XGIMI Horizon Pro 4K projector, Dangbei Mars Pro 4K laser projector, Anker Nebula Cosmos Max 4K projector. These projectors are all sold for under $ 2,000. Let’s look at XGIMI Horizon Pro, Dangbei Mars Pro, and Anker Nebula Cosmos Max side by side, see what’s the difference between them.

  • Brightness

Dangbei Mars Pro offers an astonishing 3,200 ANSI lumens, while XGIMI Horizon Pro offers 2,200 ANSI lumens and Anker Nebula Cosmos Max offers only 1,500 ANSI lumens. Both XGIMI Horizon Pro and Anker Nebula Cosmos Max lack the necessary power to compete with external light sources. However, with its 3200 ANSI lumens, Dangbei Mars Pro can be rated as exceptionally bright, able to cope much better with ambient light. Therefore, when using XGIMI Horizon Pro and Anker Nebula Cosmos Max you need to control the light in your room to some extent. 

Brightness: Dangbei Mars Pro > XGIMI Horizon Pro > Anker Nebula Cosmos Max

  • Light source

The light source is the major difference between XGIMI Horizon Pro, Dangbei Mars Pro, and Anker Nebula Cosmos Max. Both XGIMI Horizon Pro and Anker Nebula Cosmos Max are equipped with LED lamps, while Dangbei Mars Pro adopts ALPD laser light source. Laser technology not only has a long lifespan but also is generally brighter than LED lamps. That is probably the main reason that laser projectors cost more, but we’ve seen the price decrease to a certain degree as the laser technology matured.

Light source: Dangbei Mars Pro > XGIMI Horizon Pro = Anker Nebula Cosmos Max

  • ROM & RAM

Just like most modern smart projectors, XGIMI Horizon Pro, Dangbei Mars Pro, and Anker Nebula Cosmos Max all have Android operating system built right in them, allowing users to enjoy seamless access to all sorts of streaming services. With that said, ROM and RAM really count. Anker Nebula Cosmos Max has 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM, XGIMI Horizon Pro has 2GB RAM and 32GB ROM, Dangbei Mars Pro has 4GB RAM and 128GB ROM. Smart projectors are similar to other smart devices we use in daily life, larger RAM means smoother performance, and larger ROM means more room for users to download their favorite content.

ROM & RAM: Dangbei Mars Pro > XGIMI Horizon Pro > Anker Nebula Cosmos Max

  • Lamp life

The main advantage of LED lamps and laser light sources is longer lifespan, Anker Nebula Cosmos Max has a LED lamp life that up to 30,000 hours, XGIMI Horizon Pro has a LED lamp life that up to 25,000 hours, Dangbei Mars Pro has a lifespan of more than 20,000 hours with its laser light source. 20,000 to 30,000 hours is long enough for a projector, theoretically, no lamp replacement is required on these three projectors.

Lamp life: Anker Nebula Cosmos Max > XGIMI Horizon Pro > Dangbei Mars Pro

There are other differences to consider before coming to the conclusion of which projector is better. XGIMI Horizon Pro and Dangbei Mars Pro support MEMC and 3D, and both are capable of producing a sharp image that can get up to a massive 300 inches. Anker Nebula Cosmos Max does not support MEMC and provides image size from 30” to 150”. However, Anker Nebula Cosmos Max is the cheapest one among these three 4K projectors.

XGIMI Horizon Pro vs Dangbei Mars Pro vs Anker Nebula Cosmos Max: Which is Better?

XGIMI Horizon Pro, Dangbei Mars Pro and Anker Nebula Cosmos Max are good options when looking to build a home theater, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth supported, along with auto screen adaption, electric keystone correction and autofocus technology, these three 4K projectors allows viewers to quickly setting up and enjoy breathtaking pictures at a resolution of 3840x2160p. Though Dangbei Mars Pro is the most expensive one among these three 4k projectors, considering that it provides incredible 3,200 ANSI lumens as well as adopts a laser light source, Dangbei Mars Pro seems to be a more cost-effective choice.