BenQ EW3880R track overview: An ultrawide with a lot of bass

Value When Reviewed

1049.99

Easiest Costs Lately: BenQ EW3880R

$999.99

Unfastened

Maximum huge ultrawide displays goal one among two particular markets: avid gamers, or execs. However what if you wish to have a large, vibrant track with nice audio system for common use? BenQ’s EW3880R, which pairs a big, vibrant display screen with superb audio high quality, has a laser-like center of attention in this area of interest—however so-so picture high quality cuts towards its price.

This overview is a part of our best monitors roundup. Cross there to be told extra about competing merchandise and our analysis procedure.

BenQ EW3880R: The specifications

The BenQ EW3880R’s specs are conventional for this class, which is surprisingly uniform even on the earth of displays. I will’t call to mind a present 38-inch track on the market with a solution that differs from 3840×1600, or one who lacks an IPS show panel.

• Show dimension: 37.5-inch ultrawide
• Local solution: 3840×1600
• Panel kind: IPS
• Refresh charge: 60Hz
• HDR: Sure, HDR10, no VESA DisplayHDR certification
• Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C with 60 watts Energy Supply and DisplayPort Exchange Mode, 2x USB 3.0 downstream
• Stand adjustment: Peak, tilt, swivel
• VESA mount: 100x100mm
• Audio system: Sure, audio system with subwoofer
• Value: $1,049.99

What sticks out maximum, as discussed, is audio high quality. The track pairs 3-watt audio system with an 8-watt subwoofer. Maximum competition have 2-watt audio system (in the event that they come with audio system in any respect). The track additionally helps HDR10, even though, sadly, HDR efficiency falls flat.

BenQ EW3880R: Design

The EW3880R is a part of BenQ’s top rate “leisure” track line. Not like maximum manufacturers, the place leisure is steadily used as a stand-in for “funds,” BenQ places concept in to what an leisure track will have to be. 

This extends to the track’s distinctive bronze-gold glance. It doesn’t appear a lot other from a matte-black track at a look however, on nearer inspection, the bronze hue provides the EW3880R a novel, top rate glance that stands aside from competition. It’s a well-built track, as properly, with thick plastic panels that experience a pleasing texture.

A large stand holds the EW3880R’s 38-inch ultrawide show in position. It’s hefty, which assists in keeping the huge show panel planted, and gives adjustment for peak, tilt, and swivel. The stand’s width and intensity make it a deficient selection for massive desks, however that’s to be anticipated given the track’s dimension. 

Matt Smith

The stand is a chore to connect or detach. Maximum displays have a clip-on gadget with a lever used to loosen and take away the stand when wanted, however the EW3880R makes use of 4 screws and a plastic duvet that snaps over them. The screws thread into the 100x100mm VESA mount, which additionally supplies improve for many third-party track stands or fingers.

BenQ EW3880R: Options and menu

Integrated audio system, an afterthought for many displays, are key to the BenQ EW3880R’s enchantment. It delivers a couple of 2-watt audio system along an 8-watt subwoofer. 

This can be a large growth over competing displays and, for many of us, will make desktop audio system useless. The audio system are loud at most quantity and the subwoofer provides intensity to song, motion pictures, and video games. It’s no longer an audiophile-quality revel in, most commonly because of a loss of element within the excessive finish, however awesome to desktop speaker units that lack a subwoofer.

They’re simple to make use of because of the bundled faraway regulate. It could get entry to all track settings together with quantity, brightness, distinction, and image-quality presets. A responsive joystick regulate hides across the track’s proper flank, offering a backup in the event you lose the faraway. 

Matt Smith

The EW3880R provides a spread of image-quality settings past the usual brightness, distinction, and sharpness tweaks to be had on all displays. Homeowners can additional tweak shade the use of RGB changes within the color-temperature menu. It has a number of color-temperature presets, even though none goal a particular shade temperature; and 5 gamma modes, all which goal a particular gamma price. 

The track has a Rec.709 shade mode, which may well be helpful for execs who paintings in that shade house. It lacks a devoted sRGB mode, alternatively, which is a bummer. I believe an sRGB (or DCI-P3) shade mode can be extra related for content material creators who may believe this track.

Connectivity is blended. The track provides two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4, and one USB-C port with DisplayPort Exchange mode. That’s a complete of 4 video inputs. The USB-C energy is proscribed to 60 watts of Power Delivery even though, which is disappointing. That’s no longer sufficient to care for the utmost energy intake of many high-end skilled laptops. A couple of USB-A downstream ports can be utilized to increase USB connectivity when the USB-C port is in use.

BenQ EW3880R: SDR picture high quality

The EW3880R has a large 37.5-inch display screen and beefy audio system, however what about picture high quality? There’s reason why to be suspicious: BenQ’s advertising fabrics make few particular claims about picture high quality. 

Matt Smith

Most SDR brightness is available in at simply 214 nits, which is one of the lowest effects from any track in 2022. It’s under even the Alienware AW3423DW, which has an OLED show and likewise struggles with brightness. 

The BenQ EW3880R is just a little more straightforward to make use of in a vivid room as it has an anti-glare coat, whilst the Alienware AW3423DW is shiny. Alternatively, the EW3880R does be afflicted by some glare when a light-weight supply is in entrance of the show, because the curved display screen has a tendency to magnify the sunshine.

Nonetheless, I had no hassle the use of the BenQ EW3880R in a light-controlled room and, if truth be told, had it tuned to about 40 % of utmost thru maximum of my use. 

Matt Smith

Distinction is the place the EW3880R takes a licking. That is an IPS track with a regular edge-lit LED backlight, and that results in a distinction ratio of simply 870:1. 

That might be positive in 2020, as evidenced via the Alienware AW3421DW, an older track with a identical distinction ratio. Alternatively, consumers can now make a choice from quite a few choices that experience new panel generation. 

The Dell U3223QE provides IPS Black, which kind of doubles distinction when in comparison to standard IPS. Samsung’s Odyssey Neo G9 makes use of Mini-LED to additional spice up distinction to a very good 8780:1. Alienware’s AW3423DW has a QD-OLED panel that, in my checking out, had an successfully countless distinction ratio.

Matt Smith

The BenQ EW3880R is a large gamut track that covers 96 % of the DCI-P3 shade gamut and 88 % of AdobeRGB. That is vast sufficient to make the track helpful for some skilled duties, but it surely’s defeated via the Dell U3223QE and Alienware AW3423DW.

Regardless of this, most homeowners will like what they see out of the field. A colour gamut this vast skews the track against a vibrant, colourful presentation that appears nice in video games and flicks. It’s very best when exhibiting video games with a punched-up shade palette, equivalent to Overwatch. Animated motion pictures and presentations glance nice, too.

Matt Smith

Colour accuracy is robust, even though no longer remarkable. The BenQ EW3880R rankings in addition to the Odyssey Neo G9 and older Alienware AW3821DW, however falls method at the back of the Alienware AW3423DW. I doubt this will probably be an issue for most homeowners, as all of the displays when compared are quite correct total and greater than enough for common leisure.

The EW3880R suffered a pair minor setbacks in additional nuanced sides of picture high quality. It scored a default gamma curve of two.3, which signifies the picture is just a little darker than the objective of two.2. Colour temperature used to be just a little cool, too, at a studying of 7000K as an alternative of the objective of 6500K. This implies the picture can glance quite sterile and medical at default settings. Each gamma and shade temperature may also be adjusted during the on-screen menu.

Sharpness is just right, however no longer superb. The track’s 3840×1600 solution turns out excessive on paper however, when unfold throughout a 37.5-inch ultrawide panel, interprets to 110 pixels consistent with inch. That’s virtually similar to a 27-inch 1440p track. The picture seems sharp, however some pixelation turns into noticeable round very small fonts and ins and outs in three-D video games. 

It’s just a little of a mixture, then. The BenQ EW3880R plays properly in shade however falls at the back of in brightness and distinction. As discussed, the EW3880R’s total efficiency can be superb in 2020, but it surely’s falling at the back of the pack in 2022.

BenQ EW3880R: HDR efficiency

The selling at the back of BenQ’s HDR improve may use every other glance, to mention the least. The track helps HDR10 and contains the corporate’s “HDRi” branding, which turns out to signify it provides nice HDR improve. But BenQ makes no particular guarantees about HDR efficiency, except for the reality it’s supported, and the track isn’t VESA DisplayHDR qualified. 

Matt Smith

The EW3880R is a lackluster HDR show. It detects an HDR sign routinely and turns HDR mode on with out factor. As soon as on, alternatively, I measured a most HDR brightness of simply 317 nits. That’s low: Maximum HDR presentations can a minimum of hit 400 nits. The loss of brightness, along the track’s modest distinction, makes for a lifeless HDR revel in. 

The BenQ EW3880R is a SDR track at middle, and I like to recommend leaving HDR off.

BenQ EW3880R: Movement readability

I used to be just a little stunned to find the BenQ EW3880R has a most refresh charge of simply 60Hz. The EW3880R is bought as an leisure show, no longer a gaming show—however what’s gaming, if no longer leisure? 

The loss of an progressed refresh charge has penalties for movement readability. Rapid items are fairly transparent however small main points turn out to be arduous to select up. Ghosting streaks steadily apply speedy items.

General efficiency isn’t terrible, and conventional of a 60Hz IPS track, however ditching improve for prime refresh charges looks like an glaring omit given the low value of entry-level 144Hz gaming displays.

Ultimate ideas

BenQ’s EW3880R is in a difficult spot. It sticks to a standard IPS show panel with an unsophisticated LED backlight regardless of festival with awesome IPS Black, Mini-LED, or QD-OLED generation. I think this can be a truth of producing. I’ve but to look any 38-inch ultrawide with state of the art panel generation, so I think appropriate panels don’t seem to be to be had on this dimension. 

Nonetheless, it’s arduous to suggest paying over $1,000 for a track with modest picture high quality. Maximum consumers can be purchasing Alienware’s AW3423DW. It’s smaller, certain, however there’s a very easy repair for that. Simply transfer it a pair inches nearer on your face. 

Even if in comparison to 38-inch choices, alternatively, the BenQ misses on a couple of main points. Those come with HDR efficiency, USB-C Energy Supply wattage, and refresh charge. Choices just like the LG38WN95-C and Alienware AW3821DW win in those spaces, even though at a standard value that’s $100 to $250 upper. If funds is a priority, the LG38WN75C-B turns out a more sensible choice, because it’s to be had underneath $900. 

The EW3880R does have one transparent merit: audio high quality. That’s a distinct segment perk, even though, and no longer sufficient to make BenQ’s large ultrawide a good selection.