Yaber Ace K1 review (2023) with excellent sound and vision

The Yaber Ace K1 is the most ambitious home entertainment projector we’ve seen so far. It has a single LCD chip and audio that’s good enough to make an external sound system unnecessary. It costs $499.99, which is more than other models we have seen, but it’s brighter and says its optical engine is sealed to keep dust from getting on the LCD. Yaber says it is the best home projector for less than $800, which makes it easy to compare it to models that are brighter and have better image quality, like the Epson Home Cinema 1080. But even when compared to the Epson, the Ace K1 has better sound quality and costs less.

Yaber Ace K1: Description

The most annoying thing about it is how hard it is to set up. Even though it only has one chip, like the Vankyo Performance V700W and the NexiGo PJ20, the Ace K1 doesn’t have rainbow artifacts. These artifacts, which look like flashes of red, green, and blue, are caused by a single-chip DLP projector going through the primary colors in order. LCDs with three chips don’t have this problem because they give each primary color its own chip and show all three at once.

A Yaber representative would only confirm the total number of LCD cells, not the exact matrix. However, it’s likely the same as for other projectors with a single LCD: a 5,760-by-1,080-pixel LCD with red, green, and blue filters on each cell (1,920 times 3 = 5,760 total pixel width). In any case, when you put the one chip and a white LED light source together, you can see 1,920 by 1,080 red, green, and blue pixels at once. The LED is rated for 25,000 hours, so it should last as long as the projector does.

Yaber Ace K1: Pros and Cons

Specification Table

Yaber Ace K1: Design

The Yaber Ace K1 is more like a regular projector in appearance. In fact, it feels more like a traditional projector because of how big it is. Even though it has the same native Full HD resolution as the XGIMI Horizon, it is much bigger. We do like how the Yaber Ace K1 looks. It looks and feels more expensive than it is, and we like the lens cap that comes with it. It’s nice to be able to protect the lens of the portable projector, whether it’s just sitting there or you want to move it around.

The Yaber Ace K1 is more like a regular projector in appearance. In fact, it feels more like a traditional projector because of how big it is. Even though it has the same native Full HD resolution as the XGIMI Horizon, it is much bigger. There is a simple IR remote control in the box, but we sometimes found it hard to use and slow to respond. Since we don’t have an Android TV apps or something similar, we don’t have to use the remote very often.

Yaber Ace K1: Video Quality

The native resolution of the Yaber Ace K1 is 1080p, and it can support a resolution of 4K. This means that it can take in any video resolution up to 4K. You won’t need to change your output settings if you just plug in your Blu-Ray player. So, the video you see on your screen will be downscaled to 1080p. Don’t forget that the same doesn’t work the other way around. If the video source is 720p, the output will also be 720p. There is no way to “upscale” it to 1080p.

Brightness is probably the most interesting thing about this projector. It has a 650-lumen LED bulb, which makes it half as bright as other bright home projectors on the market. Despite this, it’s running is surprisingly quiet. Even when the brightness is turned all the way up, the fan doesn’t make a lot of noise.

The actual quality of the pictures is amazing. It shows colors exactly as they are, without any tearing, blurring, or other problems. The Ace K1 really shines in this area, whether you’re playing a movie or just watching high-definition content on YouTube. In fact, we were so impressed with the quality of the video that we thought it was easily on par with other projectors we’ve tested that cost twice or three times as much.

Yaber Ace K1: Controls

These controls are a row of buttons that are easy to touch. They are easy to use because they have a soft touch and you don’t have to press down hard. You can change the volume, switch inputs, and change the focus and keystone with these buttons. You can also move around the menu and change some other settings. We liked how easy it was to figure out how to use this site. It’s easy to change the brightness, contrast, color saturation, hue, and other more advanced settings.

Even the sound has a little equalizer menu. Overall, the system is simple to use and change as needed. You don’t have to mess with the controls on board if you don’t want to. The kit comes with a remote control that can do all the same things. It’s about the same size as a small TV remote, and it fits nicely in your hand. The only problem is that the receiver for the remote control isn’t very sensitive. If you don’t point the controller directly at the projector, it won’t respond to anything you do.

Yaber Ace K1: Performance

The Ace K1 is not the same. For one thing, it costs more. Amazon is selling it for £459, but if you have a £100 voucher, you can get it for £359. More importantly, Yaber is not just competing on price, but also on features and performance, promising an ultra-bright image from a single-chip LCD and an LED light source in a new sealed, dust-proof design. It also has a built-in 15W audio system and new features that make it easier to use, like auto-focus and auto-keystone correction.

You could say that previous Yaber projectors tried to outperform and outspec the other budget brands. The Ace K1, on the other hand, is aiming for the big leagues, where brands like Optoma, BenQ, Epson, and Viewsonic play. The Ace K1 covers just over 62% of the sRGB color space. This is less than the Epson CO-FH02 (85%) and the XGIMI Mogo Pro + (76%), so color performance isn’t as good as it could be.

At other times, the edges looked strangely over-processed, and sweeping panning shots sometimes had a hint of judder, which I hadn’t seen before using the Roku Streaming Stick 4K as a source. We’re not talking about anything terrible, but I’d say that even though the image from the Epson CO-FH02 is a little bit softer, it beats the Yaber overall because of how well it handles color and motion.

Final Words

At a price of about $350, the Yaber Ace K1 is a very good projector. It works well enough that it’s a good choice for watching movies, playing games, and working. The promise of a fully sealed optical engine that doesn’t need any maintenance is also appealing, and the 1080p native resolution is good enough for most uses. Even though it only makes mono sounds, they are strong and clear. We also liked that it came with built-in Bluetooth and was easy to connect to an external speaker or soundbar.

Most of the time, I/O is good on the Ace K1. We liked that there was no outside brick, which made it easier to move around. And the Wi-Fi 6 wireless screen casting option works perfectly, so all you need to get started is your phone. The biggest problem with the Ace K1 is that its fans are annoyingly loud. We had trouble getting the automatic keystone adjustment to work well. There is no easy way to mount the projector, and even though the software is clean and well-organized, it doesn’t do much.

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