Anker Nebula X1 Projector Review: Bright Enough to Bleach Mars

CNET

08-07-2025

9.0
/ 10
SCORE Anker Nebula X1 $2,999 at Amazon Pros Ridiculously bright
Impressively quiet
All you need for an epic movie night anywhere Cons Brutally expensive
Did I mention it's expensive
Who is this for, exactly?
Anker Nebula X1
9.0/10 CNET Score
$2,999 at Amazon
I'll be honest, I have no idea how to approach reviewing the Anker Nebula X1. I've been reviewing projectors for over 20 years and this thing is bonkers in so many different ways I can't get a handle on it. I mean, other than the literal handle on it. It's $3,000 but also portable? It's the brightest projector I've ever measured but it's not specifically for in-home use. In fact, Anker expects people to use it outdoors. So the X1 is fascinating because I don't think there's anything else quite like it. Does that make it a good projector?
Specs and such
Resolution: 4K
HDR-compatible: Yes
Lumens spec: 3,500
Zoom: Yes, 0.9:1 to 1.5:1
Lens shift: Yes (sort of)
Laser lifespan: 30,000 hours
The X1 is, in some respects, fairly similar to most projectors we review. It's 4K, has Google TV built in and has a high brightness spec. Like some projectors, usually the more expensive ones but not always, it has a zoom lens. That lens is also on a motorized pivot, so you can tilt the image upwards 25 degrees without moving the projector itself. This isn't "lens shift" in the traditional projector sense since it will require keystone correction if you aim it too far up, but for the intended portable use of the X1 this feature works well enough.
Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Rated at 3,500 lumens, I measured a remarkable 2,383 in its most accurate mode. That's a lot. I mean a lot a lot. Prior to the X1 the brightest projector I'd ever measured was the Epson CO-FH02, and the X1 is roughly 15% brighter, has more accurate color and a significantly higher contrast ratio. Incredibly that's not even the brightest the X1 can go. In the less accurate Conference mode, it's capable of 3,286 lumens. Not only is that basically right on spec, which is impressive enough, but it's also staggeringly, eye-wateringly, bright.
Thankfully, and I can't believe I'm saying this, you can turn it down. You can reduce the power of the lasers, as well as crank down an iris, to make the whole image dimmer. In a dark room, and depending on your screen size and gain, you might have to do this. It's almost, and again I can't believe I'm saying this, too bright. Can a projector be "too bright?" I don't know, but this is the first time I'm asking that question, and it's giving me an existential crisis.
The X1's native contrast ratio is also really good, at least graded on the curve of DLP projectors. I measured 1,544:1, which is significantly higher than most of the recent 4K projectors I've reviewed, other than the BenQ X300G and X500i. Higher-end LCD and all LCOS (Sony and JVC) projectors will be better, but 1,544:1 is definitely above average.
The handle retracts into the body.
Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Like many modern projectors, the X1 has an automatic setup that "finds" your screen and adjusts, crops and otherwise trims the image to fit. Like most modern products Anker refers to these adjustments as having "AI." Whatever you call it, I don't recommend most people use it. Like any projector, you should position the X1 correctly, without using features like this, as they always reduce image quality by only using a portion of the imaging chip.
Lastly, there's the noise, or more specifically, the lack thereof. Using water cooling, something quite rare in home projectors, the X1 is exceptionally quiet. So quiet you can sit next to it and barely notice it's on. If you've got the brightness cranked and you're watching a movie, the fans might kick up enough that you hear them, but overall this is an exceptionally quiet projector. The BenQ GP520 I reviewed recently was similarly quiet. Here's hoping this is a trend.
Connections
Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
HDMI inputs: 2
USB port: 1 USB-A, 1 USB-C
Audio output: eARC, Optical
Internet: Wi-Fi
Remote: Not backlit
The X1 has a fairly standard suite of connections for a projector in 2025. The remote is the same off-the-shelf one that comes with many less expensive projectors. I would have expected more for the added cost of the X1. It lacks an input button, a trend that makes me irrationally angry, but at least it's backlit.
As elaborate as the X1's light output and cooling aspects are, the internal speakers are quite elaborate for a projector as well. There are two 15-watt woofers, two 5W tweeters and two passive radiators. The internal speakers are a little boomy, but they can play quite loud. So sound-wise there's enough here for impressively decent audio.
Available separately, for an additional $700, are the wireless, battery-powered Nebula X1 Wireless Satellite Speakers. Each enclosure has four drivers, two in the front with a 40W amp, plus one each top and side, each powered by its own 20W amp. There's also a package, $4,000 with the projector, that includes those speakers plus two microphones for some outdoor karaoke. Perfect if you want to make new neighborhood friends or more likely, get visited by the local constabulary.
Picture quality comparisons
Epson LS11000
This is usually the part of the review where I compare the projector under test with some similar options to see how it stacks up. But what do I even compare this thing to? This isn't like comparing a Ferrari to a Kia, it's more like comparing the Space Shuttle to a 1992 Ford Econoline. Are they both designed to haul cargo? Yeah, sure, I guess, but I think that misses the point. No home projector can come anywhere near the brightness of the X1. No portable projector comes anywhere near the X1's price. "Class of its own" is a trite marketing phrase but it sort of fits, though to be honest I'm not sure I mean it as a superlative.
You're treated to a flashy light show every time you turn the X1 on, including the red laser-like stripe seen here.
Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
So for lack of anything close to the X1's, well, everything, I compared it to the Epson LS11000 which at least comes close to the X1's full package price. The Epson also has lasers, overall excellent performance, though for the same money it doesn't come with speakers or microphones. I compared them side-by-side on a 1.0-gain screen.
Surprise surprise, the Anker X1 is noticeably brighter than the LS11000. The Epson is quite bright, at least compared to normal projectors. In its most accurate mode I measured the Epson at 1,378 lumens, nicely above average for the projectors I've reviewed. Above average in this case still only being 58% of the X1's light output. I dialed the X1 back a bit otherwise that brightness would have skewed the rest of the comparison.
The X1's detail was also better, looking far sharper. While both projectors use some form of pixel shifting to achieve their resolution, the Epson is more accurately called 1080p*2 than true 4K. Visually, it looks softer than the X1.
Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
In terms of color, the X1 wins out again. Its triple laser light engine is capable of richer, deeper colors with HDR content. While technically more accurate as well, the Epson's colors, generally speaking, looked a little more realistic. While on the topic of lasers, one consequence of the three laser combined is an artifact that will only be noticeable by some people with glasses. The narrow wavelengths get refracted differently and the result looks like colored halos around some objects (blue on one side, red on the other), most notably solid whites like captions/titles, streetlights, etc. Personally this is enough that I wouldn't buy a triple laser projector, but most people will never have this issue and as such it didn't affect my ratings. For what it's worth, this effect can be seen on some LED-lit projectors as well, but it's far less pronounced.
The contrast ratio between the two projectors is fairly evenly matched, 1,808:1 for the Epson, 1,544:1 for the Anker. With some scenes the Epson looks better than the numbers imply, mostly because it's just dimmer overall.
So yes, the X1 is brighter, more colorful, smaller and more portable than the Epson. However, the Epson has an excellent zoom range, easily accessible zoom presets (if you have a 2.35:1 screen), so for a dedicated theater it likely fits better.
Feel the burn
Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
I'm gonna be really blunt here, I am completely baffled by the X1. It has a level of performance that is unquestionably impressive. That level sort of even justifies its price, which is unquestionably high. But to have that performance, and that price, in something intended for portability and outdoor use? Who is this for exactly? I don't want to yuck anyone's yums, but I find it hard to believe that anyone who can afford to spend $3-4,000 on something they're only going to use a few times a year will care what I say in a review. They've already had one of their lackeys buy it with the estate's AmEx Black.
But hey, who am I to judge what people do with their money. I'm just here to tell you if this thing is any good. Yes, the X1 is good. Very, very good in fact. It can create an image that's TV-bright on a screens bigger than a wall. The colors are fairly accurate, the contrast ratio is decent and the whole thing is reasonably small and impressively quiet. It's a car that can go 250MPH masquerading as a toaster. It's a rocket ship with enough brightness to bleach Mars. It's a non sequitur in electronic form, full of lasers, light and, for this reviewer at least, abject confusion. Get one, or don't, I don't even know anymore.