Same ISO yardstick, same 1.2 throw — which should you buy?
Try both in a build →XGIMI Horizon S Max in the slot, JMGO N1S Ultimate one swap away.
The short answer
Choose on sources and setup, not output — the two brightness figures are stated to the same ISO standard and sit about 6% apart (3,300 against 3,100). Pick the XGIMI Horizon S Max if you watch Dolby Vision or IMAX Enhanced content: our row states both, plus a 20,000-hour light-source life, where our JMGO row lists HDR10 only and no life figure. Pick the JMGO N1S Ultimate if you need two HDMI inputs — it states two HDMI 2.1 ports against the XGIMI's single input — or an image larger than 200 inches, with a stated 300-inch ceiling. The JMGO tracks $130 lower today.
As tracked by Home Theater Builder: the XGIMI Horizon S Max tracks at $1,429; the JMGO N1S Ultimate at $1,299.How we verify this data →
Two compact 4K projectors from XGIMI and JMGO ($1,429 vs $1,299 as tracked today). Unusually for this category, both brightness figures are stated to the same ISO standard, so they can be read side by side — and they sit about 6% apart.
Shaded rows differ · green dot = lab-measured · amber = manufacturer-verified · blue = retailer/community-reported · grey = estimated · “not stated” means exactly that
Reading the numbers honestly
Both lumen figures carry the same context — ISO lumens on both manufacturer sheets, 3,100 on the XGIMI and 3,300 on the JMGO — so unlike most projector pairs these two can be compared directly: about 6% apart, well inside what a room's screen and ambient light change. The light engines are described differently: XGIMI calls its source 'Dual Light 2.0', which our row records as a hybrid laser-LED engine, while JMGO states a tri-color RGB laser. The contrast figures are NOT comparable: the XGIMI's 1,000,000:1 is labelled dynamic on its sheet, and the JMGO's 1,600:1 is printed with no native-or-dynamic label — two different kinds of number, so neither is ranked. Both rows record a single 1.2:1 throw ratio and no range for either, so for a 100-inch 16:9 image both sit about 8.7 ft from the screen.
The verdict
Choose on sources and setup, not output — the two brightness figures are stated to the same ISO standard and sit about 6% apart (3,300 against 3,100). Pick the XGIMI Horizon S Max if you watch Dolby Vision or IMAX Enhanced content: our row states both, plus a 20,000-hour light-source life, where our JMGO row lists HDR10 only and no life figure. Pick the JMGO N1S Ultimate if you need two HDMI inputs — it states two HDMI 2.1 ports against the XGIMI's single input — or an image larger than 200 inches, with a stated 300-inch ceiling. The JMGO tracks $130 lower today.
Dolby Vision and IMAX EnhancedXGIMI Horizon S Max — Our XGIMI row states HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision and IMAX Enhanced; our JMGO row lists HDR10 only — possibly our coverage gap, so confirm on JMGO's page if Dolby Vision matters.
Two HDMI sourcesJMGO N1S Ultimate — Two stated HDMI 2.1 inputs, one with eARC, against a single HDMI input with eARC on the XGIMI (no HDMI version on file for it).
The bigger pictureJMGO N1S Ultimate — A stated 40–300-inch image range against 40–200 inches.
Raw outputEither — 3,300 against 3,100 ISO lumens — the same standard on both sheets, about 6% apart.
Light-source lifeXGIMI Horizon S Max — 20,000 hours stated on the XGIMI; our JMGO row has no light-source life on file.
PlacementEither — Both state a 1.2:1 throw ratio — about 8.7 ft for a 100-inch image — with no throw range on file for either.
A like-for-like brightness reading, rare in this category: 3,100 ISO lumens (XGIMI) against 3,300 ISO lumens (JMGO), both labelled ISO on the manufacturer's own sheet — about 6% apart, the same yardstick on both sides.
The contrast figures are two kinds of number and are not ranked: 1,000,000:1 labelled dynamic (XGIMI) against 1,600:1 printed with no native-or-dynamic label (JMGO).
HDR coverage on our rows: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision and IMAX Enhanced on the XGIMI against HDR10 only on the JMGO — flagged as a possible coverage gap on our JMGO row, not a stated absence.
HDMI: two stated HDMI 2.1 inputs, one with eARC (JMGO), against one HDMI input with eARC and no HDMI version on file (XGIMI).
Both state a single 1.2:1 throw ratio, so for a 100-inch 16:9 image both sit about 8.7 ft back; the stated image ranges differ — 40–300 inches (JMGO) against 40–200 inches (XGIMI), at $1,429 vs $1,299 as tracked today.
