TITAN Noir Max

Hey all, I'm (slowly) progressing on a dedicated home theater build. My current primary display is a 77" LG G4; I've been concerned about going from that to the projector experience and being disappointed, so I've been pretty dead set on going with a JVC DL-NZ700 due to the contrast ratio. However, seeing the specs on the Titan Noir Max, between the brightness, native contrast, and dual iris system, it's making me think about ditching that plan and backing the Kickstarter to get the discounted backer price on the Titan Noir Max. My primary use case is cinema, but I'll have a PlayStation 5 Pro hooked up as well and I was a bit concerned about the input latency and lack of gaming features on the DL-NZ700, as well as motion processing performance. I had been waffling for a long while between the DLA-NZ700 and the Sony Bravia 7 projector due to the latter, but I decided it was a sacrifice I was willing to make for cinema fidelity. Now I'm thinking it's a compromise I don't actually need to make. What do you all think? I'm planning on a 120" fixed frame 1.1 gain screen (Silver Ticket for those who care). Fully light-controlled room. I'm watching all of the reviews, but it's hard to know who to trust and who's a paid shill, so I'd appreciate feedback from some folks who are a bit more versed in all of this and know what to look for.

Sure did. I ended up going with the Titan Noir Max. I decided that getting 90% of the way there on black levels/contrast at 1/3 the cost and without giving up gaming/motion control/dynamic HDR was at least worth a shot. XGIMI’s response to customer questions and concerns throughout the campaign has been really impressive as well, and I appreciate that they got the units in non-sponsored reviewers’ hands and are taking that feedback seriously. The response to the ceiling mount concerns (and really, this whole offering) is how you run a customer-focused product design team. At the end of the day, the JVCs, Sonys, and Epsons of the world having their territory encroached upon and having to compete can only be a good thing for everyone. And if the projector doesn’t end up working out for me in my specific situation, I’m sure it can work out for someone else at or near the price paid considering direct orders are going to be double the price once offered. I ended up ordering the screen /u/ProjectionHead posted as well, seems like a very solid offering for this projector. Make sure in particular you watch The Hook Up’s videos (the specific ones are on his extras channels). He was able to achieve total black with DBLE on the Pro, and XGIMI reached out to verify firmware and found he was using an older firmware for the Max in the same test which is why they believe the Max result wasn’t as impressive on the same test. He’s committed to posting an updated video in the next day or two. Of course the catch with DBLE is that there are currently some dithering artifacts but XGIMI has committed to working on those via firmware and given the response so far I have no reason to doubt that.

Assuming since you mentioned Kickstarter that you're actually referring to the Titan NOIR series, in which case... > Need to pull the trigger before the World Cup It would be a gamble to have it in time. Otherwise, yeah I'd absolutely agree.

Another thing to keep in mind too, depending on OP's use case, is that the Titan Noir series does not have Google TV, so they will need an external TV box (Apple TV, Shield, etc) to get content on it. Not generally a concern for the higher-end home theater setups the Titan Noir Max is targeting, but definitely not the norm for "lifestyle" projectors, which XGIMI is better known for.

With one Noir Max I would get ~50 nits in Dynamic Mode, which isn't enough for good HDR. With two I get to ~100 nits, which should be barely enough. While yes, the "normal" Titan is brighter, the picture quality is not on the same level and it is more expensive. That would not be a good option for me...

I would get the XGIMI Titan Noir Max. The Kickstarter starts 23. April with a 3000$ price tag for the Max. Payment will be around 09. June, with shipping starting a few weeks later. And before Kickstarter begins, you can save an additional 200$ by paying a 50$ deposit on the XGIMI homepage. Get for the 200$ a few black curtains that you can pull in front of the white walls during movie watching and you will be golden! And after buying a projector try to get screen samples before buying a screen! I made two deposits so that I can stack two for my 220" 16:9 wall. Will be a heck of a first home Cinema!

YOU suggested buying two regular Titan, instead of two Titan Noir Max! Which would result in a worse experience for more money! Makes no sense for me...

You're being down voted because it's pixel shift.

I see you likely down voted me. That's interesting. Pixel shift rather than a true 4k chip has consequences. For one pixel shift projectors can only do 4k 60 because that magic advertised 240 1080p is what is required to hit the 4k 60. 4k 120 would require it to be able to do 480@1080 so they won't be hitting that for gaming anytime soon.

Yep. I have the Valerion VisionMaster Pro2 but I will be moving to the Noir Max for lense shift with the added bonus of much lower 4k 60 input lag when gaming.

Prioritizing actual dark room image quality, the Noir is the better choice. Prioritizing use with some lights on in the room and the quality that offers, then the Aetherion is the way to go. You get to choose one or the other. I'm a image quality guy, so I ordered the XGimi. (put a deposit down) I don't like the headaches that go with UST projectors such as perfectly flat screens being absolutely required. That alignment is a massive headache to get perfect. Dealing with center channel placement. Worrying about bumping into it. The expensive screen requirement for best possible ALR performance. In reality, you lose a fair bit of quality when you start turning lights on in a theater, but it's not like you are watching something unusable. It's TOTALLY fine to turn lights on in the room and you still have a very enjoyable image, with some lights on, especially for sports viewing. I took some photos of my old W1070 from BenQ on a 161" screen with some lights on in the room. The light closest to the screen I had pulled out, but other lights were on in the basement at the time... [W1070 With The Lights On - 161" Screen | AVS Forum](https://www.avsforum.com/threads/w1070-with-the-lights-on-161-screen.1720730/) If you are okay with a hit in image quality with the lights on and not having the same headaches that go with UST projectors, then I'd go with the XGimi. But, UST projectors do perform better in lit rooms.

This is a very large room, and it sounds like it is a dedicated space. I would say a quality projector is a good way to go, but you are then being super cheap on sound. Sound should be no less than 50% of your budget in any room. As a dedicated room, if you own the home, you need to properly wire for 5.1 audio (minimum) and use appropriate speakers and a AV receiver. A speaker bar is what you throw under your TV in your family room to get a bump in audio quality over TV speakers. They aren't a serious product. Generally, right now, the XGimi Titan Noir on Kickstarter is getting a lot of praise. It is a standard throw projector which needs to be ceiling mounted. But, you can get away with a standard white, or preferably woven, acoustically transparent screen. See [www.silverticketproducts.com](http://www.silverticketproducts.com) for a list of their different models. You want something in this category... [https://www.silverticketproducts.com/collections/fixed-projection-screens/frame\_standard+condition\_new+ratio\_16-9+style\_wvs-acoustic](https://www.silverticketproducts.com/collections/fixed-projection-screens/frame_standard+condition_new+ratio_16-9+style_wvs-acoustic) I would think that with a room that size a 135-150" diagonal screen is not wrong in such a space. I would not go with a UST projector. For best performance, they really demand a matching UST/ALR screen, which is going to be around $2,000. If you already are spending $3,000 on a projector, then a $2,000 screen isn't crazy, but it is a big addition to your budget. A long throw projector does not really need this type of specialty screen. It will do better with a woven screen due to the triple laser setup, but it won't need, or really benefit from a ALR screen. So, if you have that money, spend it on getting some wiring in the room that is appropriate for your theater, and absolutely needs to be in place. Going to such a large screen size is appropriate for the room. The XGimi Titan Noir is appropriate for the room. Proper 5.1 (or better) surround sound is appropriate for the room. This is a heck of a room in what I assume is in a home you own, that you paid a lot of money for. Don't treat it like a dorm room. Treat it like any other space you want to get the most out of and not feel like things are poor. You should look at photos of theaters online. Google has a ton of image results. Note that the best performing theaters are dark. Dark walls, dark ceiling, dark carpet. A theater is a different space from your family room. It is different from your bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. This shouldn't need to be said, but it is massively important. If you have a dedicated theater, then make it a damn theater! Not another family room. Paint the walls with dark, flat paint. The walls can use a color if you want. There are tons of theater friendly carpet colors as well. The ceiling is generally best in a dark grey to black color. The darker, the better. After you paint the room dark, you likely will discover that you don't have sufficient room lighting. This is quite normal. THAT SAID... I get that on a budget you may only be able to do certain things right now. If you can only do a couple of things right now within your budget, then getting a good projector and screen and throwing it with a sound bar is perfectly fine, if your long term plan is to upgrade and get wiring taken care of and all the rest.

Generally speaking, a projector over a seating spot is not intrusive in any way to the experience. When seated, your head is well below the projector and getting up/down does not impact things. This can keep you from having to get a UST/ALR screen and increases the projector budget. Using the Titan Noir Max, from XGimi, as an example... [https://www.projectorcentral.com/xgimi-titan\_noir\_max-projection-calculator-pro.htm#calc](https://www.projectorcentral.com/xgimi-titan_noir_max-projection-calculator-pro.htm#calc) You can put it at the back of the room, over the seating position, and get over a 120" diagonal from that spot if you wanted to. Plus, the lens shift and zoom ensure you get a perfect fit on the screen far more easily.

Those suggesting the XGimi Titan Noir Max are giving the best information I would say. Yes, you can use a projector with a shorter throw distance like the Valerion, which is a solid product, but the XGimi has better throw range, and really good lens shift, which should make you setup much better overall. You will need to figure out audio as well here. The projector speakers may be decent, but they are behind you and decent would be the best case. Bluetooth is a bad option. So, cabling is required between the projector and a speaker to get decent audio.

Do NOT buy an ALR screen. They have significant issues with sparkling, image uniformity, and hot spotting. The sparkling being the most obnoxious thing in my experience. Get a standard white screen, or a standard grey screen. I'm not sure if anyone has done testing with Elite to know which materials work best with RGB laser projectors or not. This thread does talk about Silver Ticket materials... [Silver Ticket Screen Samples Tested on Valerion Pro 2](https://www.avsforum.com/threads/silver-ticket-screen-samples-tested-on-valerion-pro-2.3324249/)

Chairs are 2 feet deep, plus you need walking room between them. You aren't easily fitting 2 rows in a space of just a few feet. You need about 5-6 feet between rows for reclining chairs to fit at all. That said, I do agree that the XGimi Titan Noir is one of the hot products out there right now. The Valerion models are nice, but really the Max should be closer to $3,000 for it to be a really good deal. There is no way in the world I would get or recommend the Epson 5050UB to anyone at this point unless there was no other choice. That model is over half a decade out of date and lacks many features which are standard on more modern models. The lens is great. The fact it is LCD is good for some. But, the lamp inside of it is unheard of on any modern higher end model. Epson it long overdue to update this model, so don't buy it if you don't have to.

Valerion Visionmaster, XGimi Horizon 20. There are newer and newer models which have dynamic tone mapping and more advanced features and support for HDR content built in along with better brightness and better control for HDR content. They have a wider color gamut and can deliver the full DCI-P3 color space without problem. BenQ continues to be a very good performer in this price range as well. All of them have solid state light sources which already is an improvement and is 'better' than the sub-$3,000 5+ year old offerings from Epson at this price point as well. I don't hate Epson, and if you have to get a 5050UB, then it's not a piece of shit. It's just a fuck you to consumers from Epson. They know it's out of date. They know that the competition has moved to solid state projectors. They know if they just dropped a solid state light source into these models with some small firmware tweaks, that they would be incredibly popular and would undercut their super expensive new models. It's not that the 5050UB sucks, it's that Epson is giving all consumers the middle finger at this point.

I don't think people with the 5050UB should be unhappy. But, the LS11000 costs more, and has lower contrast, while XGimi is pushing out models like the Horizon 20, base model, for about $1,600, that is every bit as good or better than what Epson has in their 3200/3800 models, for less/similar money. The high end models that are in the same price range of the 5050UB are squaring up against it nicely. Valerion has been tested against JVC models with solid performance. I think Epson is trying to compete in the high end, instead of doing their best in the middle range where they have excelled for decades. Not just years, but decades they have been such an easy recommendation. We also saw from BenQ that it is not that expensive to switch from a lamp system to a laser system. It just makes no sense to buy a lamp based projector that is over half a decade old in design, considering the competition.

You don't see 4K projectors on Amazon for 250. You see people lying to you for 250, and stupid people that never bother to ask talking about their amazing deal $250 projector. No. That's not how it works. The cheap, no-name, crap quality projectors on Amazon/Temu/Alibaba, are pretty much all crap. They use a single LCD panel, like you find in your mobile phone. Not the good mobile phones either. The cheap garbage ones. The $300 no-name LCD projector shares more in common with the $40 LCD projector than it does with the cheapest BenQ or Optoma out there. You should be looking at only DLP projectors or maybe an Epson model, though they don't make much in your price range that's worth looking at anymore. XGimi, JMGO, and Valerion are excellent options. If ceiling mounting, the XGimi Titan Noir is a really solid option for home theater. The JMGO N3 Ultimate may be an even better overall deal. Projectors don't perform well in ambient light, so if you are looking for a family room setup, it is cheaper to buy a 100" television than any ultra-short throw (UST) projector with a matching ultra-short throw, ambient light rejecting (UST/ALR) screen. If you are on a tighter budget, the low end starts with the Optoma PH31 which is a 1080p DLP projector with 1,500 ANSI lumens. A really good value for the price. Cheaper DLP projectors are the XGimi Horizon 20, or Nexigo Trivision Ultra. The Horizon 20 would probably be my first go-to projector for the money right now. Check [www.youtube.com/thehookup](http://www.youtube.com/thehookup) for quality reviews. Check [www.projectorcentral.com](http://www.projectorcentral.com) for actual need to know information and articles about front projection. Do your homework before you spend too much money. Make sure you understand: Throw distance, lens offset, digital zoom, optical zoom, keystone correction, lens shift, and understand how to use the throw distance calculator at Projector Central completely.

Dammit man! :-) The issue with Epson is that their modern lamp models aren't modern. They are over half a decade out of date. Epson typically would refresh their models once every 2 years. Maybe 3 years. But, the 5050UB has been in production for about 7 years now. It's insanely out of date. It looks good, but it is lacking basic features and support that is showing up in all the competing models. If they just kept the 5050UB the way it is, but switched to laser, it would be good, but it is still lacking support for new formats that others are supporting, and the brightness is okay, at best. A big reason laser/led is so good is that it doesn't dim the way lamps do. I mean, yeah, if you leave it on nonstop for a couple of years, you will get some dimming. But, a few hours a day, and it will be many years. I have lost a ton of respect for Epson and what they are doing to their customer base. Their entire mid-tier lineup needs to be updated. From the 2350 to the 5050UB. It's not just about dropping a solid state light engine into these products, it is about actually updating them to keep up with the competitors. Epson knows this. They just don't give a damn. That's a problem. On their website, they have 2 UST models that are under $3,000. Those are far easier to recommend than any of their long throw home theater models. It's insane! Their lamp-based models also haven't moved their pricing since they were released half a decade ago. Where every other technology has been competing and dropping prices, the 5050UB is the same $3,000 it has cost for the last 7 years. The 4010, which was typically $2,000, is now $2,500. WHAT? Their 4050, which is the Pro version of the 4010, is $2,400. Once again, the 4010 is $2,500, while the upgrade model is $2,400. Help it make sense!?!? Note the 4050 is identical to the 4010 but it is black. It does come with a 3-year warranty instead of a 2-year warranty. It also includes a ceiling mount, plus a spare lamp. Much better deal. But, still, buying a lamp-based projector that is years out of date.

It is like a 7 year old computer. It still works, but it should not command the same high price is did when it was new. Technology moves forward. The 5050UB isn't crap, but it is significantly outclassed by models like the Valerion Visionmaster. By a fair bit. I've put my JVC DLA-X590R, which is arguably better than the 5050UB up against the Valerion Max and it wasn't even close really. The Valerion just bested the JVC by a fair bit. Most notably was the significant jump in brightness and quality for HDR content that the JVC simply couldn't keep up with. I can't speak to how long Valerion, or AWOL, or Soundcore (Anker), or XGimi will truly stay in business. BenQ has been around for years and is a strong company. But, companies like XGimi aren't brand new. I mean, BenQ has been around over 40 years. So, strong stuff. But, XGimi is only 13 years old. That's still nothing to ignore. As well, you don't see Pioneer TVs on shelves. Nor Sharp. Nor RCA. These brands which were massive are just gone. Licensing their names rather than delivering what they used to directly. This matters because the ability for companies to actually succeed is by innovating and delivering quality products at a reasonable price. Vizio made this happen for many years. Hisense has come out of almost nowhere (they bought Sharp I believe), and they are now one of the largest producer of TVs in the world. In reality, they started 50 years ago. But only entered the US about 25 years ago. Hard to imagine that was 2001. My point being that RCA didn't stay on top of innovating and moving forward. Optoma has struggled similarly. BenQ isn't quite keeping up, but they do keep innovating. XGimi/Valerion/etc. are all innovating and delivering the latest DLP products for reasonable prices to consumers. Right now, to get the latest DLP chip? XGimi and AWOL have products. Nobody else has anything else yet that I'm aware of. Certainly not Optoma or BenQ. But, when the .47" chip was having significant issues, BenQ tilted to the larger .65" chip. Optoma hasn't budged. What about Epson? LS11000. LS12000. QB series. They are making reasonably priced UST projectors. So, why not a mid-tier standard throw laser model that's updated? Take a look at their business models on their website. They have half a dozen laser projectors under $3,000 on the business market. The fact that they have ZERO proper home theater models in that price range that are standard throw is a choice by Epson. A shitty fuck you to consumers choice that Epson has made. The LS12000 is very good looking, but they are flat out ignoring a massive market that still wants and needs mid-tier LCD projectors. Fuck you is what Epson is saying to those consumers. Not even sure they realize it. But, I expect they are quite aware. They simply don't give a damn.

As good as it is, the 5050UB is the obvious newer version of the 5040. Unfortunately, it is 7 years since it was introduced, which is ridiculous. Epson is long overdue for updating their entire mid-tier product lineup to laser-based models. So, I don't recommend it, even though it looks good. Instead, I would recommend the XGimi Titan Noir on Kickstarter. It is in the same quality class as the Valerion Visionmaster Max, but has a better price point. It also has a lot of zoom range and optical lens shift, which will make it easier to drop into the place of your existing 5040UB. The Epson has about the most zoom and lens shift on the market, so if you don't want to move your mount, you need to ensure that what you are getting actually works from where you intend to put it. This takes CAREFUL and fairly exact measurement. Within about an inch on all measurements. Screen to lens. Ceiling to center of lens. Ceiling to top of screen. Screen diagonal. Assuming a 16:9 screen. The Titan Noir is very well reviewed, and is said to perform better than the Valerion Max. I have put the Valerion Max against my JVC DLA-X590R, and the jump in quality is pretty darn significant. The Titan being better? I ordered one.

BenQ is a high quality brand. Their projectors, out of the box, often are very color accurate. They have a full support system and repair centers in place that many manufacturers don't have. They have been at it for years and have been pretty consistent with reliable products for ages now. I would say the same is true of Epson, but Epson projectors that are still using lamps are significantly outdated. They aren't bad, but Epson knows they are screwing you over with those products and they have abandoned their mid-tier lineup at this point. As a choice. So, they aren't ideal. You have Optoma that has struggled with quality in the last ten years. Getting worse instead of better and making poor choices. Other brands tend to loosely play in the projector market. Acer. Viewsonic. etc. Then you get a long list of new players in the projector arena that are really challenging the stalwarts. XGimi, Dangbei, Nexigo, Valerion, Soundcore, and several others. But, BenQ is still doing its best to keep up with the challengers and doing a fair job along the way. It also still maintains a long lineup of projectors that are really designed for home theater instead of lifestyle models. If anything has been a knock against the new players it is that they almost exclusively live in the lifestyle projector category. It is only XGimi with their Titan Noir that is putting out a more traditional home theater projector. Frankly, to very high praise. Now, you still have fanboys of specific brands. If Epson had a replacement to the 5050UB that was in the same price class, but updated a fair bit and similar contrast, then I would recommend that. If the Valerion Max was in the needed price range, then that's a good option. But, the Titan Noir is what I'm going with right now. If I were looking at BenQ, their 4100i is a strong option... [https://www.benq.com/en-us/projector/cinema/w4100i.html](https://www.benq.com/en-us/projector/cinema/w4100i.html) As is often the case, it is well reviewed by those who actually know projectors. [https://www.projectorreviews.com/benq/benq-w4100i-4k-4led-home-theater-projector-review/](https://www.projectorreviews.com/benq/benq-w4100i-4k-4led-home-theater-projector-review/) The rub is that at that price point, the XGimi Titan Noir is a solid step up in overall quality, in almost every category.

The Titan has been compared, head to head, with other products. This has happened, and the product has gone into the hands of professional reviewers that know their shit and are NOT being paid by XGimi for the reviews. It is almost unheard of for release models to be worse than the demo models sent out for review. It is not speculation. Come on Kiran. You can go out and look at these reviews yourself. You're not usually so cynical. XGimi has the Titan listed at $4,000 MSRP. It likely will drop some after it has been out for a while. This is NORMAL behavior for most manufacturers. JMGO has really been pushing their pricing down. BenQ, has seen the X500i drop from nearly $2,000 down to $1,500. Normal. So, the early price on the XGimi Noir Max won't be around again for a while I expect, but we will likely get them in the long run. If you look at pricing on the Horizon 20 series, you'll see that pricing has dropped from when it was released. But, someone buying now, should get a Valerion if they want the best looking DLP projector right this second. The Max is a very strong recommendation. But, the Titan Noir is coming out next month according to XGimi (who knows their stuff) so jumping on the price right now shouldn't be a wait of five months to get a step up on the Valerion. I will be comparing the Noir to the V Max. But, The Hook Up has already made this comparison.

This is a terrible list. There are tons of projectors which are FAR better than those listed. Even from BenQ. The contrast figure you use is holding this list back. Because there is no > option for contrast so models with super high contrast can't be included. Plus 10,000:1 is WELL beyond what the HT3560, TK850, and TK860i is capable of. Dynamic? Maybe. But not native. So, it's not accurate at all. This list is far more accurate... [https://www.projectorcentral.com/projectors.cfm?g=2&r=1017&br=2000&br=10000<g=101&p=500&p=4000&oop=1#list](https://www.projectorcentral.com/projectors.cfm?g=2&r=1017&br=2000&br=10000<g=101&p=500&p=4000&oop=1#list) I've limited it to JUST solid state projectors (laser/LED) and you can see just how extensive this list actually is. Contrast is a bullshit claim by manufacturers. You MUST read reviews to find out how the contrast of any specific model actually performs. The BenQ GP520, for example, claims 200,000:1 dynamic contrast. In reality it only delivers 470:1 native contrast and 1503:1 dynamic contrast. Per The Hook Up... [https://youtu.be/F6mFV7XQC3o?si=yjRe6hNc3p3csS4a](https://youtu.be/F6mFV7XQC3o?si=yjRe6hNc3p3csS4a) The video I just linked also highlights just how strong the competition really is. BenQ, in head to head testing, ranked near the bottom. That's not good for them. I do believe that BenQ is playing a bit of a game of catch up right now with these other manufacturers. But, they do still have very strong models like the W4100i which I wouldn't have any problems recommending overall, but it lacks the zoom range that is likely needed and isn't nearly the value right now that the Titan Noir is on Kickstarter.

If your intent is a great movie watching experience, then a projector is a great way to go. The room itself is terrible, and I'm not sure what your intent is with audio which should be a major consideration. With blackout curtains that are properly setup, a projector would be a fun experience and would be perfectly fine considering you have a family room already setup with a excellent TV. The high ceilings and hard surfaces will make audio a nightmare. Going with a 120"-150" diagonal projection setup with a modern DLP laser projector like the XGimi Titan Noir is a good way to go.

I will add that this is the type of thing you should really consider ahead of time as you could have gotten some cabling in place. Most notably, you are going to have audio issues here. Bluetooth is not a quality audio solution, and the right way to do stuff is put wiring inside your walls... which is really tough right now. This is a list of projectors which can hit a 120" diagonal from 15.5' lens to screen... [https://www.projectorcentral.com/projectors.cfm?g=2&r=1017<g=101&exp4=1&td=15.5&is=120&oop=1#list](https://www.projectorcentral.com/projectors.cfm?g=2&r=1017<g=101&exp4=1&td=15.5&is=120&oop=1#list) The XGimi Titan is at the top of the results right now for a reason. Lots of marketing. But, the people reviewing it are giving it high praise and know what they are talking about.

Yeah, I'm pretty blunt about things, but I really just want to inform, which means at times corrections must be made. For example... You do know that Atmos is 99% marketing right? Just saying. Worth reading some really good articles about what Atmos is, what is good about it, and what sucks about it. Also, speakers don't give a damn about whether they are Atmos or not. They just make sound. Atmos can be an amazing technology, but proper 5.1.4 or better Atmos, requires 9 speakers, plus a good subwoofer, placed in exact locations around a room. Front speakers cannot reproduce the ceiling effects in any meaningful way as has been tested over and over and over again by reviewers. Speaker bars with 'Atmos' sound no better than speaker bars from a decade ago. It's just some speakers, in a convenient case. The way Atmos works over other surround sound algorithms is very cool, but without the exact right speakers, in a good location, it is just marketing fluff compared to DTS, Dolby Digital, and other legacy surround sound formats. True HD and DTS Master surround formats being the best of the pre-Atmos formats. Keeping in mind that True HD may use Atmos or not. I'm not against Atmos, but a proper setup of 5.1.2 to 7.2.4 requires the proper number of speakers, and absolutely a good subwoofer (or two) is crazy important. I do setup Atmos in any home theater I can, but a 7.1.4 setup has 11 speakers plus a subwoofer placed accurately around a room. Then it gets a AV receiver (Denon/Yamaha) that supports it and enough amplification for all the speakers involved. A speaker bar, in a room like this, would be useless when it comes to Atmos. But, an upgrade over the speaker built into most projectors. Audio guys can talk a lot more than I can about this as well. I just stay on my toes about the various formats. Atmos is excellent in a well setup room with good acoustics, but quickly goes away from being of any value in lesser setups. I do tend to agree that a UST setup in this room may work really well, but for the money, I might just open up walls, put in in-wall speakers around the room, put a projector at the back of the room, and use a acoustically transparent screen. Pay to have the holes made, fixed, then go long throw to avoid the expense of a UST projector plus a UST/ALR screen to go with it. With in-wall speakers the number of holes that need to be fixed is minimized. But, dealers choice on the setup. He has options for damn sure.

Yes, and no. I can't stand projector noise. The audio should not have to be cranked way up to drown out fan noise, but decent projectors have fairly silent fans. My Happrun H1 ($60) compared to my JVC DLA-X590R ($4K+) is about 10:1 noise. I run the JVC in low lamp mode and the fans are very quiet. But, the noise is still there, and when the movie gets quiet, I hear them. The XGimi Titan Noir? Damn near silent. I need to be a few inches away from the projector to hear it at all. The same 10:1 audio level I heard between the Happrun and the JVC is repeated with the JVC to the XGimi. I am truly blown away that modern laser projectors can be so damn quiet for the money. I expect that the general electronics noise of a TV may be barely more quiet than the XGimi. I haven't compared UST projectors and likely won't get the chance to do so anytime soon.

I’ve had my JVC for several years and it hasn’t been an issue for me either, but the JVC is very quiet. Quieter than my previous w1070, but the XGimi is nearly silent. Crazy quiet.

I wouldn't say that at all. UST projectors still require a bulky screen, move the ceiling mount to a TV stand in the front of the room that is ALWAYS there. For the price difference between a UST and a long throw projector, I can hire someone to install the cabling inside my walls (not kidding). A floor rising UST/ALR screen is no different than a floor rising long throw screen. It's the exact same screen with a different material. UST doesn't solve the screen problem, and it is far worse because any screen defects are massively obvious with UST projectors. I walk a 100" TV through my front door. I hang it on my wall. I enjoy it day or night for the next 10 years. Total expenditure? Under $1,600, including the wall mount. That doesn't mean I don't love my 161" front projection setup in my basement. It just isn't the setup I could or would want to use in my family room.

I don't know who is paying $3K for a 100" TV when there are well reviewed models at $1,500. If you're comparing like to like, then that's more like a $5,000 UST projector to the $3,000 100" TV. Most people don't move around every couple of years. Most people have a family room with windows. This is why 100" televisions make a ton of sense. They are designed for bright room use. You hang them once, then you are good for the entire time you live in the home. If you bump it, then it doesn't knock everything out of alignment. If the wall is warped, the TV doesn't care. If there are big windows in the room, the TV cares, but looks 100 times better than the UST projector could hope to look. A TV doesn't require a $1,000 screen to make it look it's best in a bright room. A projector is a projector is a projector. Even with good UST/ALR screens, at $1,000 or more, you aren't getting nearly the brightness, punch, or contrast that a $1,500 television delivers. On the other hand, in a room that is always kind of dim, and dark at night, and a screen size of 120" or more, there is simply no television that can match the size for the money. You also don't get that reflected projector look and vibe from any television. But, there are real reasons to not get a projector for your family room, and that is mostly about it being a far better image from the television for WAY less money.

That’s less true now than it has been at any point in the last decade. Home tri laser projectors are among the most significant ever quality improvements in the sub-$10k home projection space and the tech is advancing rapidly year on year—better DBL algorithms, improved anti RBE measures, improved native brightness/contrast/gamut, etc. On the horizon we have higher refresh rate and VRR DLP chips and lasers with broader emissions spectra to reduce speckle. It’s a great time for home projection. None of that detracts from the quality of your unit (and there are some areas where Epson still beats the competition) but it does mean that there are overall better options for buying new today. Similarly, I’m blown away by the quality of my Valerion Pro2 but would likely recommend that someone buying new go for the Titan Noir Max, which is an overall superior unit for a similar price despite the Valerion itself still being very new to market compared to your Epson.

Absolutely. I wouldn’t call Valerion or Xgimi fly by night operations. Both have been on the market for some time and sell through many of the same retail channels as Epson does. Warranty support has to this point been fine from both companies. Given that, I’d say that the question here is whether $1k is worth a stronger guarantee that replacement parts will exist outside the warranty period. Considering the exceptionally long life of laser light sources I decided for my own purchase that a better performing projector offered for less money with identical warranty support was the better deal in today’s market. Others may have different priorities than mine but I don’t think that Valerion and xgimi selling on Kickstarter is a compelling reason to ignore their products.

I would strongly recommend investing in a screen. An entry level unit projecting onto a screen will usually outperform a mid tier unit projecting onto an untreated wall. You’ll want a motorized drop down screen with tab tensioning. The tab tensioning is important for avoiding ripples in your screen down the line. Regarding your choice of unit: the Titan noir Kickstarter is currently the best deal in projectors. At $3k it outperforms the Valerion Max, which retails for a couple grand more. I believe that you have until 15 June to order from the Kickstarter. For a less expensive option I’d investigate a secondhand or discounted Valerion Pro2. That unit is also tri-laser and can often be found at a discount as Valerion sent many out to buyers of the Max to use while they waited for the company to finish the Max’s manufacturing. The Max has now been released so there are a number of barely used secondhand Pro2s on the market. If you’re uncomfortable buying secondhand (or can’t find a well priced Pro2) you might also investigate the Nexigo TriVision Ultra, the Xgimi Horizon 20, or the Valerion Streammaster, all of which use laser or hybrid-laser light sources for brightness and gamut that often significantly outperform comparably priced units that use lamp or LED light sources. The Nexigo uses a hybrid laser-LED light source, which is a worse performer than pure laser but avoids the speckling issue inherent to current laser tech to which some users are sensitive. You should also consider whether or not your mount point would benefit from a unit with optical zoom or lens shift. A ceiling mounted projector must mount to your joists (unless you live in an apartment with concrete framing). Depending on where your joists are vis a vis your projection area you might need zoom in order to hit the size at which you’re aiming or lens shift in order to hit your target area with minimal digital keystone, which cuts your resolution if used. Many entry level units lack those features.