Jake Tech Lab

Epson Home Cinema 3800 vs XGIMI Horizon S Max

XGIMI Horizon S Max comes out ahead of Epson Home Cinema 3800 on 7 of the 8 things that decide this, going by what each maker publishes. The one that matters for you may be one the leader loses.

Epson Home Cinema 3800
Epson Home Cinema 3800
5.8
Weak
1 of 8 rounds
vs
XGIMI Horizon S MaxWinner
XGIMI Horizon S Max
6.7
Fair
7 of 8 rounds

The verdict

XGIMI Horizon S Max takes it, 7–1 on rounds.

On the published figures, XGIMI Horizon S Max takes 7 of 8 rounds. Treat that as a starting point and check the current figures on both pages, because prices and plans move.

Choose Epson Home Cinema 3800 if…

  • • You want Epson Home Cinema 3800's edge on what it costs

Choose XGIMI Horizon S Max if…

  • • You want XGIMI Horizon S Max's edge on how bright it is and how deep its blacks go

Round by round

  1. Round 1What it costsEpson Home Cinema 3800 wins
    Epson Home Cinema 38008/10

    $1,799.99

    epson store price (out of stock)

    Source: epson.com ↗

    XGIMI Horizon S Max5/10

    $1,899

    regular price (sale $1,429; shown sold out)

    • $1,899, against $1,799.99

    Source: us.xgimi.com ↗

    Epson Home Cinema 3800 wins this round on what the company itself publishes.

  2. Round 2How bright it isXGIMI Horizon S Max wins
    Epson Home Cinema 38005/10

    3,000 lm (ISO 21118)

    white brightness iso 21118

    • 3,000 lm (ISO 21118), against 3100 ISO lumens

    Source: epson.com ↗

    XGIMI Horizon S Max8/10

    3100 ISO lumens

    brightness (iso lumens)

    Source: us.xgimi.com ↗

    XGIMI Horizon S Max wins this round on what the company itself publishes.

  3. Round 3How deep its blacks goXGIMI Horizon S Max wins
    Epson Home Cinema 38005/10

    100,000:1

    contrast ratio (auto iris on)

    • 100,000:1, against 1,000,000:1 dynamic

    Source: epson.com ↗

    XGIMI Horizon S Max8/10

    1,000,000:1 dynamic

    dynamic contrast ratio

    Source: us.xgimi.com ↗

    XGIMI Horizon S Max wins this round on what the company itself publishes.

  4. Round 4What light source it usesXGIMI Horizon S Max wins
    Epson Home Cinema 38005/10

    250 W UHE lamp

    light source

    • 250 W UHE lamp, against Dual Light 2.0

    Source: epson.com ↗

    XGIMI Horizon S Max8/10

    Dual Light 2.0

    hybrid laser + led (dual light 2.0)

    Source: us.xgimi.com ↗

    XGIMI Horizon S Max wins this round on what the company itself publishes.

  5. Round 5How long the light source lastsXGIMI Horizon S Max wins
    Epson Home Cinema 38005/10

    5,000 h (ECO)

    lamp life, eco mode

    • 5,000 h (ECO), against 20,000 hours

    Source: epson.com ↗

    XGIMI Horizon S Max8/10

    20,000 hours

    light life (mode not stated)

    Source: us.xgimi.com ↗

    XGIMI Horizon S Max wins this round on what the company itself publishes.

  6. Round 6Which HDR formats it playsXGIMI Horizon S Max wins
    Epson Home Cinema 38005/10

    HDR10, HLG

    hdr formats

    • HDR10, HLG, against HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision

    Source: epson.com ↗

    XGIMI Horizon S Max8/10

    HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision

    hdr formats (+imax enhanced)

    Source: us.xgimi.com ↗

    XGIMI Horizon S Max wins this round on what the company itself publishes.

  7. Round 7How close it can sit to the wallXGIMI Horizon S Max wins
    Epson Home Cinema 38005/10

    1.32 - 2.15

    throw ratio

    • 1.32 - 2.15, against 1.2:1

    Source: epson.com ↗

    XGIMI Horizon S Max8/10

    1.2:1

    throw ratio

    Source: us.xgimi.com ↗

    XGIMI Horizon S Max wins this round on what the company itself publishes.

  8. Round 8How strong its speakers areXGIMI Horizon S Max wins
    Epson Home Cinema 38005/10

    2 x 10 W stereo

    built-in speakers total

    • 2 x 10 W stereo, against 2 x 12W Harman/Kardon

    Source: epson.com ↗

    XGIMI Horizon S Max8/10

    2 x 12W Harman/Kardon

    speaker output total

    Source: us.xgimi.com ↗

    XGIMI Horizon S Max wins this round on what the company itself publishes.

Epson Home Cinema 3800Epson Home Cinema 3800
XGIMI Horizon S MaxXGIMI Horizon S Max

Side by side

Overall score
5.8
6.7
Best
Price
See price
See price
What light source it uses
5.5
7.7
How long the light source lasts
5.0
6.3
How close it can sit to the wall
5.8
6.0
What it costs
7.0
6.5
How deep its blacks go
5.6
7.0
Head-to-head findings
What light source it uses
250 W UHE lamp
Dual Light 2.0
How long the light source lasts
5,000 h (ECO)
20,000 hours
How close it can sit to the wall
1.32 - 2.15
1.2:1
What it costs
$1,799.99
$1,899
How deep its blacks go
100,000:1
1,000,000:1 dynamic
How strong its speakers are
2 x 10 W stereo
2 x 12W Harman/Kardon
Which HDR formats it plays
HDR10, HLG
HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision
How heavy it is
15.2 lb
—
Record
Head-to-head record
0–4–1
1–2–1
Head-to-heads won
0 %
33 %
Rounds won
25 %
46 %
Pros
      Cons
      • $1,799.99, against $1,499.99
      • 5,000 h (ECO), against 7,500 h (Eco)
      • 15.2 lb, against 9.0 lb
      • 3,000 lm (ISO 21118), against 3100 ISO lumens
      • $1,899, against $1,299
      • 20,000 hours, against 25,000+ hours
      • HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision, against HDR10+, HDR10, DV, HLG
      • 1.2:1, against 0.9-1.5:1
      Add a third option to this comparison →

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