AAXA M8UST Ultra Short Throw Portable Projector Review

The M8UST, the “U” meaning ultra-short throw, is an AAXA projector in terms of design, features, price, and performance. That's mostly good news with just a little bit of bad, but I'll look into that more in the review. Let's take a closer look at AAXA's first portable ultra-short-throw projector. The AAXA M8UST is one of only a few portable ultra-short-throw projectors available for purchase at the time of this review.

AAXA has a history of producing feature-rich yet affordable portable projectors. The M8UST looks to continue that trend, promising bright 1080p images, smart capabilities with an Android-based operating system, and a host of features designed to be useful for both on-the-go professionals and casual home theater users, all with the added benefit of being an ultra-short-throw projector.

The value of an ultra-short-throw portable projector lies in its unique combination of ease of use and the minimal space it takes up, while creating a large projected image in various settings. Unlike standard throw projectors that, at best, still need significantly more distance from the screen, an ultra-short throw can project a big image while sitting just inches away from the screen. This makes a UST form factor perfect for small spaces or situations requiring a quick and simple setup.

For people who give presentations on the go, this kind of projector removes the need for long cables running across rooms or tricky setups far from the screen. Its small size and short-throw feature make it great for last-minute meetings, client visits, or classrooms where room layouts can change. At home, an ultra-short-throw portable projector can be a smart replacement for a regular TV. Its compact design means you can easily put it away when you're not using it, saving space. When you want to use it, it can project a large, clear image on a wall or screen without needing to move furniture or mount anything on the ceiling.

Also, because the UST projector sits close to the screen, people are less likely to walk through the light and block the image. That means fewer interruptions and a smoother viewing experience, especially in places where people are moving around. Presentations don’t get interrupted, and movies don’t stop because one of the kids walked in front of the projector while going to get a snack.

AAXA has included another twist with this projector. The M8UST can also be positioned to project an image onto a table. This feature is remarkably useful for one-on-one presentations in spaces that don’t offer convenient wall space or a screen for projection. As long as you have access to power, you can watch content or give a presentation right on the table or desk surface, as long as it is a solid lighter color. In its table configuration, the projector will display an image roughly 33 inches in size diagonally.

AAXA states the M8UST can reach 1,100 laser lumens. Industry standards are designed to calculate a projector's light output, like ISO, ANSI, and CVIA. Here at Projector Reviews, we currently use ANSI lumens to rate the brightness of projectors. However, we are slowly changing from ANSI to ISO lumens. The AAXA M8UST does not hit 1,100 ANSI lumens. I will talk more about this in the BRIGHTNESS part of this review. However, the M8UST is bright enough to generate a good-looking image in small to medium-sized spaces with decent light control.

AAXA gets this bright light from its new RGB (red, green, and blue) laser. Since the M8UST uses this type of light, it doesn't have a color wheel, and you won't see a rainbow effect. The lasers in the AAXA M8UST are maintenance-free, and AAXA rates the laser in the M8UST as lasting up to 30,000 hours when using ECO mode.

The M8UST displays content at Full HD (1,920×1,080p) using a 0.23” Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) DLP imager from Texas Instruments with a 4-axis actuator & FPGA to achieve the on-screen image. The DLP chip in the M8UST performs very well, displaying a sharp image on-screen with no noticeable smearing or shifting artifacts. AAXA has a long history of using shifting technology and TI DLP chips in their projectors. DLP projectors don’t generally display convergence issues, enabling the images the M8UST projects on-screen to look very good.

One downside with this model is that the projector displays a more noticeable screen door effect with bright content when you sit closer to the screen and project larger images.

My experience with the ultra-short-throw nature of this projector was fantastic. With the projector being so close to the screen, I didn’t have to worry about finding the right spot in the room to place the projector or something to set it on. Being able to put the projector so close to the screen eliminates some of the awkward placement issues faced by standard throw projectors.

With this UST projector, I didn’t have to worry about anyone coming between the projector and the screen and blocking the image, or worse, knocking the projector over when they moved or walked by the unit. The simple truth is that once you use an ultra-short-throw projector, you might have a hard time using any other type of projector again.

The AAXA M8UST measures 8.1“x 4.8”x 3” inches and weighs 2.78 lbs. The M8UST features a side-mounted control panel that uses standard pressure buttons rather than AAXA’s typical capacitive touch controls. This is a big improvement because you get a tactile click with a real button. The controls are simple and easy to figure out. There are four buttons: OK/PWR, ENTER, LEFT, and RIGHT. The choice of buttons is interesting because AAXA does not give you a button on the projector body to return to the HOME screen if you are on an HDMI input. You must have the remote control to fully use the projector's menus if you have selected an HDMI or USB source.

On the projector's left side, AAXA has included two HDMI inputs, a welcome feature; a USB Type-C input for mirroring; an optical audio output; a full-size USB Type-A port; and a 3.5 mm headphone audio output. On the right side of the projector’s chassis is a TF Card slot and another USB Type-C connector, but this connector is only for the included 20V Type-C power supply, 3A (60 Watts). The M8UST also includes an internal 4-watt amp that powers the projector's stereo speakers.

The included remote is nice. It is slimmer than a typical Android TV or Fire TV remote control, but shares a similar layout, albeit not an identical one. It is a massive improvement from the older credit card-style remote found on many AAXA projectors. This remote is still only IR (Infrared), requiring a line of sight to the only remote sensor on the back of the projector. Unlike some other AAXA models I've tested, I had no issues using the remote control from the side or rear of the projector.

Out of the box, the M8UST colors tend to be slightly oversaturated, especially the reds. AAXA does not provide traditional picture adjustments, such as color, hue, and saturation. They include an RGB value slider adjustment, but the colors were still very dynamic even after I turned the projector’s color saturation down to zero. The projector does not feature preset picture modes, just three brightness settings.

The overall color temperature is cool, and it's likely done to extract every bit of brightness from this projector. I will note that this projector’s overall color temperature is not as blue as that of other AAXA projectors I've reviewed.

AAXA lists the M8UST's contrast as 2,000:1 (Dynamic), which is not much. However, users purchasing projectors at this price point and for this use case are usually more concerned about color and brightness than contrast. So, blacks will be more gray unless you give up most details in the dark areas. Black-level performance was consistent with almost every AAXA projector I’ve reviewed at this price point and feature set.

Like the previous AAXA projectors we’ve reviewed, the M8UST does not use Android or Google TV. Still, it is an Android-based operating system, so it is compatible with many Android applications that can be accessed via the installed AAXA custom app store.

The M8UST supports many popular streaming services through its curated app store. AAXA informed me they have done this to provide applications with the best chance of installing correctly and running well on the projector. I tested some of the most popular applications used on Android-based projectors, and the experience was better than with previous AAXA projectors. However, overall, it’s hit and miss. Almost all preinstalled applications worked, but many are designed to run on a touch-screen device, so you must remember to put the projector into MOUSE mode via the remote control. If you don’t, the applications will sit on the opening screen and not respond to the projector’s D-Pad navigation.

AAXA continues its plan of limiting its app store to apps it has tested to have the best chance of working. This is a great approach to the world of third-party app stores. However, based on my experience, AAXA has more work to do. Fortunately, you can buy an affordable Google TV, Fire TV Stick, or Roku HDMI stick for around $20, any of which provides users with a seamless streaming experience.

All the content utilized for this evaluation was sourced from my computer, connected to the AAXA M8UST via HDMI input one. I found the displayed text consistently crisp and easily legible.

The projector displays a decently sharp image, and even at the 110-inch screen size, the text remained legible from the back of my testing space, twenty-five feet away from the screen. The AAXA's M8UST displayed presentation content, including slides, documents, and even animation content incorporating a range of graphics. 

While it may not rival dedicated home theater projectors in audio fidelity or image brightness, its ultra-short-throw capability, compact size, and PC-free presentation features set it apart from traditional standard-throw projectors.

The slightly oversaturated colors and limited picture adjustments are drawbacks, but the projector still shows entertainment content acceptably and presentation content incredibly well. The sheer convenience of its UST design ultimately outweighs these shortcomings.

For the kids, first-time projector buyers, students, or road warriors seeking a budget-friendly, highly portable projector that can deliver a large image in tight spaces, the M8USTST is a compelling option. Despite its imperfections, the M8USTST ($529.99 MSRP) represents a remarkable value, offering a taste of ultra-short-throw convenience at a fraction of the cost of higher-end alternatives. It's a smart choice if you value portability and space-saving design, and its UST functionality alone makes it a worthwhile investment.