If you are looking for the ultimate home theater experience, you should definitely take a close look at Sony's flagship projector, the VPL-GTZ380, which is a 10,000 lumen, native 4K SXRD projector that retails for $80,000 (minus lens).

In 2017 when Art reviewed Sony's amazing VW5000ES projector, he said it was easily the best home theater projector he had ever reviewed. Over the next several years, the VW5000ES reigned supreme as the "King of Home Theater Projectors".

However, many professionals and hard-core enthusiasts that loved the picture quality of the VW5000ES and its highly-rated professional twin brother, the VPL-GTZ270, desired an even brighter, higher performance unit.

Enter the VPL-GTZ380. Compared to its predecessors, the GTZ380 delivers much higher brightness and wider color gamut resulting in a massive increase in color volume.  The unit’s X1 Ultimate chip also provides a huge boost in video processing power which further improves both SDR and HDR picture quality.

The GTZ380 can deliver more onscreen brightness than a double-stacked pair of VW5000ES or four VW1025ES which is incredible for a projector of its size.

Yes, a huge amount of brightness is overkill when viewing SDR except on an absolutely massive screen. However, if you want the best experience viewing HDR content, 10,000 lumens of brightness isn’t really that extreme.

The GTZ380 is intended for applications where the highest image quality is critical. While the unit will be most attractive to video enthusiasts looking for the ultimate home theater projector, you will also see it utilized for other applications including film festivals, private screening rooms, and training simulators.

While some high-end home theater installers prefer professional cinema projectors in their jobs, the size, weight, connectivity, and special placement needs make most of those projectors completely impractical for all but the most expensive home theater spaces.

Many of these projectors require specialized cooling systems and they need to be isolated in a separate room to spare viewers from the huge amount of noise generated. Even if a client or enthusiast can afford one of these professional cinema projectors, they may not want to deal with the hassles associated with their installation.

The GTZ380 can deliver twice the peak brightness of the VW5000ES and the chassis size is nearly identical – it only weighs about 24 more pounds. Sony states that the GTZ380 is nearly 20% smaller than the next smallest 10,000 lumen native 4K projector on the market. Weighing just 112 pounds, it is both the most compact and lightest unit in its class.

It's not only smaller, but it's also less obnoxious. As mentioned previously, a high brightness home theater projector like this typically needs a special room to manage the resulting heat and noise.

The advanced phosphor wheel design features a patented spiral fin that ducts heat away efficiently for impressively cool operation – a frequent issue with other high-brightness projectors. Its liquid SXRD panel cooling system and streamlined airflow design make the GTZ380 supremely quiet for such a bright, professional projector at a minimal 39dB.

Sony was the first company to introduce a native 4K home theater projector and they still have the most comprehensive model assortment. Sony has seven 4K HDR home theater projectors in their lineup, starting with the VW325ES ($5,500) moving up to the flagship GTZ380 which is $80,000 (minus the ARC-F Lens).

In addition to the GTZ380, the are four additional laser-based 4K HDR models in the Sony lineup, including the VW1025ES ($40,000 SRP) and the VW915ES ($2,000 SRP) There are also two Sony 4K HDR home theater lamp-based projectors, the VW715ES ($10,000 SRP) and the entry level VW325ES ($5,500 SRP).

See below for a summary of the Sony 4K SXRD Home Theater projector lineup.

The GTZ380 utilizes a newly designed Z-Phosphor laser light source that incorporates a red laser diode in addition to the two different-wavelength blue laser diodes to achieve the full DCI-P3 color gamut without any loss of brightness. The additional red laser diode dramatically expands color volume, without the loss of brightness common to other high-end models that use a built-in color filter.

The GTZ380 uses three newly developed 0.74" SXRD panels to deliver true 4K resolution (4096 x 2160). The unit's ultra-high quality lens assembly ensures that every ounce of detail reaches the screen.

In addition to a rated brightness of 10,000 lumens, 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, and a 16,000:1 native contrast, the flagship GTZ380 is also equipped with the most powerful video processor that Sony has ever put into a projector, named "X1 Ultimate for projector".

While the X1 Ultimate processor was originally developed for Sony's Master Series LCD and OLED flat-panel televisions, this version has been optimized for projectors with the goal of enhancing the picture quality of projected images.

The GTZ380 is compatible with two motorized Sony ARC-F lenses which include an ultra-high-quality, multi-element, all-glass lens assembly. This ARC-F lens is a significant upgrade in optical quality compared to the very good lenses used on Sony's less expensive native 4K SXRD projectors.

Check out our interview with Rob Brennan (Sony's Product Technology & Training Manager) from the Fall 2021 Projection Showcase where we discuss the GTZ380 in detail.

• Price: $80,0000 (minus lens)
• Z-Phosphor laser light source with red laser diode
• Technology: SXRD panels (LCoS)
• Native Resolution: 4K (4096 x 2160)
• Brightness (Manufacturer Claim): 10,00 lumens
• Lamp Life: 20,000 hours
• Contrast Ratio: ∞ (infinity) Dynamic
• Zoom Lens Ratio: 1.95:1 (VPLL-Z8014 Lens)
• HDR10/HLG compatible
• X1 Ultimate Video Processor
• Frame and Frame HDR Auto Tone Mapping
• Two 18Gbps HDMI 2.0b (HDCP 2.3) inputs
• Two DisplayPort (HDCP 2.3) inputs
• Power Lens Focus/Shift/Zoom: Yes
• Weight: 112 lb
• Warranty: 3-year parts & labor

The Sony VPL-VW1025ES which retails for $40,000 is a 4K SXRD laser home theater projector. It is the successor of the highly-rated VW995ES ($35,000 SRP) we reviewed a few years ago. Art loved the performance of the VW995ES so much that he presented it with several awards. After a successful run, Sony has finally introduced the VW1025ES as a replacement model. 

The VW1025ES's performance is further enhanced over its predecessor by the incorporation of Sony’s powerful X1 Processor which has been optimized for projector applications.

Physically the VW1025ES is very similar to the VW915ES ($20,000 SRP) that I reviewed several months ago. It utilizes the same SXRD imager, X1 video processor, and laser light source. The main difference is the unit’s optics. 

The VW1025ES, like the older VW995ES, uses an ARC-F lens. This type of ultra-high-quality multi-element all-glass lens assembly is also utilized on the VW5000ES ($60,000 SRP) and the flagship GTZ380 ($80,000 SRP minus the ARC-F Lens) home theater projectors. 

Like all Sony 4K HDR home theater projectors, the VW1025ES uses three SXRD panels to deliver true 4K resolution (4096 x 2160). The unit’s ultra-high quality lens assembly ensures that every ounce of detail reaches the screen.

If you take a quick glance at the spec sheet of the older VW995ES and compare it to the new VW1025ES, it might be easy to overlook that seemingly small upgrade. With the exception of the flagship VW5000ES and the ultra-short throw VZ1000ES, all of Sony’s traditional home theater projectors now feature Sony’s latest video processor – the X1 Processor for Projectors. 

It’s like buying a base Porsche 911 versus a fully loaded Turbo model. The base car will give you most of Porsche’s famous driving experience, but the top-of-the-line model is just faster and adds additional luxury and refinement. 

While the VW325ES is Sony’s base 4K SXRD home theater projector model, stepping all the way up to the VW1025ES adds a Z-Phosphor Laser Light source with a Dynamic Iris which is paired with an ARC-F Lens assembly. 

The ARC-F lens assembly is Sony's finest optics but commands a high premium and is the main reason why the VW1025ES ($40,000 SRP) retails for double the price of the VW995ES ($20,000). 

Sony was the first company to introduce a native 4K home theater projector and they still have the most comprehensive model assortment. Sony has seven 4K HDR home theater projectors in their lineup, starting with the VW1025ES ($5,500) and moving up to the flagship GTZ380 which is $80,000 (minus the ARC-F Lens). 

There are five laser-based 4K HDR models in the lineup, including the VW1025ES ($40,000 SRP) and two 4K HDR home theater lamp-based projectors, the VW715ES ($10,000 SRP) and the newly announced VW325ES ($5500 SRP).

Below is a summary of the Sony 4K SXRD Laser projector lineup.

Sony Model	Price (SRP)	Brightness	Light Source	Lens	Processor	Dynamic HDR Enhancer
GTZ380	$80,000 (w/o lens)	10,000 lm	Z-Phosphor	ARC-F	X1 Ultimate	Yes
VW5000ES	$60,000	5,000 lm	Z-Phosphor	ARC-F
VW1025ES	$40,000	2,200 lm	Z-Phosphor	ARC-F	X1	Yes
VZ1000ES	$25,000	2,500 lm	Z-Phosphor	Ultra Short Throw
VW915ES	$19,999,99	2,000 lm	Z-Phosphor	Standard 4K Lens	X1	Yes
VW715ES	$9,999.99	1,800 lm	Lamp	Standard 4K Lens	X1	Yes
VW325ES NEW	$5,500	1,500 lm	Lamp	Standard 4K Lens	X1	Yes

The VW1025ES has a rated brightness of 2,200 ANSI lumens and the unit’s Z-Phospher laser light source has a rated life of 20,000 hours. While 2,200 lumens may not seem like a lot compared to many of its DLP-based competitors, the VW1025ES, like most Sony 4K Home Theater projectors, can deliver most of its rated brightness, even in its most accurate picture mode. By comparison, most DLP projectors can barely deliver half of their specified brightness in their Movie and Cinema modes.

Considering the older VW995ES and the new VW1025ES use many of the same quality components, have the same specs, and have very similar measurements when tested, you may be surprised that the actual viewing experience is very different. While both projectors’ brightness, contrast, and color gamut are nearly identical, the VW1025ES delivered a noticeably better picture than the unit it replaces. 

As mentioned earlier, the most significant VW1025ES upgrade is new video processing powered by a version of Sony’s X1 Processor that has been optimized specifically for projector applications. This Processor is what gives the projector the ability to do frame-by-frame HDR tone mapping. The VW1025ES supports both the HDR10 standard as well as HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma).

Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to do side-by-side comparisons between multiple Sony X1 processor-equipped projectors versus their counterparts, and every time the difference was dramatic. Projector Reviews gave the VW995ES multiple awards due to its stellar picture quality. While I didn’t have to opportunity to compare the VW995ES and VW1025ES directly, based on my previous experiences, I am confident the improvement provided by the X1 Processor would be just as noticeable.

What separates a good chef from a great chef is their recipe. You can give two chefs the same ingredients and end up with two different results – one chef might serve you a delicious meatloaf while the other chef disappoints you with soggy meatballs. 

For the Sony VW1025ES, the quality components are the ingredients and the X1 Processor is the excellent recipe that extracts their maximum performance for an optimal viewing experience. 

Sony's most affordable native 4K projector delivers class leading picture quality

The Sony VPL-VW325ES is a 1500 ANSI lumen 4K SXRD home theater projector and the successor of the highly-rated VW295ES ($5000 SRP) which we reviewed a few years ago. The VW295ES was one of our favorite projectors, offering an outstanding picture that very few models in its price range could match.

I was such a fan of the VW295ES it was my number one recommendation for anyone who had a projector budget of around $5000. I liked it so much that even if a customer’s budget was a little lower than $5000, I still tried to talk them into spending a little more because the performance was worth every penny. After a successful run, Sony has finally introduced the VW325ES as a replacement model.

Like all Sony 4K HDR home theater projectors, the VW325ES uses three SXRD panels to deliver true 4K resolution (4096 x 2160). Not only is the VW325ES the least expensive 4K model in Sony's home theater lineup, but it is also the least expensive 4K home theater projector on the market – period. The new VW325ES retails for $5499.99, only $500 more than the VW295ES.

What do you get for the extra $500? On paper, the main difference between the two models is video processing. If you take a quick glance at the spec sheets of the older VW295ES and compare it to the new VW325ES, it might be easy to overlook that seemingly small upgrade. With the exception of the VW5000ES and the ultra-short throw VZ1000ES, all of Sony’s traditional home theater projectors now feature Sony’s latest video processor – the X1 Processor for Projector. 

Check out our interview with Rob Brennan who is Sony’s Product Technology & Training Manager from the Spring Projection Showcase where we discuss both the VW325ES and its big brother, the VW1025ES.

 

All Sony 4K home theater projectors deliver outstanding picture quality. As you move up the lineup, you get additional features that further improve the image, maximize reliability, and simplify installation/operation. 

It’s like buying a base Porsche 911 versus a fully loaded Turbo model. The base car will give you most of Porsche’s famous driving experience, the top-of-the-line model is just faster and adds additional luxury and refinement. 

The VW325ES, which is called the VW290ES in Europe, is Sony's base 4K SXRD home theater projector model. Stepping up to the next model in the lineup, the VW715ES adds Lens Memory and a Dynamic Iris. Depending on your screen and your room, those additional features may not be necessary to fit your needs.

The VW325ES ($5,500 SRP) is approximately half the price of the VW715ES and it still delivers Sony’s famed outstanding picture quality, making it an excellent option for video enthusiasts with smaller budgets.

Sony was the first company to introduce a native 4K home theater projector and they still have the most comprehensive model assortment. If you include their ultra-short-throw model, the VZ1000ES, Sony has seven 4K HDR home theater projectors in their lineup, starting with the VW325ES ($5,500) and moving up to the flagship $80,000 (minus lens) GTZ380. 

There are five laser-based 4K HDR models in the lineup, including the VW915ES ($20,000 SRP) and the newly announced VW1025ES. There are two 4K HDR home theater lamp-based projectors, the VW715ES ($10,000 SRP) and this newly announced VW325ES ($5500 SRP).

Below is a summary of the Sony 4K SXRD Laser projector lineup.

Sony Model	Price (SRP)	Brightness	Light Source	Lens	Processor	Dynamic HDR Enhancer
GTZ380	$80,000 (w/o lens)	10,000 lm	Z-Phosphor	ARC-F	X1 Ultimate	Yes
VW5000ES	$60,000	5,000 lm	Z-Phosphor	ARC-F
VW1025ES (NEW)	$39,000	2,200 lm	Z-Phosphor	ARC-F	X1	Yes
VZ1000ES	$25,000	2,500 lm	Z-Phosphor	Ultra Short Throw
VW915ES	$19,999,99	2,000 lm	Z-Phosphor	Standard 4K Lens	X1	Yes
VW715ES	$9,999.99	1,800 lm	Lamp	Standard 4K Lens	X1	Yes
VW325ES (NEW)	$5,500	1,500 lm	Lamp	Standard 4K Lens	X1	Yes

The VW325ES has a rated brightness of 1,500 lumens and the unit's lamp has a rated life of 6,000 hours in low power mode. While 1,500 ANSI lumens may not seem like a lot compared to many of its DLP-based competitors, the VW325ES can deliver most of its rated brightness, even in its most accurate picture mode. By comparison, most DLP projectors can barely deliver half their specified brightness in their Movie and Cinema modes.

Considering the older VW295ES and the new VW325ES use many of the same quality components, have the same specs, and have very similar measurements when tested, you may be surprised that actual viewing experience is very different. While both projectors' brightness, contrast and color gamut are nearly identical, the VW325ES delivered a noticeably better picture than the unit it replaces. So the question is: "How much of a difference does better video processing make and is it worth the additional $500?"

As we mentioned earlier, the most significant VW325ES upgrade is new video processing powered by a version of Sony's X1 processor that has been optimized specifically for projector applications. This processor is what gives the projector the ability to do frame-by-frame HDR tone mapping. The VW325ES supports both the HDR10 standard as well as HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma).

I've had the opportunity to do side-by-side comparisons between multiple Sony X1 processor-equipped projectors versus their counterparts and every time, the difference was dramatic. In 2019, Projector Reviews gave the VW295ES an award due to stellar picture quality, but we were blown away by the improvement that the new processor provided.

In fact, I found myself checking both units' video settings multiple times because the difference between the two models was so noticeable. 

What separates a good chef from a great chef is their recipe. You can give two chefs the same ingredients and end up with two different results – one chef might serve you a delicious meatloaf while the other chef disappoints you with soggy meatballs. For the Sony VW325ES, the quality components are the ingredients and the X1 Processor is the excellent recipe that extracts their maximum performance for an optimal viewing experience. 

Due to a projector's limited brightness capabilities, I believe that dynamic tone mapping helps maximize the image quality of HDR10 content on the VW325ES. A new feature called Dynamic HDR Enhancer powered by the X1 processor combines frame-by-frame HDR analysis and tone mapping to deliver a big improvement in HDR reproduction. This improvement in picture quality is easy to see when the VW325ES is compared to the VW295ES that it is replacing.

The Sony VPL-VZ1000ES is a 4K ultra short throw home theater projector. It is one serious projector, which claims 2500 lumens, at a hefty $24,995 list price. That's not exactly chump change. In addition to being true 4K, it supports HDR which stands for high dynamic range. It also supports a wider color gamut (BT2020)  than we are used to with HDTV or Blu-ray disc (REC709). The short story: this Sony projector is similar in most ways to Sony's flagship, but less than half the price, exactly half the brightness.  It has an ultra short throw design, which is significant.  It is a three chip (panel) LCoS projector - which Sony trademarks as SXRD.

This review is a bit different than most of my other home theater reviews.  My goal is primarily to describe the experience, rather than go over the top focusing on details.  That's due to the nature of most people likely to buy this projector.  Other than those "hobbyists" who will sell their first born for a great projector, the rest of you, I figure are mostly reasonably well heeled folks who won't quibble about the price tag, or worry about the cost of calibrating it, in fact, they are most likely people who will end up spending far more on their theater or other room's furniture, than they will spend on this projector.

Sony VZ1000ES looking great on scene from Lucy, in my living room. Note however, this was not taken when the patio behind, and the room itself are drenched in sunlight. (See other images.)

Some of these projectors will end up in a room and system costing $50K, but others might spend $250K or more!  (Think those fancy themed theaters, $3,000+ each for good leather seats, a first class surround sound system, etc.  If you have the bucks, it's easy to spend a ton creating a theater. Most likely this projector will be just a small part of many people's system, at least financially, but a huge part of the enjoyment!

The Sony is also intended, thanks to its ultra short throw design when paired with the right screen, to leave the dedicated theater, and play in other rooms, but ones with at least reasonable lighting (unlike my own living room, as you will see later.)

I really loved it in my home theater.  When I moved it downstairs into my ridiculously bright living room, paired with a Screen Innovations Black Diamond UST screen, I found my bright living room's ambient light on sun-drenched days to be just too much for its 2500 lumens to handle, but it worked well in the same room under less strenuous challenges (i.e. at night with a lot of lights on, or on any not overly bright day like the one in the image above.

The basics are this - Sony's VPL-VW5000ES is at the moment the best true 4K home theater projector currently shipping.  There are more coming to market, but for now, the VW5000ES is unbeatable.  Sony's flagship VW5000ES is a $60,000, 5000 lumen true 4K.  It's huge by home theater standards, weighs 94 pounds, and is liquid cooled.  But folks, those are details.  The big picture is that it's all about the picture. And don't kid yourself, it is widely used for commercial applications as well.

This review will not be like our usual.  It will be far shorter, and even more subjective. That is, it's going to focus on the experience and the picture - why not, after all, with the high price tag this is a projector for the top 1%.  (or the top 5% of hard core home theater enthusiasts).  I picked this VPL-VW5000ES (it's full name) up at Sony's HQ after getting some training there on HDR and other aspects of 4K.  (Thanks Sony - most helpful)  The picture looked so great and so obviously close to right on the money, that I decided not to have Eric calibrate it.  I was never sorry.  I have decided also not to run the usual measurements.  I pulled out my meter long enough to determine that this guy was right around 5000 lumens in its brightest modes.  If you spring for one of these, you'll quickly discover that there isn't a whole lot of brightness differences between most of the different modes.

For those of you who enjoy our many photos from movies and HDTV, you won't be disappointed.  I have plenty comparable to other projector reviews.

OK, back to the basics!

The VPL-HW45ES offers great color and a bright picture.  Ideal for media rooms, and home theaters, this 1800 lumen 1080p projector is Sony's most affordable for the home, listing for only $1999.

Sony's VPL-HW45ES is another "evolutionary" update for Sony, in this case from the just "retired" HW40ES.

When I reviewed the step up model, the VPL-HW65ES a few months ago, I was surprised by how much improvement that projector represented vs the HW55ES that came before. Much brighter, and more.  Sony delivered enough extra performance to even be able to rationalize an effective increase in street price of roughly $500.

The Sony VW-HW45ES also improves its value proposition, but performance improvements are a small part of that, bigger is the 20% price cut to $1999! Think of it this way, the way Sony packaged the older models, there was roughly a $1000 street price difference.  This time around, the difference is roughly $2000.

The VPL-VW1100ES is Sony's top of the line true 4K projector. Awesome viewing experience. 2D, 3D. Razor sharp, gorgeous color! optional 4K media player & download service. Want better, buy an IMAX theater!  The VPL-HW40ES projector  an LCoS home projector for under $2500 (US).  Impressive, right out of the box.  Read on. This home theater projector review published on 7/10/14.  Additional content will be added over the first week following publication.