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Epson LifeStudio Grand Projector: One-minute review
The new Epson LifeStudio Grand UST projector may not ring any bells. But its rebranding hides the fact that it’s little more than a minor update to the Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS650. That was a decent projector when it came out, but not an amazing one.
With the LifeStudio Grand, Epson has made some improvements. The Google TV operating system works well, and there’s an extra HDMI port where its predecessor offered just two. It also doesn’t have whiny fans. But the image is still a little soft and not as dazzlingly colorful as RGB laser projection. The projector’s motion interpolation also needs a lot of work. And Epson’s switch from Yamaha to Bose for sound tuning hasn’t made the audio better.
With competitors improving considerably over the past year, the LifeStudio Grand is in troubled waters. If you can’t see the DLP rainbow effect and don’t mind drawing the curtains from time to time, you can get a much better projector for your money by shopping elsewhere.
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Epson LifeStudio Grand review: Price & release date
- Release date: October 2025
- Price: $2,699 / £1,749.99 / AU$4,399
The LifeStudio Grand launched in late 2025 with global rollout in Spring 2026. The project has a retail price of $2,699 / £1,749.99 / AU$4,399.
Given its newness and the fact that it’s coming from a big player like Epson, I wouldn’t expect any major discounts on the projector too soon, though Black Friday could roll around and see at least a minor deal.
Epson LifeStudio Grand review: Specs
|
Screen sizes supported |
60 to 120 inches |
|
Brightness (specified) |
3,600 Lumens |
|
Optical technology |
3-Chip 3LCD |
|
Smart TV |
Google TV |
|
Connections |
3x USB-A, 1x 3.5mm audio out, 1x Optical audio out, 3x HDMI 2.0 (1x eARC, 1x USB-B (Service port) |
|
Dimensions |
18.4 x 15.7 x 6.2 inches |
|
Weight |
16.6 pounds |
Epson LifeStudio Grand review: Design & features
- Google TV and fast Wi-Fi work well together
- Bland looks, but functional design
As soon as I took out the LifeStudio Grand, I thought it looked familiar. Sure enough, down to the inch and pound, it’s just the Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS650 back again. There are just a few changes.
Epson added a third HDMI port on the back: nice. Epson swapped to Google TV and it actually runs quickly: nice. Epson included Wi-Fi 6E: nice. And Epson added some gaming features, like ALLM and a 1080p/120Hz mode: nice. But these are more making up for fumbles from that earlier model, rather than actually keeping pace with competitors like the Hisense PX3 Pro and its 1080p240Hz mode.
The LifeStudio Grand is a little plain to look at with its white plastic construction and gray-ish front grille — the result of a white grille dotted with black holes. Even the Epson branding looks unfortunate, like it was pasted on after having been forgotten in an earlier prototype (except we know it wasn’t because it was there on the predecessor).
One thing giving the LifeStudio Grand a bit of style is its little silver legs. These also play a crucial role in the projection, as they can adjust the tilt of the projector to ensure it lines up square with a wall or projection screen. The projector supports digital keystone adjustments, but those are best avoided when possible. The right side of the projector hides a hardware focus dial behind a small panel, which allows for quick focus adjustments while also protecting the setting once you’ve got it in place. Auto-focus would have been nice though.
While the LifeStudio Grand isn’t a large UST projector, it ends up feeling a little large because of its 15.7-inch depth. For comparison, the Hisense L9Q is just 12.5 inches deep and the PX3-Pro is just 11.7 inches. That sees the LifeStudio Grand stick out pretty far forward on a media console, and because of its 0.25:1 throw ratio, the console might have to stick out too if you want to get a huge picture. All of this also makes for tough placement for a soundbar.
The LifeStudio Grand’s remote is a cheap little plastic unit that doesn’t feel a good match for the price of the projector. It has typical Google TV controls, a dedicated input-selection button, four streaming app shortcuts (one for Free TV, which fires up Google TV Freeplay), and a dedicated brightness control and a shortcut to projection settings. While there are also volume controls on the remote, there’s no mute button — enjoy the sound of advertisements that you can’t quickly mute. The remote also lacks any illumination, which would be helpful in a dark home theater.
- Design & features score: 3/5
Epson LifeStudio Grand review: Picture quality & performance
- Bright projection
- Slightly soft picture and motion artifacts
- Speakers are no stand-in for actual sound system
Just like its predecessor, the star of the show for the LifeStudio Grand is its brightness. The projector offers a very respectable 3,600 lumens. This doesn’t make up for bright sunlight coming into the room and ruining dark scenes, but for bright content it can look decent. And the fans don’t overdo while running at full brightness either — an improvement over its prior model.
That’s about where the LifeStudio Grand’s benefits compared to its competitors end. The LifeStudio Grand uses Epson’s own 3LCD projection, which doesn’t prove as colorful compared to the crop of RGB laser projectors on the market. It does avoid issues with DLP rainbow effect, but if you’re not susceptible to that, it may be a non-issue. Contrast is decent, but not astounding. And though this is a 4K projector, Epson’s pixel shifting on this model doesn’t produce as stunningly sharp an image as its rivals.
Right out of the box, the projector’s Standard picture profile has some motion issues, and it’s not better on its other profiles. It smoothes out camera panning motion, but it introduces issues in just about all other types of motions. People moving around on screen look poor, especially with hand motions, which look almost AI generated and occasionally cause weird stuttering for the whole frame.
Animation looks even worse as motions are smeared chaotically. And even panning shots can suffer when the camera motion changes speed or slows to a stop, with the projector seeming to reduce the frame rate instead of interpolating. Although the interpolation can be turned off, when it is some camera pans stutter.
The speakers on the LifeStudio Grand are fine, but not dazzling — so much for that Bose collab. They don’t create a very wide soundstage, so they’re no replacement for a proper sound system. And while they can pump out enough volume for a 200-square-foot room, that’s about their limit. I find I’m regularly dialing them up above 60% just to listen in a quiet room. With guests over, it all but requires max volume, and has a slightly harsh quality when cranked.
Even with the projector’s new gaming features, it doesn’t prove a stunning option for gamers either. At a pinch, it’ll be good enough for most games, but I could still feel slight latency that made combat hard in fast-reflex action games.
- Picture quality & performance score: 3/5
Epson LifeStudio Grand review: Value
The LifeStudio Grand isn’t a terribly high-priced UST projector, undercutting the Hisense PX3-Pro by a good amount. And for the money, you’re getting a very bright projector. But that’s about the only specification that stands out.
The picture quality, sound, and design all leave plenty to be desired. That’s a bit too much disappointment for a product that’s still edging up toward $3,000 / £2,000 / AU$4,500.
Having seen the Hisense C2 Ultra — a 3,000 lumen triple laser projector — going for $2,000 (around £1,500 / AU$2,800) recently, it’s hard to see the LifeStudio Grand as a good option when you can grab the Hisense and a solid sound system for the same price.
Should I buy the Epson LifeStudio Grand?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Design and features |
A bland and bulky design that hasn’t changed much holds the LifeStudio Grand back, though it’s nice to see Wi-Fi 6E and an upgrade to a functional Google TV operating system. |
3/5 |
|
Picture quality and performance |
The LifeStudio Grand is bright and avoids the DLP rainbow effect, but that’s about the only thing it has going for it against its rivals. It’s not dazzlingly colorful, offers just decent contrast, can look a little soft, and doesn’t have impressive speakers or gaming performance. |
3/5 |
|
Value |
With just a couple of strong points and some big areas it lags behind, the LifeStudio Grand doesn’t offer wonderful value at $2,699 / £1,749.99 / AU$4,399, especially when some competitors have come down in price. |
3/5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Epson LifeStudio Grand review: also consider
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Epson LifeStudio Grand |
Hisense PX3-Pro |
Xgimi Aura 2 |
Hisense C2 Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Price: |
$2,699 / £1,749.99 / AU$4,399 |
$3,499 / £2,499 / AU$3,999 |
$2,699 / £2,459 / AU$6,399 |
$2,999 / £2,499 / AU$4,499 |
|
Screen sizes supported: |
60 to 120 inches |
80 to 150 inches |
80 to 150 inches |
65 to 300 inches |
|
Brightness (specified): |
3,600 lumens |
3,000 lumens |
2,300 lumens |
3,000 lumens |
|
HDR support |
HDR10, HLG |
HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision |
HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision |
Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG |
|
Optical technology: |
3LCD, Laser |
3 Laser DLP |
Dual Light 2.0 (Laser + LED) |
RGB Laser DLP |
|
Smart TV: |
Google TV |
Google TV |
Android TV |
Vidaa OS |
|
Connections: |
3x HDMI 2.0 (1 with ARC), optical, 3.5mm |
2x HDMI 2.1, 1x HDMI 2.0 (1 with eARC), 1x optical, 1x 3.5mm |
2x HDMI, 1x HDMI eARC, optical digital audio out, 3.5mm audio out, 3x USB-A, Ethernet |
2x HDMI 2.1 (1 with eARC), 2x USB-A, 1x S/PDIF, Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm, Bluetooth 5.3 |
How I tested the Epson LifeStudio Grand
- Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
- Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
- I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade
I tested the Epson LifeStudio Grand at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, in-room lighting, as well as ambient noise that both the projector and speaker systems had to overcome. The projector was tested both against a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with streamed content, HDR and non-HDR, and PC gameplay.
My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models colleagues at TechRadar and I have tested.
I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.
Read the full article here
