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Do Portable Projectors Have Good Sound?

BenQ

2021/08/05

Built-in speaker Audio

This one’s easy to answer. The long and short of it is that good portable projectors indeed have very capable audio through integrated speakers. Therefore, if you want an all-in-one solution for big screen viewing and good quality accompanying sound, then it’s just a matter of making the right choice.

For projectors in general, earlier generation devices either lacked speakers or had very mediocre ones that produced subpar audio. All of that has changed over time, and current projectors of all sizes have built-in sound that may surprise you with its fullness and power. But that varies by model, and not all projectors in each category (home cinema, gaming, portable etc.) are equal.

If you go with quality products, then the need to purchase external speakers or sound systems to go with a projector has become entirely optional. That’s especially true for compact portable projectors, which by design are made to deliver a standalone audiovisual experience in any location without having to rely on external or additional hardware. That isn’t to say every portable projector has good audio, and some of the cheaper and smaller ones may even lack sound altogether, so you need to do your due diligence.

Why is Audio So Important for Portable Projectors?

Because they’re meant to offer a single-package solution, as we said above. The whole point of portable is simplicity. If in addition to the projector you also need to drag along external speakers, things stop being convenient real quick. Thus, good portable projectors have built-in speakers that sound good even in the great outdoors. We’re not talking stadium rock caliber, but certainly good enough for a campsite or something like that.

Simplicity is the rule with portable projectors, whether you’re on a road trip, at an impromptu business meeting, or having a birthday party for the kids. You don’t want to mess around with extra cables and spend time setting up speakers, not if the integrated audio is good to the point of making all of that completely redundant. And related to simplicity is space efficiency. If you’re in a small room like a dorm, then having more isn’t always a good thing. Great video and audio from one device beats the clutter of video and audio from multiple separate devices, each requiring its own power adapter, placement space, and so on.

Even better, if you look at high quality portable projectors, they have Bluetooth and by that can function in speaker mode for other devices, like your smartphone. That’s a nice extra, because portable projector speakers offer a lot more power than the audio output provided by smaller devices like phones and tablets.

Do All Portable Projectors Have Speakers?

Sadly no. The really small ones, often referred to as pico or micro projectors, in many cases have no audio output at all. And cheap portables may have speakers, but really underpowered ones that just sound terrible. Just as video quality differs widely among portable projectors, so does sound. You may get speakers with generic, low cost portables, but the sound will turn out flat and so weak, it’ll barely register even in a small room. We’re not encouraging you to blast loud music at people, so please do be considerate. We’re just saying if you want to be on the safe side, go with a quality portable projector with more premium integrated speakers. As a general rule of thumb, dual 2W speakers or a single 5W internal speaker should be included with your portable projector of choice. In other words, try to look for at least 4W of audio output power.

Don’t Judge Audio by the Projector’s Size

Looks may be deceiving, and compact portable projectors could harbor audio that’ll surprise you with power and coverage. And the reverse is true, some larger portables from less reputable brands often have disappointing audio capabilities. One clear example of this is the BenQ's GV30 and GS50, which for all of its innovative, cute, and compact design outputs truly powerful chambered audio, free from distortion and fully capable of doing justice to the latest blockbusters during movie night.

Sounds Great

Now we know just how essential quality audio is when choosing a portable projector, and that you should do your research because said good sound can’t be taken for granted. When you decide to get a compact and portable projector, the last thing you want are extra external speakers weighing you down. Please make the right choice, we think this article should help!

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