Yaber Ace K1 Projector Review – 650 ANSI lumens for daytime visibility

This time last year, I reviewed the affordable Yaber V10, which I found to be a decent, affordable 1080P projector. They have now kindly sent me their new Ace K1, which is their best projector to date, while still keeping the price at an affordable price of around £330.

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	YABER ACE K1 Projector 650 ANSI Ultra Bright, Native 1080P...	No ratings yet		Buy on Amazon

Specification

• Display Technology: LCD
• Light source: LED
• Native Resolution: 1920 x 1080 px (Full HD)
• Max Resolution: 4K Ultra HD
• Colour: 16.7M
• Brightness: 650 ANSI Lumens
• Contrast ratio: 10000:1
• WiFi: WiFi 6 5GHz / 2.4GHz
• Screen mirroring via WiFi connection: Yes
• Keystone Correction: Auto 4 Point ±50° horizontal and vertical
• Screen size: 40-150 inches
• Aspect ratio: 16:9 / 4:3
• Throw Ration: 1.54:1
• Zoom function: 100% – 50%
• Built-in Speakers: 15W dual stereo Hi-Fi
• Bluetooth: 5.0
• Connection terminals: 2×USB 2.0, 2×HDMI, 1×AV
• Projection method: Front/Rear on desk, Front/Rear on ceiling
• Image format: JPG / JPEG / BMP / PNG
• Video format: AVI / MP4 / MKV / MOV / 3GP / MPEG1 / MPEG2 / H.264 / XVID
• Audio format: AAC / MP2 / MP3 / PCM / FLAC
• Presentation of PPT/Excel/Word/PDF Directly via USB: Yes.
• Chromecast, Fire TV Stick & Roku: supported.
• Lamp Life: 120000 hours
• Dimensions: ‎ 299x256x136mm │11.8×10.1×5.4 inches
• Weight: 3.9kg │8.60lbs
• Warranty: 3 years.

Set Up and Features

When I reviewed the Yaber V10, I immediately criticised it for a lack of an adjustable leg to angle the projected screen upwards. The Ace K1 partially resolves this problem. It has a small prop which you unscrew to provide a varying angle. I found that the length of this was shorter than I needed, and the display was projected into where my radiator is located, I therefore still had to find something small to place under the proper to provide a little additional height. You might argue that this is just my poor set-up, and you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong, but I have had any problems with other projectors I have reviewed.

When you switch on the projector, it will do automatic focus, which I found to be quite accurate and rarely required me to intervene. You can then use the automatic keystone correction. This mostly works well, using my radiator as a guide, the image is projected at a bit of a wonky angle, but the image itself is a rectangle rather than being skewed. Overall, the focus and keystone correction works much better than the Yaber V10.

This can, of course, be ceiling mounted, and this would be a superior solution for anyone wanting a permanent projector set up.

Unlike the recent portable projectors I have reviewed, the features of the projector are quite basic. It doesn’t run Android. The product page says there is connection to apps but unless I am missing something, there is nothing built into this offering that. You can play content via USB or stream via Miracast, which is possibly what they mean when they say connection to apps.

I am completely fine with the lack of built-in functionality. While it is handy having Android and apps built into the projector, these never provide the same streaming quality or overall user experience as a dedicated streaming stick will provide.

So, with this, I used my Fire TV Stick 4K Max, plugged it into the HDMI 1 and then powered it via the USB-A port. It works perfectly and provides a superior experience to any built-in features that other projectors have.

Image Quality and Brightness

For me, there is only one thing that is important with a projector, and that’s the image quality and brightness. This is where the Yaber Ace K1 excels.

It is brighter than any other projector I have used and can comfortably project an image onto my wall with all my lights dialled up to max. None of the other full-sized projectors I have reviewed has come close to this performance. It even outclasses the much more expensive but portable BenQ GS50.

The image itself looks good too. In bright light, the colours are obviously a bit washed out but dialling down my Philips Hue lighting, and the image quality still looks good at moderate light levels.

Switching off the lights and I’d regard the image quality as excellent. The main issue is that I am projecting directly onto my not-white wall with its grainy surface. Using a nice flat white projection screen should improve the quality significantly.

Sound Quality

This has 2x15W speakers, which is a significant upgrade from the 2x5w speakers of the V10, and I’d say it is adequate for things like presentations or any work-oriented video demos, but I wouldn’t want to use it for pleasure. The quality of the audio is not good for TV or movies.

For sound output, you either have Bluetooth, or there are two 3.5mm outputs, one marked for AV and the other for headphones. Personally, I’d run everything through an AV receiver or a soundbar before going to the projector so you can get proper home theatre audio.

Fan Noise

As always, with projectors, there is fan noise. In comparison to the recent BenQ portable projectors I have reviewed, I’d say this fan noise is significant. It is harder to drown out via the built-in speakers. Using external speakers, you can easily drown it out, but I find I do need to have the volume up a little, to avoid the irritating nature of the fans.

Price and Alternative Options

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	YABER ACE K1 Projector 650 ANSI Ultra Bright, Native 1080P...	No ratings yet		Buy on Amazon

The Yaber Ace K1 Projector is currently listed on Amazon for £458.99 with a £100 Voucher.

• Use the code ” YABERACEK1 ” for an extra 30£ OFF Exclusive Discount.
• Expires on December 11

Prime Exclusive Discount ends tomorrow, after which the regular price is £458.99 with a £100 Voucher.

The Yaber V10 is significantly cheaper. It has an RRP of £239 but is discounted to £215 and has a £45 off voucher taking it down to £170. Even though it is almost half the price, I’d strongly recommend spending the extra on the Ace K1, I’d regard this as more than twice as good.

I have just reviewed the BenQ GS50, which claims to have 500 ANSI lumens and costs around £630. Subjectively, I feel like Yaber is achieving a much greater brightness than the 150 ANSI Lumen difference suggests.

The XGIMI Halo or the XGIMI Halo+ is a popular portable projector alternative. The Halo is £629 and claims to have 800 ANSI Lumens. In theory, it should be much better.

BenQ also has the TH575 for around £530. This claims a massive 3800 ANSI Lumens, which in theory, should outclass the Yaber by a significant margin.

Overall

The brightness and, therefore, overall performance of the Ace K1 is a significant upgrade compared to the Yaber V10.

I’d say this is easily the best projector I have used for brightness and image quality. However, to be transparent, most of the full-sized desktop projectors I have used have been on the low end of the spectrum. I have reviewed excellent portable projectors, and these don’t quite compete with the brightness, but they are smaller, quieter, portable and battery-powered, so they are quite different products.

Personally, I wouldn’t bother with cheaper projectors like the Yaber V10. It may be half the price, but I think you are getting more than double the value with this projector as it is much more usable across a variety of lighting conditions.

James Smythe( Editor-in-chief )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.

Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API