INTRODUCTION

    TV's may have reached and even surpassed the 100-inch threshold not long ago but projectors are still the number 1 go to choice for most people, especially those who want to go up to 120-inches or more without spending a lot in the process. Granted, picture quality should actually be better on one of the latest TV's around but size and cost (this of course depends on what model you end up getting) are clearly in favour of projection technology, at least in regards to 100-inches and above. Wanbo is yet another manufacturer focused in releasing affordable projectors for the masses and today with me i have their current top of the line model, the Mozart 1 Pro.

    Wanbo, it’s an intelligent and innovative brand of Shenzhen Wanbo Technology Co. Ltd, which Incorporated in 2016 with the core orientation of product appearance design and excellent user experience, committing to the development of DLP and single LCD projectors, who is a high-tech company integrated with R&D, design and research, manufacturing, sales and service for projectors.

    The Mozart 1 Pro (dark blue) is the improved version of the Mozart 1 (white) model Wanbo released a while back (runs Android TV 11.0, certified to Google Widevine DRM L1 for increased security) and features a native resolution of 1920x1080p (Full HD - 4k is also supported) together with a contrast ratio of 3000:1, maximum brightness of 900 ANSI lumens, 90% DCI-P3 Color Gamut and HDR10 support. With a throw ratio of 1.2 the PixelPro 5.0 fully closed optical machine (IP5X dust proof certified) of the Mozart 1 Pro with its 5-layer high concentrated optical lens (lamp life according to Wanbo is at 30.000+ hours) can produce a 150-inch screen from just 4 meters away. Wanbo has also equipped the Mozart 1 Pro with two 8W cavity Hi-Fi Speakers with independent DSP amplifier (660CC cavity volume), 2.4/5G WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity, 3 cooling fans, 2GB DDR3 RAM, 16GB eMMC, 7 degree retractable stand, HDMI v1.4 port, USB 2.0 port and a 3.5mm audio jack. Worth pointing out is that the Mozart 1 Pro is among a very small number of projectors that not only comes ready with Netflix available but also offers auto-focus, auto keystone correction (4-Point manual keystone correction available), auto screen fit, intelligent obstacle avoidance and manual zoom function. So, let's see just how good this compact LCD projector really is.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The Mozart 1 Pro arrived inside a white box that actually has a picture of the Mozart 1 at the front.

Some of the main product features are listed on the left side of the box.

A picture of the Mozart 1 Pro is located at the rear of the box.

Along with the Mozart 1 Pro and its power adapter and cord inside the box you'll also find a remote, certificate of approval and the user manual.

THE MOZART 1 PRO

Measuring 223mm in height, 209mm in depth and 176mm in width the 3.3Kg Mozart 1 Pro is a compact projector.

An on/off button with the Wanbo logo at the center (illuminated) is placed at the top of the projector.

The 5-layer high concentrated optical lens are fully closed (IP5X dust proof) and as for the lamp behind them Wanbo reports a projected life of over 30.000 hours.

A bass reflex port is located on the left side of the Mozart 1 Pro.

Just like the front the rear is also perforated and at the top we find the power port, USB 2.0 port, HDMI v1.4 port and a 3.5mm audio jack.

At the base of the Mozart 1 Pro Wanbo has placed a retractable stand which can raise the front at an angle of 7 degrees.

The remote control may not be something to get excited over but it has every button you'd want on it.

OS

The Mozart 1 Pro uses the Android TV 11 OS so it's something we've seen in the past.

Netflix is one of the available apps, something we certainly don't see a lot.

What some people may find strange is that the various auto settings are not in the usual settings tab.

Still from here you can once again find information about the device, set resolution and color space, enable/disable S/PDIF and access the typical Android settings.

You can access the auto-focus, auto keystone correction, 4-point manual keystone, auto screen fit, intelligent obstacle avoidance, zoom function, picture model, color temperature and sound mode from the top left/right buttons of the remote control.

The settings button of the remote control also gives you access to the input tab from where you can also enable game mode.

AUDIO / VIDEO QUALITY

As with other standard/long throw projectors i used my 100" VividStorm motorized screen along with the Max Vision 4K media player by HD Dune.

Just like with most mid-end projectors in the market dark scenes are clearly not great and so in movies like Dune Part 1 and The Batman it’s not easy to make out everything on the screen. Clarity/detail also drops in dark scenes but what I found to be very good with the Mozart 1 Pro regardless of scene was color reproduction and movement. 4K material is as advertised supported by the Mozart 1 Pro and as for audio quality there’s a very good amount of bass here which doesn’t however obscure the good mids and highs (good volume levels as well).

SCORE / POWER CONSUMPTION

Since many of you asked i decided to make a quick chart based on my objective opinion for each projector i test. This of course is my opinion based on what i see and my personal experience so just like other similar charts you should take this with a grain of salt (i do stand by my charts but in all likelihood, some will not agree). Also, since August 2023 I'll also be including a chart showcasing average power consumption while playing 4K content.

CONCLUSION

    Wanbo isn’t a manufacturer I was aware off even just one year ago but ever since some of you came forward and asked me to check their Mozart 1 and Mozart 1 Pro models I became very interested to the latter (initially because of its color). Yes, it’s not a high-end model and so its 1080p native resolution combined with its on-screen detail may not blow you away (yes, I was expecting slightly more in this regard) but it does produce very good colors with surprisingly smooth movement. It also comes ready with every auto-screen adjustment out there and let’s not forget a zoom function which is something missing from most similar models. Unfortunately, the single USB 2.0 port and the lack of RJ45 and S/PDIF ports may not satisfy some people but I guess we can’t have everything, not from a mid-range model. Audio quality was good for the most part with bass levels standing out the most. Power consumption is slightly high and yes, I was expecting less from such a compact projector (then again, the Vogue Pro by WEMAX got even higher). One of the things that did annoy me slightly was a small time lag between the when i pressed a button on the remote control and the action appeared on screen. This has actually not happened to me with any other projector I’ve used and/or tested to date so it certainly was something new (and of course it could be an isolated issue with my sample).

    Currently the Mozart 1 Pro Smart Projector by Wanbo retails for USD399 directly from their online store (wanbostore.com - use code Mozart1Pro_Nik for USD130 discount at checkout) and so it’s priced relatively well for what it brings to the table. Once again it all comes down to what your needs are so if you’re looking for a compact model that delivers on just about everything you’d ever want from a mid-range projector then the Mozart 1 Pro by Wanbo deserves your attention and for that it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Good Build Quality
- Native 1080p
- 90% DCI-P3 Color Gamut
- WiFi 2.4/5GHz & Bluetooth v5 Connectivity
- Auto & Manual Focus & Keystone Correction
- Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance
- Dual 8W Speakers (16W Total)
- Bass Levels
- 7 Degree Stand
- Netflix Ready

CONS

- Brightness Levels (For Some)
- Remote Control Lag(?)
- Lack Of Audio Codec Support (Built In Player)
- Overall Availability