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Epson EpiqVision LS650

By Epson · Smart Projectors · Audio & Electronics

  • 4K PRO-UHD 3LCD
  • 3600 lm color and white brightness
  • Ultra-short throw 0.28:1, up to 120 in
  • Laser phosphor 20,000 hrs
  • Built-in Android TV, Yamaha 2.1 audio

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Summary

A 4K PRO-UHD ultra-short-throw laser TV for living rooms: 3,600 lumens, built-in Android TV and a 20 W Yamaha system. Check the measured fan noise and the 72.4% DCI-P3 color gamut before you buy.

Strengths

  • Brightness for real living rooms: 3,485 ANSI lumens measured in Dynamic mode, enough for lights-on viewing with an ALR screen.
  • Three LCD chips, so rainbow artifacts cannot occur — PCMag calls it the least-expensive design that guarantees this.
  • Ease of use: ProjectorCentral gave Ease of Use its highest sub-score and called the experience no-fuss, plug-and-play.
  • The 16.3 lb chassis stands 6.2 inches tall and sits on a console under the screen.
  • Factory color tuning measured a 2.35 dE SDR average error with no calibration at all.
  • The 20 W Yamaha 2.1 system is usable for daily TV, not an afterthought.

Weaknesses

  • Color gamut is the real gap: 90.4% Rec.709 and 72.4% DCI-P3 measured, the unit’s weakest point per ProjectorCentral.
  • Fan noise rises with brightness: 44.8 dBA measured on the right-side exhaust against a 33.3 dBA room floor.
  • “4K PRO-UHD” is pixel-shifted 1080p — about 4.1 million displayed pixels, not the 8.3 million of certified 4K.
  • No calibration controls: no white-balance gain/bias, no CMS, no Dolby Vision, no Netflix app, no 3D, no Ethernet.
  • HDMI is 2.0 at 18 Gbps, so 4K/120 Hz from current consoles is out.
  • The manual focus lever sits closer to the screen than the lens, and the laser cuts out while you reach in to focus.

Verified specifications

Brightness3,600 lumens color and white, measured in Dynamic mode with dynamic contrast off.
Projection system3-chip 3LCD ultra-short throw; native 1080p panels, 3840 × 2160 maximum via 4K PRO-UHD pixel shifting.
Throw ratio0.26 (wide) to 0.41 (tele); digital zoom only.
Picture size60 to 120 inches.
Laser lifeup to 20,000 hours at Normal power.
Smart platformAndroid TV 11, Chromecast built-in, Google Assistant.
AudioYamaha DSP 2.1 — two 5 W speakers plus a 10 W subwoofer, 20 W total; S/PDIF optical out; Bluetooth speaker mode.
HDMItwo ports, 2.0 at 18 Gbps with HDCP 2.3; HDMI 2 supports eARC.
Connectivity2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; Bluetooth 5.1; three USB 2.0 Type-A ports.
HDRHDR10 and HLG; no Dolby Vision.
Contrastover 2,500,000:1 dynamic; 950.1:1 native measured, 4,002.9:1 with Dynamic Contrast on Fast.
Fan noiserated 36 dBA Normal, 23 dBA Eco.
Power draw278 W Normal, 244 W Medium, 186 W Eco.
Focusmanual precision slider; fixed F/1.6 lens; no lens shift.
Dimensions18.4 × 15.7 × 6.2 in (467 × 400 × 153 mm); 16.3 lb (7.4 kg).
In the boxprojector, power cable, remote, batteries, quick setup guide.
Warranty2-year limited, parts and labor; two-business-day replacement with free shipping.
Full research notes and sources

What “4K PRO-UHD” actually is

The panels are native 1080p; the projector shifts pixels to accept a 3840 × 2160 signal. PCMag found the result essentially matches 4K at normal viewing distances, so from the couch it will look sharp — but the consensus in r/projectors threads is that it trails non-Epson USTs on fine detail, and it is not a native 4K chip.

Brightness, contrast and the Dynamic Contrast setting

The 3,600-lumen headline is a Dynamic-mode measurement with dynamic contrast off. Expect the movie-watching modes to be about a third dimmer than the box number.

The setting owners get wrong is Dynamic Contrast. With it off, Secrets measured 950.1:1 native contrast (161.553 nits white against 0.17 nit black). On Fast, black fell to 0.0421 nit and contrast rose more than fourfold to 4,002.9:1, with no clipping on the 0–10% step patterns. Secrets recommends leaving it on permanently; What Hi-Fi called Epson’s 2,500,000:1 marketing figure very optimistic. Anyone reporting weak blacks is almost certainly running the unit with the setting off.

Noise, setup and usability

Epson rates the fan at 36 dBA in Normal mode and 23 dBA in Eco. ProjectorCentral measured 44.8 dBA at the right-side exhaust against a 33.3 dBA room floor, with noise climbing as brightness rises. If the exhaust side sits near a seating position, listen before you buy.

Tabletop front-facing only — Epson’s own Q&A answer confirms no ceiling mounting. The wide throw puts the rear about 10.5 inches from the wall for a 100-inch image, front about 26 inches out. Focus is a manual slider on the right side, closer to the screen than the lens, and the body sensors shut the laser down while you reach in. Digital zoom and keystone cost brightness and can add artifacts, so avoid geometry adjustment when you can. Android TV and Chromecast are built in, but there is no Netflix app and only two HDMI ports, so a streaming stick takes one of them. No Ethernet, no 3D, no 12 V trigger (discrete IR commands exist for control systems), and no backlit remote.

Audio, warranty and running costs

The Yamaha DSP 2.1 system uses two 5 W full-range drivers on the audience-facing side plus a 10 W subwoofer behind a metal perforated grille. ProjectorCentral found it very suitable for daily use, PCMag found enough volume to fill a large family room, and Secrets found it clean and free of audible distortion even at full volume, with a soundstage wider than the projector. None of them call it a replacement for a soundbar or AVR — Secrets says action films will benefit from a subwoofer — but eARC and the S/PDIF optical out make handing audio to an external system easy.

There is no lamp and nothing to replace: the laser is rated up to 20,000 hours at Normal power, which Secrets converts to about 15 years of use. The one user-serviceable item found is a removable air filter in a sliding tray along the bottom edge; no cleaning interval is published. The 2-year limited warranty includes two-business-day replacement with free shipping, and an extended service plan (EPPSNVHTRG1) is listed in Epson’s ordering information. The real extra cost is the screen: an ALR panel is the intended companion, and Epson’s SilverFlex 100-inch was listed at $2,000 with the 120-inch at $3,000 (ecoustics).

Is it worth it?

Epson’s own store lists both colors at $1,799.99, undercutting the $2,799.99 launch MSRP by $1,000. Street prices sit at $2,499 at ProjectorCentral, and $2,499.99 at Electronic Express (marked down from $2,599.99) — there the tradeoffs harden, and ProjectorReviews names the Optoma CinemaX D2+ and WEMAX Nova at $2,699 as rivals with wider gamut. Above the launch MSRP there is little argument for it; the $3,499 third-party marketplace listing at Best Buy is sold out and is LS800 money for a lesser projector. One owner in r/projectors quoted $1,700 refurbished from Epson direct.

Which model this is

Two US SKUs, identical except chassis color: V11HB07020 (white) and V11HB07120 (black). The same hardware sells outside the US as the EH-LS650B and EH-LS650W; Epson Europe marks its model discontinued while Epson US still stocks both colors. Do not merge it with the LS300, LS500 or LS800 — different brightness, throw and platform. The Amazon listing is ASIN B0CKS72W9H.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

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