Review: Sleek $200 projector nails picture, sound and ease of use

The Magcubic X7 home smart projector is a surprising package – not least because it's available for just over US$200. At first glance, it looks more like a portable unit limited in function. But from sound to connectivity and picture quality, this easy-to-use projector is serious value for money.

The X7 actually delivers a significant jump in image quality, brightness and processing power while keeping the compact, portable form that Magcubic does so well. Out of the box, the first thing you'll notice is how aesthetically pleasing it is. It reminds me of a TV studio light fixture, all silver and black and very sturdy. The outer chassis is actually made from solid plastic, but its aluminum-style matte finish and details would have you fooled into thinking it's all metal. The giveaway is its weight, with the unit coming in at just 1.9 kg (4.2 lb). The finish also repels fingerprints and other marks, very much unlike my gray XGIMI Elfin Flip projector.

Or, as my 90-year-old mother said when she saw it, "That actually looks like a real projector!" She's notoriously hard to impress, so that's some serious praise from someone who is normally just bemused by the technology I receive for testing.

Another instantly noticeable feature is how solid the base and hinges are; while it's designed to be a portable unit, unlike the Elfin Flip it won't tip over or be knocked over easily, and once your screen is in position, it's not going to move, even if you happen to bump it. The tightness of the hinges is deceptive, however, as the X7 offers 180-degree projection, so if you don't have the wall space, you can chuck a movie up on your ceiling. While one of its strengths is portability, it can be installed permanently on a wall or ceiling too. The chassis also houses an LCD cleaning chamber panel along its side that allows you to clear dust from the unit without disassembling any major parts.

Setup is simple – plug it in and position it between 1-3 m (3.3-10 ft) from the surface you're projecting onto. From here, autofocus, obstacle avoidance and keystone correction do the rest. The X7 offers projection of 40 to 130 inches (diagonal), which is about the range you'd expect from a solid "jack of all trades" unit. The home screen is fairly basic – a few standard apps like Netflix and YouTube ready to go, settings that allow you to change ratios, switch to low noise if needed, and more – but it's functional and intuitive.

Connectivity is just as straightforward: The X7 has USB, HDMI and 3.5-mm audio ports, as well as the DC power connection. But with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetoot