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The Spectrum Black 27 accepts HDR10 signals and switches modes automatically. Image controls are retained so you can adjust brightness and color if you wish. Very few monitors have this capability. Most lock out any adjustments for HDR content.
HDR Brightness and Contrast
Dough claims 1,000 nits for a 3% window pattern so my result of 783 for a 25% window tracks with that. The Spectrum Black 27 is very bright and vivid in HDR mode with sparkling highlights and deep blacks filled with precisely rendered shadow detail. If you find the presentation too bright, the brightness slider is available as are the brightness modes. I used Maximum for testing, but the image looks great in Tempered and Uniform too.
Grayscale, EOTF and Color
The Spectrum Black 27’s HDR grayscale tracking is without visible flaws. In fact, it generated one of the best charts I’ve seen to date. The EOTF is a bit dark, up to 50% where it meets the reference. The tone-map transition is at 65%. If you find parts of your game screen too dark, the Black Stabilizer is available, as are in-game controls that can fine-tune the HDR image to your liking.
In the gamut tests, the Spectrum Black 27 hits all the marks with slight over-saturation and solid hue tracking. HDR color is vivid and bright with all the detail included in the original content. HDR color accuracy is as precise as SDR. In the Rec.2020 chart, saturation and hue targets are met until color runs out just past 80% for red and 75% for green.
Test Takeaway: The Spectrum Black 27 has superior peak HDR brightness to some other OLEDs, giving it a little more punch. It also has best-in-class HDR color accuracy. My only wish here is for more gamut volume. I’m picking nits of course but it is possible to buy a 27-inch QHD OLED that is more colorful. This won’t make a difference when showing content mastered to DCI-P3, the under-saturation there is almost nothing. But Rec.2020 content will look better on a monitor with more gamut volume, i.e., a Quantum Dot screen.
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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.
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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.Reply
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. -
j99992 Reply
Even better, consider using DuckDuckGo or Brave Search. Remember, there are multiple search engines available worldwide.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.
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. -
helper800 Reply
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.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. -
parkerthon If you don’t understand why this monitor is so expensive, you don’t understand why people buy premium monitors.Reply
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. -
Jamesar Reply
I can confirm this is still an issue in 2025. I purchased a 32" OLED monitor directly from Dough's website in August 2023 and never received it because of production delays. The order was cancelled in August 2024, but I never received a refund and customer support stopped responding to my requests for a refund. I'm still out over $950 and have no way to get my money back.azcn2503 said: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. -
helper800 Reply
You should initiate a chargeback on the card for the purchase.Jamesar said:I can confirm this is still an issue in 2025. I purchased a 32" OLED monitor directly from Dough's website in August 2023 and never received it because of production delays. The order was cancelled in August 2024, but I never received a refund and customer support stopped responding to my requests for a refund. I'm still out over $950 and have no way to get my money back.