The Amazon Spring Deal Days sale is upon us and, if we’re honest, it has been a bit of a damp squib for home cinema fans thus far.
In general we've seen a few ok discounts on TVs that were cheaper during Black Friday when we checked their price history.
Which is why I’m pleased to report I’ve found a home cinema deal on a piece of hardware the What Hi-Fi? team has not only reviewed, but is also something I use every day.
Specifically you can currently buy the Xgimi Horizon Ultra, 4K projector for £1319 on Amazon, a £330 saving on its regular price.
While that hardly makes it “cheap”, If you look at the price tracking chart below, you’ll see this is the best price the Ultra has ever sold for on Amazon.
The Ultra is one of the growing sea of home cinema in a box projectors being pushed by tech companies.
They aim to act as a middle ground between the full fat ceiling mounted units, such as the significantly more expensive Sony Bravia Projector 8, and portable options, such as the Samsung Freestyle 2.
The idea is that you can easily place them on a coffee table or dresser and project onto a screen (or if you’re a philistine, wall) without needing any extra equipment or complex positioning / adjustments.
The Ultra delivers on this goal, offering a 4K Dolby Vision-ready image and decent (outside of the lack of Netflix) app support thanks to its use of Android TV.
I personally use the unit in my bedroom thanks to its simplicity and surprisingly detailed Harman Kardon-assisted sound system.
For casual viewing its custom hybrid laser/LED light engine is another selling point that lets the Ultra offer atypically solid peak and operating brightness levels.
This means you can still see what’s going on even when using it in bright rooms, which is why I use it to watch Bob’s Burgers on a Sunday morning and move it into the lounge to watch the Six Nations with friends when the season is upon us.
My only caveat is that there are some compromises that mean you shouldn’t get it if you plan to use it as your only movie screen. Though it’s a top performer in its class we gave it a four, not five star, rating for a reason.
The projector’s tuning has a tendency to crank contrast a little too hard in a bid to disguise its middling black level. This causes black crush and a lack of shadow detail that will annoy home cinema fans – myself included.
If that puts you off I’d recommend holding fire and keeping a watchful eye on What Hi-Fi? as we’ll continue hunting for more solid home cinema deals throughout Amazon’s Spring Sale, which is set to end on Friday.
MORE:
These are the best projectors we’ve tested
Our picks of the best portable projectors
Check out our list of the best TVs currently available
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