Posted by Hayden Chen 
AVS Forum is the world's largest community of audio/video enthusiasts and a trusted source of product reviews. So, when the editor bestows a Top Choice award after a thorough review, it's considered a major achievement.
We are proud to announce that the VAVA 4K UST Laser projector has been honored with an AVS Forum Top Choice award for 2020. Reviewer and AVS Forum editor Mark Henninger took a deep dive into the projector's features and performance and found plenty to like. He even appreciated its physical appearance, saying, "It's arguably one of the nicest-looking projectors you can buy and looks perfectly at home sitting on a credenza."
He went on to comment on how easy it is to install: "Setup was a cinch, with the only real challenge being to mount the screen at the right height (if you use a fixed-frame screen). Once you get the screen positioning right, it's just a matter of focusing the lens, the result being a sharp image with minimal geometric distortion—even at the edges. The importance of good geometry is that it allows you to use a screen that has thin bezels with no light spilling over onto the wall, besides being a sign of a better lens and the fact that it is more faithful to the source. I did not see any significant chromatic aberration or blurriness near the edges, and unlike 3LCD UST projectors, this DLP had zero issues with alignment. The result is a remarkably clean image that really comes alive when you feed it high-quality 4K source material."
Henninger noted the advantages of DLP technology, which is at the heart of the VAVA 4K UST Laser projector: "One of the positive characteristics of DLP is its consistency. You can factory-tune a DLP projector to look good right out of the box, and it will maintain that without the panel degradation that is an issue with LCD/LCOS technologies."
He also pointed out that this is a very consumer-oriented product without a lot of deep calibration controls, though it does provide some basic picture adjustments. "It offers a minimalist selection of pre-tweaked options that are more than enough to get a good picture out of it. Even if you made no adjustments after unpacking this VAVA, what you'll see on screen looks good (with some room for improvement through optimization)."
The VAVA's integrated Harman/Kardon-designed soundbar attracted some attention as well. "Truth be told, it sounds at least as good as a budget soundbar, and certainly better than most TVs can muster on their own. Crucially, it gets loud and has enough bass to do a serviceable job with movies, and for sports you really need nothing more."
Henninger concluded his review by saying, "There is no one projector that can do it all, but when it comes to ultra-short-throw options for the living room, the VAVA does many things right and presents a strong value proposition for anyone looking to super-size their living room/media room TV. Compared to an 85" TV, it is much easier to handle—even hanging an 11' screen is easier than dealing with a TV that size. And compared to the $25,000 Sony UST projector I reviewed just two years ago, let's just say there's a lot you can do with $22,200. With the VAVA 4K UST Laser projector, enjoying a top-notch big-screen viewing experience in the living room is practical and more affordable than ever."
We thank AVS Forum for this prestigious award, and we look forward to bringing the benefits of UST projection to an ever-wider audience!
Check out the full review here:
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