees.

Features

The triple-laser X1 projector boasts a 4K resolution, a claimed 3500 ANSI lumens of brightness and can project an image up to 300 inches in size.

It also features so-called NebulaMaster technology, which the brand says can “improve contrast with enriched details in both bright and dark areas of the image.”

Nebula is also employing some AI smarts to make setup supposedly simpler. The brand’s AI Spatial Adaptation auto set-up includes real-time autofocus, keystone correction, ambient light adaptation and wall colour adaptation, which can all be switched on via the remote control.

For streaming capabilities, the Nebula X1 features the Google TV platform with Netflix built in. If you want to connect to a gaming system or Blu-ray player, the X1 also has two HDMI ports on the rear, including one with eARC for use with an external sound system.

Intriguingly, the X1 has an internal liquid cooling system – an industry first according to the company. Nebula says this helps keep noise to a whisper-like 26dB.

I certainly couldn't hear any whirring from the projector during the demo session, but I was sitting about two metres away from it and the demo perhaps wasn't long enough to seriously stress the cooling system.

This is an aspect that I'm particularly looking forward to testing extensively as part of the full review process.

Oh – and I got to hear the microphones included in that accessory pack we mentioned earlier.

They were used to introduce the projector, and had an unfortunate tendency to dip in and out when the speaker was talking.

Their main purpose seems to be for karaoke, and they may well work better in a home environment rather than a central London hotel screening room that's probably bombarded by competing wireless signals.

Picture

For the demo session, Nebula showed off the X1's 4K resolution with a showreel of nature footage.

The projector’s image was impressively crisp and bright, especially considering the screening was in a cinema room with a fair amount of ambient light, rather than perfect pitch black conditions.

When we got to a close-up shot of a majestic leopard (pictured above), I could see the fine detail of the big cat’s fur and the brightness of its eyes felt punchy yet natural.

The same went for a swooping shot of some rainforest trees, where the various shades of green looked vibrant but realistic.

In terms of the X1's performance with darker scenes, I was not treated to a huge amount of footage to show off shadow details, but one short clip of a galaxy suggested that it is capable of producing satisfyingly deep blacks by projector standards.

During the start of one clip, I did notice a slight judder in the image. This could have been down to a patchy signal in the hotel screening room, but it's certainly something we will dig into seriously once we have our review sample in for its full review.

Sound

During the demo session, the projector was paired with the optional battery-powered wi-fi satellite speakers. Each one of these speakers features four drivers, including up-firers drivers to create a more immersive experience. They also have up to eight hours of battery life.

Despite having up-firing drivers, the system doesn't support Dolby Atmos, but there was a fairly impressive degree of height and three-dimensionality to the presentation.

When watching the nature footage, for example, I could feel the beating of a bird’s wings moving around and over me in an impressive dome of sound.

Unfortunately, I wasn't given the opportunity to hear the projector without the additional wireless speakers, so the audio from the main unit alone remains a mystery for now.

Early verdict

We don't deliver a final verdict on any product based on a hands-on session, and we're not about to change that for the Nebula X1, but it's fair to say that I left the screening room fairly impressed by what I'd seen and heard.

It dazzled with its bright and vibrant picture quality, and provided a pleasingly sharp, detailed image. Projectors often overlook audio performance, and although we are yet to hear the X1 on its own, it certainly sounded impressively cinematic with the optional speakers.

I am slightly concerned about how portable the X1 really is with its beefy size and weight, however. For those looking for a lightweight and easy-to-carry projector, it seems unlikely that this will tick those boxes, especially as it relies on an external power supply.

We will only be able to judge all this properly once we have got it in to our dedicated test rooms. Considering the rival BenQ X3100i is now available at a lower price than at launch, the Nebula X1 will have to work to prove its worth to justify its cost.

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