Early Verdict
The EA275UHD isn’t perfect; no monitor is, but we think any user outside a hardcore gamer would be happy to own one. It sports a bright sharp image with excellent contrast, good color saturation and pixel density to spare. Build quality is second-to-none and even though it’s not the cheapest 27-inch Ultra HD monitor out there, it isn’t over-priced either. We’d be happy to have one of these displays on our desks.
Pros
- +
Carved-from-stone build quality
- +
bright sharp picture
- +
complete OSD
- +
software calibration tools available
Cons
- -
Inaccurate gamma without SpectraView
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Introduction & Specifications
The mainstay of NEC’s consumer display offerings are the EA and PA-series screens. PA encompasses professional models with factory-certified calibrations, precise color accuracy, a comprehensive OSD that includes color management, and top-of-the-line build quality. And as you’d expect, they come at a premium price.
If you don’t need that final one-percent in the performance department, substantial money can be saved by going with an EA-series monitor. Color accuracy, contrast and picture quality are more than adequate for business use and in some cases sufficient for pro-graphics and color-critical applications. And you get the very same carved-from-stone look and feel that NEC is famous for.
Today we’re checking out the latest Ultra HD entry in the 27-inch IPS category. It’s the newest size option in a field already crowded with 24, 28 and 32-inch monitors. 27-inches represents a sweet spot for both pixel density and desktop footprint. Introducing the NEC EA275UHD.
Specifications
NEC is not a company to rush to market with every emerging trend in monitor technology. It usually waits a bit to make sure everything is right before releasing a new category of product. When we started reviewing Ultra HD monitors in early 2014, all you could get was a very expensive 32-inch display that cost around $3000. Today those same screens are under $2000 and there are plenty of smaller options that are a better fit for both the desktop and your wallet.
Recently we got our hands on the first 27-inch UHD example from ViewSonic, the VP2780-4K. It’s a little more expensive than the popular 28-inch TN screens but with fresh new panel parts from LG, these AH-IPS displays offer a sharp bright picture and excellent off-axis image quality. At $700-$800 they’re not the cheapest way to go but they aren’t the most expensive either.
If there’s one thing we can say for sure it’s that NEC offers the best build quality in the business. Plenty of other brands offer metal stands and solid chassis but there’s something extra in the overall package offered by NEC. The quality of materials, the movement of the stand, the way OSD buttons respond; it’s all in the details.
Specifically regarding the EA275UHD we’re looking at a 163ppi pixel density, a super-bright AH-IPS panel with a 60Hz refresh rate, 10-bit native color and an sRGB gamut. The backlight uses pulse-width modulation at a rate of 23kHz. It’s pretty unlikely anyone will perceive flicker with a number that high.
With a comprehensive feature set and a reputation for excellent performance, the EA275UHD appears to be a winning package. Let’s take a look.
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