Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus (EF-72) Portable Lifestyle Projector Review

The Epson EF-72 is a relatively small projector, making it easy to move from room to room or to different locations. One would think that the small form factor would significantly impact the sound quality the projector can produce, but honestly, that’s not the case. Espon solves the common problem of weak sound in smaller projectors through a long-standing partnership with Bose. The EF-72 features a custom-designed, Bose-tuned integrated stereo system that delivers rich, balanced, room-filling audio. This custom implementation includes two 40mm drivers and passive radiators with Bose force-cancelling technology, aiming to provide a clear soundstage with clear dialogue. It even supports Dolby Audio, ensuring dynamic sound that immerses viewers without requiring an immediate investment in external speakers.

The Epson EF-72 fully supports higher-fidelity audio via its eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) compatibility via a single HDMI port. eARC allows the projector to run streaming applications directly from the built-in Google TV OS back through the same HDMI cable to a connected soundbar or AV receiver for the highest possible audio quality.

The EF-72’s design and setup capabilities feature Intelligent Instant Setup technology (sometimes called EpiqSense 2.0) that handles setup in seconds with auto-modes including AUTO FOCUS, AUTO KEYSTONE CORRECTION, AUTO SCREEN FIT, and OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE, which automatically shrinks or repositions the image to avoid light switches or shelves. The projector also features a physically adjustable stand that allows the main body to pivot and tilt up to 180 degrees, enabling you to easily project images onto a wall, a ceiling (perfect for lying in bed), or even the floor.

The Epson EF-72 delivers a complete entertainment ecosystem powered by Google TV, transforming the projector into a smart media hub. A core feature of the built-in Google TV OS is that it eliminates the need for external streaming sticks or extra HDMI cables, a major convenience, especially critical given the projector's single HDMI port.

Access to the Google Play Store, with more than 4 million apps, ensures superior performance and security. You also get fully optimized versions of major streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Prime Video. This is a significant advantage over generic projector operating systems, which often force you to use browser workarounds or risk sideloading questionable apps.

Google TV also provides a curated viewing experience through personalized content recommendations and watch lists, offering suggestions based on your watch history across all your services and providing a faster, more intuitive experience. Features like the Google Assistant let you control the projector and connected smart home devices hands-free, letting you change channels, adjust volume, search for movies, or even dim the smart lights in the room without ever leaving the couch.

The Epson EF-72 includes several features to streamline setup, like AUTO FOCUS and AUTO SCREEN ALIGNMENT that run remarkably quickly, with little to no noticeable searching. AUTO KEYSTONE CORRECTION allows the projector to detect and correct any distortion caused when projecting onto an uneven surface or at a non-perpendicular angle. The AUTO OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE feature can detect objects on the wall, such as pictures or shelving, and automatically adjust the image to compensate for the obstruction, eliminating the need for tedious manual resizing.

For safety, the Epson EF-72 incorporates AUTO EYE PROTECTION. This essential feature uses sensors to detect when someone approaches the projector's front and immediately turns off the light source to prevent potential eye discomfort or damage, which is incredibly useful when the projector is placed in a high-traffic area or when children are present.

Even though it lacks optical zoom, the Epson EF-72’s fixed-focus lens does have digital scaling and placement for image size adjustments. While optical zoom typically provides a clearer image across a wide range of throw distances, the EF-72 compensates by featuring advanced Intelligent Instant Setup modes. These auto modes allow the projector to quickly and accurately dial in the image size and geometry.

The EF-72 has a F 1.6 lens system designed to make the most of its portable design, providing optical performance optimized for flexible use cases rather than a fixed installation. It features a fixed throw ratio of 1.20:1 and can project an image from 30 inches to 150 inches using only digital zoom. This projector can project a large image from a relatively short distance, with a projection distance ranging from 2.6 feet (0.8 meters) to 13.1 feet (4 meters). The EF-72’s lens has a 7:1 offset, allowing easy placement below the screen, meaning you don’t have to make significant use of keystone correction.

The remote control included with the Epson EF-72 is larger than a Google TV remote, but it shares most of the common button layouts. It features dedicated quick-access buttons for several major built-in streaming services, commonly including Netflix, YouTube, and Prime Video. These buttons ensure immediate access to your most-used entertainment platforms, complementing the projector’s intuitive, personalized Google TV home screen.

The projector remote has a dedicated Google Assistant button that activates several features, including voice search, menu navigation, access to select apps, and even control of a wide range of compatible IoT (Internet of Things) devices integrated into the Google Home ecosystem to manage your viewing experience and smart environment.

The EF-72 supports HDR10 and HLG (High Dynamic Range) formats and includes adjustable HDR tone mapping. In my totally light-controlled space, I used HDR CINEMA mode with the projector set to all factory default settings. If you are using the EF-72 in a room with some amount of uncontrolled ambient lighting and are going to be viewing HDR content, I would recommend using the projector's GAMMA or SCENE ADAPTIVE GAMMA modes to improve dark area detail. There’s also the option of using an ALR (ambient light rejecting) screen.

Unfortunately, the EF-72 does not offer switchable DYNAMIC TONE MAPPING. I think using the GAMMA mode adjustments is acceptable and worth using when watching most HDR content, especially on larger screens. Remember, most HDR content will appear dimmer than SDR material, so switching to SDR on a large screen, especially with a 1000-lumen projector like the EF-72, may not be a bad idea.

The Epson EF-72 is generally a good gaming projector for casual and mainstream console gaming. Still, it is not a high-performance gaming display, as its latency is around 20 ms, not the hyper-fast 4.2 ms you can find on some dedicated gaming projectors. That said, I didn’t have any issues playing the first-person shooters I normally play on my Xbox Series X. I couldn’t detect any significant input lag between my pressing a button on my controller and the corresponding action on the screen. In the end, that’s what you want when gaming on a projector. The projector rendered the game's colors very well, and I didn’t notice any visual artifacts in the games I played.

This projector has a dedicated GAME mode with an approximately 20 millisecond input lag at both 1080p and 4K (60Hz). Low enough for most titles. The projectors ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) allows it to automatically switch to GAME mode for the fastest response time when a supported console is connected.

The EF-72’s 4K Pro-UHD image delivers clarity and sharpness on my 110-inch matte-white screen.

The EF-72 features a Bose-tuned stereo system that delivers rich, balanced audio. This sound system features two 40mm drivers and passive radiators with Bose force-cancelling technology, providing a very nice soundstage with clear dialogue. It even supports Dolby Audio, ensuring dynamic sound that immerses viewers without requiring an immediate investment in external speakers.

The Epson EF-72 features two-way Bluetooth functionality, meaning it can act as both a receiver and a transmitter. This gives you flexibility in how you handle audio and connect accessories. The projector can transmit audio wirelessly to an external speaker, a soundbar, or a pair of wireless headphones. The projector's integrated Bose speaker system can act as a standalone Bluetooth speaker. This means you can stream music directly from a compatible smartphone or tablet to the EF-72, even when the projector itself is powered down or not displaying an image.

The Epson EF-72 includes several preset sound modes designed for different types of content. These modes are STANDARD, CINEMA, MUSIC, and VOICE.

For a compact projector, the sound of the Epson EF-72 is quite good. It’s not the loudest lifestyle projector I’ve heard, but it will fill a living room without distorting the audio, even at maximum volume. The EF-72’s onboard sound cannot match the range or bass response of a dedicated soundbar, let alone a full AV receiver and speaker system, but this is also a strong case for using an external sound source with the eARC-compatible HDMI output. Epson put it there for a reason.