This Chic Projector Is Exactly What I Needed to Break Up With Our TV

When my husband and I moved into our new apartment a few months back, we saw it as a reset on many fronts. I have a dishwasher for the first time in five years, there are no leaky ceilings to contend with, and natural light bounces off the warm white paint just right. But there are fewer walls to hang our beloved art collection and only one conceivable way to configure our living room set-up. In lieu of giving up precious surface area to a TV, and to keep the main focus on entertaining, listening to music, and reading, we decided to try and live without one. Just the physical object, of course—we could never give up our Mubi obsession. 

Our solution? A projector. But not the bulky type that used to appear on sleepy school afternoons. One that is often mistaken for a well-designed smart speaker, when our guests notice it at all. As a design editor, the choice was all about balancing looks, image quality, and streaming options—and I found that in XGIMI’s Horizon S Max Projector. We’ve been using it now for more than three months, and here’s why I love it. 

XGIMI Horizon S Max Projector

First things first, there are a few definitions to lay out. Long throw and short throw describe the distance that a projector needs to be from a wall—pretty self-explanatory. Short-throw projectors sit on the floor or a piece of furniture, which mean you don’t need to mount anything; they’re less affected by ambient light; and can cast extra-large screens. All of this comes with a higher price point than most long-throw projectors, which are what most of us are familiar with. They need to be further from a screen or surface, can be obstructed by walking in front of the projection, and, to be honest, often look straight out of a corporate office boardroom. Not exactly the kind of thing I’d want to display front and center at home. 

The Speaker-Like Design

The Horizon line is XGIMI’s flagship home projector, available in five different versions with varying capabilities. The latest designs—the S Pro and S Max—are properly stylish, with curved bodies, a pearlescent cream finish, and automatic sliding lens covers made from soft wool fabric. (More design chops: the brand once collaborated with Yves Saint Laurent on a leather-wrapped version of the Horizon.) Both the Pro and the Max, which debuted last fall, can handle being at strange angles thanks to the flexible, built-in stand that increases positioning options. In our apartment, the Max sits on top of a tall Muji SUS shelf that also stores our dishes and glassware. Like I said, most guests think it’s just a nice smart speaker until we wake it up.

TV-Quality Projection and Sound

Our former, perfectly fine Samsung QLED took center stage in our old apartment. Everything in the tiny living room was oriented around it, and artwork felt second fiddle. Most of the time, the appliance was just a black hole on the wall. With no children at home, and a preference for the screen to be off when we aren’t actively watching something, the XGIMI projector stood out as a better fit for us.

For one, I knew from other tech coverage (and Amazon reviewers) that it was a reputable brand. The specs spell it out: 4K resolution, serious brightness from high ISO lumens, auto focus, and auto scale. The easy-to-use screen alignment feature lets us position and adjust the image so that it works with whatever size surface we want to project it on, from a blank wall to our preferred portable pull-up screen. The platform is Android TV, but we’ve been able to add most of the apps that we already have subscriptions for, except for Netflix, the one miss in this set-up. (Other portable projectors from XGIMI, like the MoGo 3 Pro and the Elfin Flip have licensed Netflix deals, so keep them in mind if that’s essential for you.) 

I appreciate that the connectivity is really flexible. You can add extra sources via the HDMI input on the back so you don’t have to be totally dependent on the software installed on the projector. This means that you could set up a Google TV player, a Roku box, or even a gaming console (and here’s where you could loop in Netflix). While the built-in Harman Kardon speakers are good enough to stand on their own, you can also bring a stereo into the mix if you use an external home audio system. I haven’t tested the Bluetooth audio option yet, but with that you could theoretically link it to a Sonos-like system without having to run a cable. 

Replacing a TV in your main living room might be a no-go for you, but consider this: Do you have a den that’s primed to be a makeshift, at-home movie theater? A finished basement you’ve been envisioning as the ultimate gaming and chill-out zone? These spaces could be an even better fit than our natural light–filled space, which can make it hard to watch a baseball game at high noon.

Price Breakdown

While XGIMI’s Aura 2 is the top-of-the-line short throw projector, the $2,699 price tag hurts a little, and puts it out of reach for most people (including me). Brands tout short-throw projectors as space-saving, but they are still considerably-sized objects that need to be in a specific spot to make sense. Our long-throw Horizon S Max clocks in at $1,899—not insignificant by any means, but quite a bit more affordable than the Aura. What sets the Max apart from the Pro (only $1,299) are a few key elements: higher ISO lumens, IMAX Enhanced (meaning greater contrast and more clarity), and storage size. Otherwise, many of the details are pretty similar, so you aren’t skimping if you choose the Pro. 

Comparable projectors at lower prices do exist—but most I wouldn’t be keen to have on my open shelving or feel very 2010s start-up. Samsung’s stock is slim, and the more affordable model is akin to the less powerful MoGo 3 Pro; the brand’s higher-end options start at $2,999. And when it comes to TVs, Domino prefers Samsung’s Frame, but it still clocks in at $1,999 for a 65”-sized screen, $100 more than the Max. Of course there are many more affordable TVs across the market, but they aren’t nailing the balance of form and function. 

The XGIMI Horizon S series takes that concept to another level by practically disappearing into our decor while serving up Lost reruns, arthouse cinema, and live sports in 4K. And just like that, there’s no reason for TV-hiding tricks in this house.

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