What's new
  • Please do not post any links until you have 3 posts as they will automatically be rejected to prevent SPAM. Many words are also blocked due to being used in SPAM Messages. Thanks!

Nixeus NX-VUE27P 1440P IPS Monitor Review

SKYMTL

HardwareCanuck Review Editor
Staff member
Joined
Feb 26, 2007
Messages
12,840
Location
Montreal
As LCD monitor technology matures and continues to grow in capacity, options that were once well outside the average buyer's budget have suddenly started to become a real possibility. One only needs look back to 2014 to see the radical change in the marketplace. Back then we reviewed numerous 8-bit IPS-based 27-inch monitors that were oriented towards the enthusiast and/or professional demographic. However, with a price tags well north of eight hundred dollars, few buyers were able to justify their asking price.

Now through 2016 and the early months of 2017 buyers can get a monitor with very similar specifications but a wildly different price. The refreshed Nixeus NX-VUE27P is a good example of this shift as it offers buyers 27-inches of real estate, a "10-bit" IPS-based panel, and an ultra-deep color pallet that is capable of recreating over 1 billion colors. Most importantly, with an MSRP of only $399 USD (or less in some cases!), no one will have to wait for a major sale before a high end panel comes within reach.

Nixeus may not be a household name but they're quickly making inroads within North America and abroad as they endeavor to offer low cost solutions to high value products. Back in 2015 we looked at one of their first flagship products, the VUE24A, and came away from that experience quite impressed so expectations are high this time around.

<div align="center"><img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/intro.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div>

How Nixeus was able to offer so much for so little comes down to a few salient facts. First and foremost, this is not a true 10-bit panel. Rather, this monitor offers an 8-bit LG manufactured panel that comes with 2-bit A-FRC (Advanced Frame-Rate-Control) or what is sometimes called temporal dithering.

This means the 8-bit panel can punch above its weight and 'create' more colors than it is technically capable of. To do this the panel will quickly "flash" or interpose two colors in quick succession to create the illusion of a third color the panel does not natively support. Considering that most IPS-based monitors in this price range are 6-bit and use 2-bit A-FRC to achieve 8-bit color reproduction, few will care that the Nixeus isn't true 10-bit as it still is better than most.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/ang1_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


The next cost-cutting measure is the chassis and components. No one will ever accuse this thing of being as robust or as capable as an $800 monitor, but it's 'good enough' that it should satisfy the majority of people. For something that will spend the majority of its life sitting on your desk, extreme build quality isn't really needed. Meanwhile, while the Nixeus also relies on less robust internals, as long as you are not living in a sweatbox the difference will not matter in the short to mid-term, and only after years and years of usage will it become a <i>potential</i> liability.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/back_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


The same holds true of the stand, which only offers 15-degress of tilt, zero height adjustment abilities, nor any swivel for portrait mode. Put another way, the stand itself is adequate but it is not in the same league as high-end alternatives. Only you can decide if a <i>stand</i> is worth a hundred of dollars or more to you.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/front_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


Another cost cutting measure is the rather thick bezel, which may be a touch jarring to some in the era of 'edgeless' designs. Having said that, we have yet to see a worthwhile professional-grade monitor actually come with an edgeless design. Having a bezel that is nearly an 1.5-inches thick will only impact users looking for multiple monitor setups.

On a more unfortunate note Nixeus hasn't equipped the NX-VUE27P with any FreeSync abilities – let alone G-Sync – but this will not impact the average user one iota. Instead, a resolution of 2560x1440 with a refresh rate of 60Hz (6ms GtG) will satisfy most needs more than adequately.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/io_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


The last money-saving tweak that Nixeus have done is to reduce the input options. While still very good, and still covering all of the bases nicely, offering only one DisplayPort, one HDMI, one DVI-D, and one VGA is a less than what is offered on the typical 'professional' monitor. This input selection is more the adequate for the average user, but for professionals used to multiple DP and even daisy chaining capabilities it will seem a bit lackluster.

Also missing are any USB 3.0 ports, though few will ever notice this missing connectivity. On the positive side, unlike the majority of monitors in this price range, the NX-VUE27P is adorned with real <i>physical</i> buttons and not finicky touch-based sensors. This will make setup and configuration a lot easier than usual.

Obviously, Nixeus have cut corners, but on the surface it does appear to get they have the successfully balanced the delicate act of being inexpensive without being <i>cheap</i>.
 
Last edited:

SKYMTL

HardwareCanuck Review Editor
Staff member
Joined
Feb 26, 2007
Messages
12,840
Location
Montreal
Menu Layout & Observations

Menu Layout & Observations


If there is one area which highlights the budget-oriented roots of the Nixeus NX-VUE27P, it is the OSD. Rather than offering a full list of in-depth display options, this is more like a brief list of options that you can adjust to varying degrees of success. It isn’t all that great, but luckily you won’t need to access it all that much once the initial setup process is complete. You can forget all about 6-color axis adjustments or pre-calibration and you can even forget about advanced features such as energy saving options. This is a barebones interface that meshes quite well with the frugal price.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/menu1_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


If you are the type who likes to obsessively adjust their monitor to 'perfection' via the OSD, look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you are a more typical user who will either use an inexpensive colorimeter to adjust gamma and colors or do so by eye alone, expect to be satisfied.

As to the actual features included in the OSD, when you hit the menu button (the second leftmost button labeled “Menu”) and enter the OSD you will be greeted with a very small and simple list in a standard left/right configuration. On the left side are the four main sections and the right half will change depending on which section you choose.

The first main area is the 'Picture' section, and this is where most people will spend a few seconds adjusting options which impact the colors and on-screen presentation. Specifically, you have Brightness, Contrast, Gamma, and DCR. Brightness and contrast are self-evident in what they do, and pressing either brings up another menu with a bar that goes from 0 to 100 which roughly translates to percentages.

The DCR or Dynamic Contrast Ratio is off by default, and once again we recommend you leave this setting alone. DCR is nothing more than the monitor 'dynamically' playing with the contrast levels to make it appear as if the contrast ratio is wider than it really is.

Missing from this section is any fine grain Gamma adjustment abilities and that – just like the missing 6-axis color adjustment features – is quite conspicuous by its absence considering this is considered by Nixeus to be a 'Professional' monitor.

The next main section is labeled Image, and it allow users to adjust the image positions and aspect ratio. As such, this section can be safely ignored.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/menu2_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>



The third is called Color, and as the name suggests it allows users to adjust the color profile. This monitor comes with four preset profiles (5400K, 6500K, 9300K, and sRGB) as well as a User Defined mode. This last mode allows you to individually adjust the Red, Green, Blue color settings.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/menu3_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


The fourth deals with the On-Screen Display (OSD) itself, and its location on the screen, how transparent it is, and how long it will stay on the screen before timing out and disappearing. The default is for the bottom right corner and 15 seconds. We strongly suggest you increase the time to its maximum of 1 minute.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/menu4_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


The last is the 'Setup' section, and it allows you to adjust the built-in speaker volume (we recommend turning these off and using real speakers), the OSD language, and reset the monitor to factory defaults.
 

SKYMTL

HardwareCanuck Review Editor
Staff member
Joined
Feb 26, 2007
Messages
12,840
Location
Montreal
Panel Uniformity & Panel Performance

Calibrated Settings
Please remember that the settings below have been calibrated for our specific environment and your viewing conditions may differ from ours.


Mode Used: "User Define Mode"
Notes:
- All tests done at default settings at 120 cd/m2.
- Unless otherwise noted, the tests were carried out via DisplayPort


Panel Uniformity


<i>In a perfect world, a screen’s brightness output should be equal throughout the entire panel. Regrettably, this is not a perfect world, but the lower the variation the less chances you will notice overly bright or dark sections on the screen. For the consumer LCD marketplace, a variance of 10% is our gold standard, but anything below 15% can be considered excellent as we doubt anyone will notice a -7.5 to +7.5 variation. A variation above 15% - but below 24% - can be considered adequate, but anything above this does not meet our basic minimum standards. </i>

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/uniform_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


Even though we would have preferred to have seen a sub 10-percent variance between the panel's light and darker areas, 12-percent is pretty great for this price range. It's better than many of the higher-end monitors that we have reviewed in the last 12-18 months.


Panel Performance


<i>Ideally, a screen’s real world response rate would be so fast that motion blur, ‘ghosting’, ‘reverse-ghosting’ would be a thing of the past. No matter how fast the action displayed all images would be represented in pristine condition similar in quality to a static image. This is not a perfect world, but the less amount of blurring that occurs, the less chances you will notice the issue in real world scenarios. While the panel's response rate (ms) and frame rate (Hz) can give a fairly rough idea of how much blurring to expect, it is not the be-all and end-all.

To this end, we have taken PRAD’s Pixel Persistence Analyzer ‘Streaky Pictures’ program and - using a high speed camera - captured exactly how much and what kind of motion blur you can expect from a given monitor</i>

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/blurr_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


As this monitor is oriented towards professionals, and not gaming enthusiasts, it is not unsurprising to see it exhibit a rather large amount of ghosting. This really is par for the course for 8-bit IPS monitors, which prioritize color fidelity and static image clarity over fast moving images. If this is a deal breaker, the NX-VUE27P is not going to be a good – let alone great – choice for you.
 

SKYMTL

HardwareCanuck Review Editor
Staff member
Joined
Feb 26, 2007
Messages
12,840
Location
Montreal
Panel Backlight Bleed & Gamma Performance

Panel Backlight Bleed


An LCD or LCD LED-based monitor relies upon either one or multiple sources of light to illuminate the liquid crystals so as to create a visible image. In a perfect world, all the light would either go through the open crystals or be reflected back into the interior of the display via the closed crystals. Due to the manufacturing process, most monitors exhibit light leakage around the edges of the monitor. This issue is called 'backlight bleed' and can drastically lower the contrast near these affected areas. This causes colors to have a washed out appearance, with blacks appearing to be more gray that black. Ideally, a monitor should have zero bleeding, but if the amount is judged to be fairly minor we will consider it to be adequate.

To determine the amount of backlight bleed a given sample exhibits, we have placed the monitor in a completely dark room and have taken a series of pictures of the monitor using a Nikon D810 with a 24-70 F2.8E VR lens. In between each shot the ISO is raised by one stop until a picture is captured that shows the amount of backlight bleed occurring.


<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/bleed_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


For a monitor in this price range, the amount of backlight bleed is certainly nothing to write home about. We have seen worse and we have seen better. Thankfully, few users ever use their computer completely in the dark. Under more common viewing scenarios, this level of bleed is barely perceptible with mainly a washing out of contrast in the affected area.


Gamma Performance


<i>Gamma correction is one of the hardest terms to explain. However, for our purposes the gamma correction of any electronics device is how bright or dark an image will be displayed on a screen.

All PC devices now use 2.20 gamma as the default. Any variance from this will result in an image being either underexposed - which will create black crush and reduced shadow detail - or washed out with overexposed highlights level detail.

While 2.20 is the gold standard, a minor deviation of 0.10 will in all likelihood never be noticed by anyone other than professional photographers. Higher levels of deflection however will be noticed by just about everyone. </i>

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/gamma.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div>


It is obvious the Nixeus NX-VUE27P 1440P Monitor does not come factory calibrated, but that is to be expected as this is an inexpensive monitor. What was not expected was how poor the default really was. Since there is no real gamma adjustment built into the OSD - beyond on and off - people will have to opt for off panel options like driver software. Thankfully, a colorimeter is not that big of an investment, and one that will pay dividends for years and years.
 

SKYMTL

HardwareCanuck Review Editor
Staff member
Joined
Feb 26, 2007
Messages
12,840
Location
Montreal
CIE and RGB Levels

Color Saturation Levels


There are numerous colors that the human eye can’t see because the human color space is confined to three primary colors and combinations thereof. In order to not waste manufacturing resources displaying colors that we can't see, a color space known as CIE RGB was mathematically derived and turned into the de facto standard by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE).

In the image below, the dark triangle that isn’t highlighted is the sRGB color space, while the overall CIE color space is displayed as the background colors. Meanwhile, the white triangle with highlighted color represents the results of what a given monitor can display. No monitor can display the entire CIE color spectrum, but a good monitor should be able to display the sRGB spectrum of possible colors as it is usually used as the standard for image encoding.

A monitor that features the “wide color gamut” moniker can display more than the sRGB spectrum, and is considered primarily for professional use. If a monitor cannot cover off the entire sRGB triangle, the resulting image will appear “off” to an observer. The end result is a displayed picture that won’t be as rich, vibrant or as correct as it should be.


<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/cie_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


The large color gamut is easily the biggest and best selling feature of this monitor. If a wide color gamut is not important to you versus panel response times or something else, then perhaps you should look elsewhere, as you might be able to save a few bucks. However, for those who not only know what a color gamut is, but also need one, the NX-VUE27P has a lot to offer at an attractive price. Consider this a great solution for budding photographers or videographers who may not have a large budget.


Default RGB Levels


An LCD or LCD LED backlit panel relies on accurately blending Red, Green and Blue pixel clusters to create an overall image. Therefore, the closer each of these colors is to a perfect 100 output, the better and more accurate the default colors will be.

In this case, we have a low tolerance for anything less than perfection since any color shift can be noticeable even to untrained eyes, and will require a color correction at the software level to overcome a monitor’s stock output. We do however consider a minor variation of only a few points per color to be acceptable.


<div align="center"><img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/rgb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div>

Just as with the default gamma levels, the factory RGB settings are quite poor. Even for an inexpensive monitor this is bad. Thankfully, it is not that difficult to fix this issue.
 

SKYMTL

HardwareCanuck Review Editor
Staff member
Joined
Feb 26, 2007
Messages
12,840
Location
Montreal
Viewing Angles, Contrast, & Power

Viewing Angles


<i>Unlike CRT displays, the manner in which LCD panels create an image can result in one large weakness: the image can lose contrast when viewed off angle. While we do not recommend watching an LCD at anything besides perfectly straight on, the reality is this cannot always be done.

To help give you a glimpse of what a panel will look like when seen from either above the horizontal or vertical plane we have taken pictures at fairly extreme angles. </i>

<div align="center"><img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/view.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div>

Just as expected the NX-VUE27P has wide viewing angles. By that same token, if you do view this monitor at extreme angles expect the colors or the gamma to start to go sideways. Unlike most IPS-based monitors, this model gives very little warning and at one angle things look OK and the next they go way off the rails. Most likely, this is because the panel is not as perfect as we have become accustomed to with 'professional' monitors. Some of this issue can be laid at the feet of the rather glossy anti-glare coating, which does exacerbate viewing angle hiccups in all but darkened rooms.


Maximum Contrast Ratio


<i> While manufactures love to throw around “maximum” contrast ratios in the millions, the fact of the matter is that to get these high numbers they have to use "dynamic contrast" which - at best - results in overly optimistic specs. With DC turned off, the number of shades between purest white and blackest black a given monitor can display is usually in the low hundreds rather than the thousands.

The higher the contrast ratio, the better the monitor will display shades of dark and light. For IPS monitors, anything below 450:1 is unacceptable, with 500:1 or above being considered optimal. For TN panels, anything above 120:1 will be considered “good enough” for most users. </i>

<div align="center"><img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/contrast.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div>

We are of two minds on these results. On the one hand, while not the absolute highest numbers that we have seen, it is pretty darn close. On the other hand, we were expecting even better as this is a '10-bit' IPS monitor and should have the contrast ratio to match its pedigree. As such, these results are still good, but not outstanding.


Power Consumption


<i>To obtain the maximum power consumption number, we set the monitors brightness to 100% and the contrast to 100%. The calibrated results are taken at 120 cd/m2, with the contrast set to the default level. </i>

<div align="center"><img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/power.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div>


Considering that this is a professional grade monitor, the power consumption is quite decent. Obviously, this is because the internal circuits are not as demanding compared to some other professional monitors. In either case, the average user will like these results as it does mean a few less cents per month on their power bill.
 

SKYMTL

HardwareCanuck Review Editor
Staff member
Joined
Feb 26, 2007
Messages
12,840
Location
Montreal
Gaming Performance

Gaming Performance

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/g1_s,.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


Let's start by making our position perfectly clear: this is not a gaming monitor, nor did Nixeus intend it as such. Rather, the NX-VUE27P leans towards general purpose professional usage cases. While we all would love to be game testers -and no, playing Farmville at work is not actually gaming- this monitor is not intended to blow people away with its amazing gaming abilities. However, if you are a professional on a budget who wants to kick back and relax every now and then, its color reproduction does help things but slow response times plague FPS experiences.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/g2_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


This should be rather blatantly obvious, and people need not go any further than reading the Gray-To-Gray (GTG) response time, but this monitor lacks even FreeSync abilities. This is a little disappointing as adding FreeSync is not an expensive proposition – especially compared to using GSync – so this missing feature is regrettable. We have to reiterate once again that this is not a 'gaming' monitor, and adding any such features would have negatively impacted its largest claim to fame: an anemically low asking price.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/g3_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


Now with that taken care of, this monitor is actually not all that bad at games. I personally used a Dell UltraSharp U2714 for a long while as a 'gaming' monitor, so I might be a touched biased here. Basically, the 8-bit plus color depth and wide color pallet does make for a rather aesthetically pleasing image. While I don't feel the Nexus 27 NX-VUE27P is as good as the beloved Dell, it can do a pretty darn good job at accurate image representation.

The secret is basically not trying to use this monitor for fast-paced first-person shooter, third-person shooter, or 'twitch' games general… or racing simulations… or basically any game where the slow response time will become a noticeable handicap. Outside of these genres, this monitor can do just as good a job, and arguably better, then most so-called 'gaming' products. For example, if your game genre of choice is strategy or similar slow-paced games, the Nixeus NX-VUE27P can be pretty damn good.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/g4_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


Overall, this monitor would never be our first choice as gaming-focused display, but as long as you understand its strengths and weaknesses I wouldn't take it off my list of potential purchases. If your needs and this monitor's strengths do align well, you may just save a ton of money and get one hell of a value.
 

SKYMTL

HardwareCanuck Review Editor
Staff member
Joined
Feb 26, 2007
Messages
12,840
Location
Montreal
Multimedia and Real World Performance

Multimedia and Real World Performance


<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/m1_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


Let's start with movies. Movies are not as demanding as modern games, and are fairly 'slow' in their frames per second count. Honestly, if anyone is looking for a rich, bordering on breathtaking movie experience, and don't mind the fact that this monitor is 'only' 27-inches wide, what it can do is simply phenomenal. The average consumer will really have to step all the way up to the 600 dollar range before finding its equal.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/m2_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


The Nixeus NX-VUE27P will provide such an immersive movie experience that it blows the doors off anything in its price class. The differences are so large that they will be noticed by the average viewer and it will not take an experienced eye to see these differences. Scenic vistas and wide open scenes will be more immersive, colors will 'pop' like never before, and you will wonder why the hell you had not purchased a true 8-bit IPS monitor before now.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/m4_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


Even non-movie experiences will be improved, and if you do watch a lot of YouTube videos for research, or just entertainment purposes this monitor is once again sure to impress. Put the YouTube video in full screen at its highest resolution, sit back and enjoy. In either case, you will be sucked into the video and will (probably) get more information out of it as the more photo-realistic bordering on life-like color representation draws you in...at least once you've calibrated it.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/m5_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


As for professional usage scenarios, once a colorimeter is used to correct the poor factory color profile, this monitor is sure to please. Everyone from professional photographers, to even excel spreadsheet rangers will love the abilities as it is a classical 16:9 monitor and requires zero learning curve to get the most from it. The only issue is that it has what is best classified as a semi-gloss finish rather than the matte finish typically found on monitors of this caliber. Basically, the anti-glare coating really does not work and various light sources – including a typical 60W incandescent bulb – will cause noticeable glare 'hot spots' to occur. Consumers will need to play with their setup to optimize the angles so that no reflections are seen.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/m3_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>


Overall, that is a lot of positives and almost no negatives when it comes real world and multimedia scenarios. Considering consumers will get all this for the low asking price of $400 or so, the Nixeus NX-VUE27P is a no-brainer for the 'poor student' who cannot afford a separate TV and monitor and instead needs one to pull double duty.
 

SKYMTL

HardwareCanuck Review Editor
Staff member
Joined
Feb 26, 2007
Messages
12,840
Location
Montreal
Non-Colorimeter Tweaking

Non-Colorimeter Tweaking and Results


<i>In a perfect world, either every monitor would come factory calibrated to perfection or every single consumer would own a decent colorimeter. We don’t live in such a world, and as such most consumers simply use their untrained eyeballs to fix any imperfections with the stock colors of their new monitor.

In order to gauge how easy this is to do for a given monitor we have included a new set of tests. These tests will be carried out before any of our standard tests and will consist of us using a combination of the free online LCD Monitor Test Images (found here LCD monitor test images) and then if necessary the free Hex2Bit Monitor Calibration Wizard (found here Hex2Bit - Software by Mike Walters). The goal of these tests is to not only gauge how easy it is to accurately calibrate a given monitor using only the onboard monitor tools, but to see how closely we can come to what a Spyder3 Elite can do. </i>

To obtain these results we did the following:

- Used “User Defined” mode to set values of 70 Red, 71 Green, and 74 Blue.
- Adjusted the brightness to 31% (which resulted in a 120.6 cd/m2)
- All other settings left to default levels


<div align="center"><img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/man_gam.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
</div>
<div align="center"><img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/man_rgb.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></div>

There are two main issues with the Nixeus NX-VUE27P so let's start with the easy to fix one: the default factory color profile. In order to tweak the colors into some semblance of perfection, owners will have to first navigate to the Color section, then the Color Temperature option. Next they will need to place the monitor into User Define mode, and then navigate up one level, which will allow RGB settings to be tweaked. Once that is done, simply use 70 for Red, 71 for Green, and 74 for Blue. This will get the colors very close and for most it will be more than good enough.

The other issue is the default Gamma, and here the rather underwhelming on-screen display will be of little help. Owners will have to go 'off screen' to correct the issue. Unfortunately, we cannot tell you precisely what to do as it will be a judgement call on your part… though even if just corrected to 'close' the appropriate level it will be much better than the stock settings.

Overall, the combination of physical buttons but terrible OSD will leave consumers happy and yet frustrated all at the same time. If Nixeus is serious about courting the 'Pro' market, they need to step up their game on the on-screen display and factory calibration side of the equation. By the same token, the average consumer will consider this level of frustration to be pretty much par for the course.
 

SKYMTL

HardwareCanuck Review Editor
Staff member
Joined
Feb 26, 2007
Messages
12,840
Location
Montreal
Conclusion; Extreme Value Despite Some Missteps

Conclusion; Extreme Value Despite Some Missteps


The Nixeus NX-VUE27P is a rather impressive low-cost monitor that absolutely <i>proves</i> just how far the industry has come in the past few years. A short while ago, in order to get a '10-bit' 1440P monitor consumers had to be willing to shell out upwards of a eight hundred dollars. Now all that is needed is $400 and a willingness to settle for a few less bells and whistles. That is impressive no matter what your final opinion of the Nixeus NX-VUE27P is.

When it comes to performance, the Nixeus NX-VUE27P reminds us more of a high-end monitor from only a couple years ago - albeit with a few omissions in order to hit the lower price point - than a modern moderately-priced monitor. These differences are why not everyone will be enthused with the NX-VUE27P, and they can be summed up in five words: uniformity, usability, robustness, and gaming ability.

By opting for an obviously lower grade panel, the end result is a monitor that does not have the panel uniformity of more expensive models. In this sample's case, the differences were not overly noticeable in real-world scenarios but this will be a deal-breaker for some professionals, which are the target demographic for this model. For average users though, we doubt that many will care one way or the other as unless you really are looking for the difference it is hard to notice. This is due to the anti-glare coating which creates enough reflections to hide uneven uniformity even in moderately lit areas. This coating is also something to consider, but many monitors in this price range use equally annoying glossy coatings so it is hard to knock Nixeus for this.

The usability and robustness are fairly self-evident, but do require some explanation. This monitor is imminently useable, it is just not very user-friendly. The OSD and stand are adequate, but both lack the advanced options that most buyers have come to expect with any monitor. As such, if you care about height adjustment, or portrait to landscape mode abilities, you may need to buy a hundred-dollar monitor arm. The same is true with the lack of factory color calibration, which should be done on all 'professional' monitors but obviously has not been done with the VUE27P line. This too is an easy fix, and should not dissuade those interested in getting a heck of a deal. The savings this monitor offers really do more than compensate for the lack of advanced features, and as such we expect that few will consider these to be deal-breakers either.

However, the last issue may turn some average buyers off. This Nixeus model is a semi-professional grade monitor, so if you are interested in blur-free, ultra-smooth gaming this is a sub-optimal choice. This is par for the course with all similar IPS-based monitors, and while the surprisingly deep and rich color pallet does help the gaming experience, hardcore gamers will want to look elsewhere.

As you can see, a perfect monitor this is not, but even with the minor issues taken into account it represents one hell of a great value for the right consumer. Like I said a few times throughout this review, with the NX-VUE27P Nixeus has created one of the best options currently available for budding photographers or video producers who may not have the capital necessary to purchase a higher end alternative. If after weighing the pros and cons you consider the value proposition to be simply too good to pass up, rest assured that I'm highly doubt that you will regret the decision.

<div align="center">
<img src="http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image/akg/Monitor/Nixeus_VUE27P/DGV.gif" border="0" alt="" />
</div>
 

Latest posts

Top