BenQ MX525 Review

The BenQ MX525 data projector ($469) comes in at a low price, but offers good brightness and solid data-image quality. It’s a good choice as a budget projector for a classroom or business.

The DLP-based MX525 ( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) has an XGA (1,024-by-768) native resolution, a 4:3 aspect ratio, and a rated brightness of 3,200 lumens. It’s lightweight and portable, at 4.2 pounds and 3.7 by 11.1 by 8.7 inches (HWD). It lacks a carrying case, which is not unusual at its price point. The 1.1x zoom provides a little bit of flexibility in the projector’s placement relative to the screen.

The MX525 has a modest set of ports, including two VGA-in ports that double as component video, one VGA monitor-out port, an HDMI port, an RCA jack for composite video, an S-video port, audio-in and -out jacks, and an RS232 jack. There’s also a mini USB Type B port for connecting with a computer for downloads and page up/down.

Data-Image Testing
The MX525 projected an image about 55 (diagonal) inches to fill our test screen from about 6 feet away. The image was not at all degraded by the introduction of ambient light.

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In testing using the using the DisplayMate(Opens in a new window) suite, the MX768 had solid data-image quality, and should be fine for displaying typical business or classroom presentations. Overall text quality is good; black text on white is sharp down to 7.5 points, while white text on black is sharp down to 9 points. I noticed green tinting in gray backgrounds in some color modes, but it’s mild enough that it shouldn’t be an issue in most situations.

Colors are somewhat muted, with reds looking dull, and yellows somewhat mustardy. We frequently see this in DLP-based projectors, which—as opposed to LCD projectors, whose color brightness matches their white brightness—tend to have lower color brightness than white brightness.

Rainbow artifacts—little red-green-blue flashes, especially in light areas against dark backgrounds—are visible in images that tend to bring them out. This rainbow effect, which all single-chip DLP projectors are potentially subject to, is seldom a problem in data images, and it shouldn’t be with this model.

Video and Audio
Based on our testing, video quality is suitable for shorter clips as part of a presentation. The rainbow effect is more of an issue in video, and rainbow artifacts were apparent enough that people sensitive to the effect would likely be distracted by them. Detail in brighter areas tended to be a bit washed out. I also noticed posterization—a tendency for sudden shifts in color where they should be gradual—in several scenes.

Audio from the MX525’s two-watt speaker is low in volume. You’ll want to have your audience sit close to the projector to hear it well, or limit its use to small rooms.

This projector is capable of displaying 3D content from Blu-ray players or from PCs, but active-shutter 3D glasses are not included. Outfitting a classroom or conference room with 3D glasses could easily run into more money than you’d pay for the projector itself.

See How We Test Projectors

The MX525’s 3D capabilities are one feature that the Epson PowerLite 98 XGA 3LCD Projector , our Editors’ Choice low-cost XGA projector, lacks. The PowerLite 98’s image quality, however, is better for both data and video, and its sound system is much louder.

The BenQ MX525 provides good value in an XGA-resolution data projector. Although its video quality isn’t great, it lacks the obvious pixelation effect of its lower-resolution cousin, the BenQ MS524 ($798.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , and is a better choice if you plan to use it for any video. The MX525 provides good brightness and solid data-image quality for not much money.