Dough Spectrum Black 27-inch OLED gaming monitor review: Pro-level accuracy and premium performance

The Dough Spectrum 27 is a 27-inch OLED gaming monitor with QHD resolution, HDR400, 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync and wide gamut color.

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Dough Spectrum Black 27
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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Each Spectrum Black 27 is calibrated before delivery and includes a data sheet. I verified these results for my sample. It does not require calibration for either DCI-P3 or sRGB color, 6500K color temp and 2.2 gamma tracking.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

Image 1 of 2
Dough Spectrum Black
(Image credit: Portrait Displays Calman)

Whether you choose DCI-P3 or sRGB color, grayscale tracking is the same. sRGB has slightly higher errors in the brighter steps, but they are not visible to the naked eye. Gamma also tracks very close to the 2.2 reference with no visible difference between color modes. I attempted a calibration using the RGB sliders in the color temp menu but could not improve upon the results. This is pro-level performance.

Comparisons

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Dough Spectrum Black
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The Spectrum Black 27 has the best out-of-box grayscale tracking of the group with an impressive 0.84dE result. When the other screens are calibrated, it only slips one position. It doesn’t get much better than that. Even the sRGB mode’s score of 1.5dE would put it third before adjustment and fifth afterward.

Gamma tracking is equally precise, with a tiny 0.05 range of values and a 2.27% deviance from the 2.2 spec. The actual value is 2.15, which is a tad light. I couldn’t see a problem because there are no humps or dips in the trace. Gamma tracks almost perfectly straight for both color modes. This is excellent performance.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

Image 1 of 2
Dough Spectrum Black
(Image credit: Portrait Displays Calman)

From an accuracy standpoint, the Spectrum Black 27’s color gamut tracking is without visual flaw. Primary colors are a tad undersaturated on the chart, but not visually. Magenta and cyan are slightly off hue but again, you won’t see this in actual content. With such a low error level, this monitor is more than qualified for professional applications as well as premium gaming. The sRGB chart shows similar behavior with no visual errors at all.

Comparisons

Image 1 of 2
Dough Spectrum Black
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The Spectrum Black 27 misses the first position by a nose, but remember, the other screens have been calibrated. The Dough is at its factory settings, which is most impressive. Of course, no one will complain about any of the screens here. Their color accuracy is superb.

Here is where the Spectrum Black 27’s one weakness lies. As a non-QD monitor, it won’t have the gamut coverage of the MSI. But it is a tad behind other non-QD screens like the AOC and Asus. I’m picking nits here, but if you want every point of comparison between displays, this parameter should be included. In practice, few, if any, users will complain.

Test Takeaway: The Spectrum Black 27 has pro-level accuracy with no need for calibration. Only a slightly smaller color gamut might give buyers pause. But in practice, it is not a deal-breaker by any means. A tiny bit less green will not diminish its superlative gaming performance, high-end build quality and comprehensive feature set.

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Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

6 Comments Comment from the forums
  • azcn2503
    This review mentions nothing about actually trying to obtain one of these things. Customers that placed orders literally years ago have not received their product yet, and the company have gone dark with their communications. There is some very shady activity happening with the company filing for various types of insolvency, changing their name, etc. to exploit loopholes that aid protecting them from engaging with and reimbursing very rightfully enraged customers.

    Dough were previously known as Eve. A quick google search for simply "dough eve" will tell you everything you need to know about this network of companies.
    Reply
  • cknobman
    $1100 for a 27 inch OLED!?

    There is a sucker born every second these days.
    Reply
  • Albert.Thomas
    DOUGH is a ponzi scheme scam, DO NOT BUY.
    Reply
  • j99992
    azcn2503 said:
    Dough were previously known as Eve. A quick google search for simply "dough eve" will tell you everything you need to know about this network of companies.
    Even better, consider using DuckDuckGo or Brave Search. Remember, there are multiple search engines available worldwide.
    What baffles me is that OLED is still discussed and priced as if it's a brand-new, cutting-edge technology, despite being around for about 20 years. I was anticipating OLED back in 2003.
    Reply
  • helper800
    j99992 said:
    Even better, consider using DuckDuckGo or Brave Search. Remember, there are multiple search engines available worldwide.
    What baffles me is that OLED is still discussed and priced as if it's a brand-new, cutting-edge technology, despite being around for about 20 years. I was anticipating OLED back in 2003.
    The problem that still exists with OLED is the manufacturing cost. It is a very expensive BOM technology, just because its 20 years old does not automagically make manufacturing it any cheaper, especially at these small screen sizes.
    Reply
  • parkerthon
    If you don’t understand why this monitor is so expensive, you don’t understand why people buy premium monitors.

    I find it humorous when people build a $2000 gaming pc only to spend $200 on a va panel that looks like washed out dog crap or a laggy ips that looks like a blurry slide show when gaming. But then again I notice this stuff because I have always felt the monitor is key to the whole pc gaming experience. I know others could care less. Just understand, this price is justified.
    Reply