JVC LX-NZ3 4K Laser DLP Projector Review – Performance

Posted on January 2, 2020 by Phil Jones

JVC LX-NZ3 4K Laser DLP Projector Review - Performance: Brightness, Audible Noise,

Brightness

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The JVC LX-NZ3 has a rated brightness of 3,000 ANSI lumens. Just how close did the LX-NZ3 come to hitting its target of 3,000 ANSI lumens? I set the projector's Picture Mode to Dynamic which is its brightness mode and I took 3-4 readings about 15-20% out from the center of the lens.

At wide zoom, Dynamic Picture Mode.

JVC LX-NZ3 Brightness (Normal Lamp Power): 2,967 Lumens

Brightness at mid-zoom

Color Mode	Lumens
Natural	2153
Cinema	2188
Dynamic	2347
User 1 & User 2	2135

The LX-NZ3 measured 2,967 lumens which is very close to JVC’s brightness claim. For the rest of the modes, I measured them at mid-zoom, so the iris is closed halfway. This is because it is more common for a projector to be zoomed in a bit rather than installed at full wide angle.

In HIGH lamp mode, all the JVC LX-NZ3 picture modes measured within a couple hundred lumens of each other. The Natural and User modes measured just over 2,100 lumens at mid-zoom while still delivering fairly accurate out-the-box picture quality.

With Lamp Power set to Eco, brightness at mid zoom for the Natural mode still measured 1430 lumens. This is more than enough brightness for viewing HDR and SDR content on a 100” screen in a dark room.

Audible Noise

We do not measure audible noise. JVC lists the noise level at 29dB in Eco and 34dB in Normal. The LX-NZ3 noise level was in line with other 4K DLP home theater projectors in its price point. While there are quieter home projectors, when the Lamp Power is set to Eco, the noise level of the LX-NZ3 was not distracting. There is a noticeable increase in fan noise when switching from low to high. When Lamp Power is set to Normal, the LX-NZ3 is noticeably louder than the JVC DLA-NX7 that I reviewed earlier this year, but that unit is much larger, it retails for over double the price, and isn’t as bright.