Yaber Ace K1 Review: 650 ANSI Lumens LED Projector

Do you want to set up a budget home theater in your living? If yes, Yaber has launched the right projector for you.

In this Yaber Ace K1 review, we will grade the projector for its design, build quality, and performance. Later, will let you know if it’s the right projector for you or if better options are available.

Are you ready?

Let’s get started!

Yaber Ace K1 Review

Unboxing

Yaber is known for providing a plethora of accessories with its projectors, and the Yaber Ace K1 is no exception.

It includes a remote control, power cable, HDMI cable, AV adapter, and lens cleaning microfiber cloth.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t include a carrying case or a projector screen like the Yaber Pro Y9 reviewed earlier.

Design & Built Quality

The Yaber Ace K1 is the brand’s biggest and heavier projector yet. It weighs around 8.6 pounds and feels bulkier than the brand’s other projectors.

The projector has boxy proportions with 14.25 inches of width, 13.82 inches of depth, and a height of 8.03 inches. Thus, it might take effort to pack this projector in a backpack.

On the design front, Yaber hasn’t left any stones unturned. The Yaber Ace K1 looks premium and stands out among competitors like the Nexigo PJ40 or the Artlii Energon 2.

The projector’s front has the projection lens, IR receiver, and a tiny camera for autofocusing.

The left side has a massive heat sink, and the back has connectivity options and a built-in speaker.

The back has 2x HDMI ports, 2x USB ports, an AV port, an IR receiver, and a headphone jack. Unfortunately, there’s no HDMI ARC support, which is a bummer.

The back also has a 15W mono speaker, the loudest speaker I’ve seen in a Yaber projector.

The projector’s top is lined completely with a fabric finish, which adds to the premium feel. There are also numerous touch-sensitive and backlit buttons for power, source, navigation, etc.

In the build quality department, there’s hardly anything to complain about the Yaber Ace K1. While you can’t expect a rugged built quality; however, it can easily handle everyday wear and tear without any issues. However, never drop the projector, which might damage its internal LCD and lenses.

Unlike cheap LED projectors, the whole projector assembly of Yaber Ace K1 is dust-proof. Hence, after several months of usage, you wouldn’t notice dust particles on the internal LCD.

Performance of Yaber Ace K1

The Yaber Ace K1 has a native resolution of 1920 x 1080p with support for up to 4K content. The 1080p resolution is ideal for watching movies and TV shows without issues. More importantly, text looks crisp during presentations thanks to the higher resolution.

Brightness: The Yaber Ace K1 has a rated brightness of 650 ANSI lumens. In my testing, I found it to be around 600 ANSI lumens. Hence, it’s better than its competitors that claim a higher brightness but delivery even half of that.

While 600 ANSI lumens don’t look high on paper, it’s more than enough with a grey projector screen in a moderately dim room.

Having said that, you can also get the Epson CO-W01 at a similar price. It offers a whopping 3000 ANSI lumens brightness. Still, the resolution is limited to 1280 x 800 and doesn’t support 4K content, which is a bummer.

Power Consumption: In my testing, I found the power consumption around the 185-190W mark. The higher brightness results in additional power consumption, comparable to other LED-based projectors with similar ANSI lumens brightness.

Fan Noise: Due to higher brightness and power consumption, the fan noise on Yaber Ace K1 is loud. It is around 45dB, and in a quiet room, it’s audible. Thus, while watching a movie with sound, you won’t hear the fan noise. Although, during quiet scenes, the fan noise gets irritating.

Contrast Ratio: Based on the testing done by “The Hook Up” YouTube Channel, the contrast ratio with the Full On Full Off contrast ratio testing method is around 2270:1. Thanks to the higher contrast ratio, the darker scenes look more detailed than most of its competitors.

While the above-mentioned Epson CO-W01 has higher brightness; however, it results in an extremely poor contrast ratio. You can see the comparison between both projectors in the video below.

Gaming: Yaber doesn’t market this projector for gaming. Luckily, with the higher brightness and low input lag, you can play casual games without issues.

Automatic Adjustments: What sets this apart is automatic keystone correction and focusing. The tiny front camera helps autofocus and completely eliminates manual work before using the projector.

For automatic adjustment, press the Auto Focus & Auto Keystone Correction button on the remote for 3 seconds. It will initiate the process of setting the correct focus and keystone adjustment.

Remote Control: Talking about the remote – thankfully, it looks different from other LED projectors I’ve reviewed. It’s still a handy plastic remote with essential buttons for power, volume, source, navigation, functions, etc. Thanks to Bluetooth connectivity, you can connect a universal remote control or a gamepad.

User Interface: On startup, the Yaber Ace K1 has a basic user interface. It looks different but is similar to the inexpensive Yaber Pro Y9. You get quick access to video, music, photo, and documents. In addition, there’s screen mirroring and source selection.

For the price, it doesn’t come with Android TV, and it isn’t a major deal breaker. You can spend an additional $30 and get value-for-money streaming media devices like Google Chromecast with Android TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, or Roku Stick.

Screen Mirroring: More importantly, the Yaber Ace K1’s screen mirroring feature works seamlessly, thanks to Wi-Fi 6 technology and dual-band Wi-Fi support. With iOS Cast, you can easily connect with Apple devices. Whereas, with Miracast, you can do the same with Android smartphones and tablets.

Important Features & Functions

1. Autofocus & Keystone Adjustment

Getting a projector’s focus and keystone adjustment right is a frustrating experience. Hence, autofocus and auto keystone correction are practical and time-saving features. When you start the projector, it automatically adjusts the focus and keystone according to the projection surface.

2. Higher Brightness

Budget projectors suffer from lower brightness, an industry-wide problem. Hence, buying a sub-$300 projector with 650 ANSI lumens brightness is a dream come true.

3. Exceptional Contrast Ratio

Most budget projectors suffer from poor contrast ratio, spoiling the viewing experience. It’s because the screen looks washed out, or you cannot make out the details during darker scenes. Compared to its competitors, the Yaber Ace K1 offers a higher contrast ratio currently.

Pros & Cons of Yaber Ace K1

Conclusion

I hope you liked our Yaber Ace K1 review. If I were to buy a budget projector under $300, I would surely put my money into the Yaber Ace K1.

Firstly, it looks good. Secondly, it addresses major problems in budget LED projectors for years. It includes low brightness, poor contrast ratio, bad build quality, etc.

Have any questions about the projector? Please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section below.

Also Read:

• 7 Best Budget & VFM Projectors under $300
• Wimius P20 Review: Affordable 1080p Projector
• Epson EX3260 Review: Pint-Size Business Projector