Auria EQ276W 27" IPS Monitor Review: QHD For $400

Features
By published

Although QHD screens are nothing new, they remain atop the desktop monitor price ladder. Auria broke the $400 barrier with its new EQ276W 27” IPS panel. Today, we run it through our display benchmarks to see how it compares to far pricier competition.

Too Good To Be True, Or Just Good Value?

After running Auria's EQ276W through our test suite, the obvious conclusion is that this monitor is an excellent value. Considering most other 27-inch QHD screens are selling for north of $800, Auria delivers a lot for the money. Its color is among the most accurate of any monitor we’ve tested. The grayscale tracks nicely at all signal levels, and is easily calibrated to D65 (or any other standard the user might wish). Its only real performance flaws are gamma that rides too low and below-average contrast. The addition of gamma presets and a better brightness control could fix these problems easily.

In practical use, the image looks great, whether you're involved in productivity, video, or gaming. While the EQ276W’s response time and input lag are a bit slower than others, we had no problem playing fast-moving first-person shooters. Those who look to wring every last drop of performance from their gaming rig will want to look elsewhere. But for the vast majority of players, the Auria will do just fine.

Ergonomically, the screen’s lack of anti-glare was a small problem. Any sunlight or harsh reflections show up in dark areas of the image. And if you set the screen just right, it can even sub as a mirror! While this issue is not insurmountable, it could impact some users. The low-mounted stand is a bit strange as well. For the typical desktop, an upward tilt is necessary, making it more difficult to get the angle just right. It’s very important for the keyboard, screen, and chair to have the right positional relationship to avoid fatigue and repetitive stress injury. We recommend the strong consideration of a bracket or alternative mounting system to bring the panel up to a proper height above the desk’s surface.

These issues aside, Auria delivers a solid product with great performance at a presently-unmatched value. If you can overcome a few ergonomic challenges, the EQ276W might be the monitor for you. Plus, at just $400 a piece, you can buy two for the price of most competing 27” QHD screens.

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.