BenQ EW3880R monitor review: An ultrawide with plenty of bass

Value When Reviewed

1049.99

Greatest Costs In the present day: BenQ EW3880R

$907.96

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Most giant ultrawide screens goal one in every of two particular markets: avid gamers, or professionals. However what if you need an enormous, vivid monitor with nice audio system for common use? BenQ’s EW3880R, which pairs a big, vivid display screen with glorious audio high quality, has a laser-like deal with this area of interest—however so-so picture high quality cuts towards its worth.

This assessment is a part of our greatest screens roundup. Go there to study extra about competing merchandise and our analysis course of.

BenQ EW3880R: The specs

The BenQ EW3880R’s specs are typical for this class, which is unusually uniform even on this planet of screens. I can’t consider a present 38-inch monitor on the market with a decision that differs from 3840×1600, or one which lacks an IPS show panel.

• Show measurement: 37.5-inch ultrawide
• Native decision: 3840×1600
• Panel sort: IPS
• Refresh price: 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 Alternate Mode, 2x USB 3.0 downstream
• Stand adjustment: Top, tilt, swivel
• VESA mount: 100x100mm
• Audio system: Sure, audio system with subwoofer
• Value: $1,049.99

What stands out most, as talked about, is audio high quality. The monitor pairs 3-watt audio system with an 8-watt subwoofer. Most rivals have 2-watt audio system (in the event that they embody audio system in any respect). The monitor additionally helps HDR10, although, sadly, HDR efficiency falls flat.

BenQ EW3880R: Design

The EW3880R is a part of BenQ’s premium “leisure” monitor line. In contrast to most manufacturers, the place leisure is usually used as a stand-in for “funds,” BenQ places thought in to what an leisure monitor must be. 

This extends to the monitor’s distinctive bronze-gold look. It doesn’t appear a lot completely different from a matte-black monitor at a look however, on nearer inspection, the bronze hue provides the EW3880R a singular, premium look that stands aside from rivals. It’s a well-built monitor, as nicely, with thick plastic panels which have a nice texture.

A large stand holds the EW3880R’s 38-inch ultrawide show in place. It’s hefty, which retains the massive show panel planted, and offers adjustment for top, tilt, and swivel. The stand’s width and depth make it a poor selection for big desks, however that’s to be anticipated given the monitor’s measurement. 

Matt Smith

The stand is a chore to connect or detach. Most screens have a clip-on system with a lever used to loosen and take away the stand when wanted, however the EW3880R makes use of 4 screws and a plastic cowl that snaps over them. The screws thread into the 100x100mm VESA mount, which additionally offers assist for many third-party monitor stands or arms.

BenQ EW3880R: Options and menu

Constructed-in audio system, an afterthought for many screens, are key to the BenQ EW3880R’s enchantment. It delivers a pair of 2-watt audio system alongside an 8-watt subwoofer. 

This can be a large enchancment over competing screens and, for many individuals, will make desktop audio system pointless. The audio system are loud at most quantity and the subwoofer provides depth to music, films, and video games. It’s not an audiophile-quality expertise, largely on account of an absence of element within the excessive finish, however superior to desktop speaker units that lack a subwoofer.

They’re straightforward to make use of because of the bundled distant management. It will possibly entry all monitor settings together with quantity, brightness, distinction, and image-quality presets. A responsive joystick management hides across the monitor’s proper flank, offering a backup in case you lose the distant. 

Matt Smith

The EW3880R gives a variety of image-quality settings past the usual brightness, distinction, and sharpness tweaks obtainable on all screens. Homeowners can additional tweak coloration utilizing RGB changes within the color-temperature menu. It has a number of color-temperature presets, although none goal a particular coloration temperature; and 5 gamma modes, all which goal a particular gamma worth. 

The monitor has a Rec.709 coloration mode, which could be helpful for professionals who work in that coloration area. It lacks a devoted sRGB mode, nevertheless, which is a bummer. I feel an sRGB (or DCI-P3) coloration mode could be extra related for content material creators who may contemplate this monitor.

Connectivity is combined. The monitor gives two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4, and one USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate mode. That’s a complete of 4 video inputs. The USB-C energy is restricted to 60 watts of Energy Supply although, which is disappointing. That’s not sufficient to deal with the utmost energy consumption of many high-end skilled laptops. A pair 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 an enormous 37.5-inch display screen and beefy audio system, however what about picture high quality? There’s purpose to be suspicious: BenQ’s advertising and marketing supplies make few particular claims about picture high quality. 

Matt Smith

Most SDR brightness is available in at simply 214 nits, which is among the many lowest outcomes from any monitor in 2022. It’s beneath even the Alienware AW3423DW, which has an OLED show and in addition struggles with brightness. 

The BenQ EW3880R is a bit simpler to make use of in a shiny room as a result of it has an anti-glare coat, whereas the Alienware AW3423DW is shiny. Nevertheless, the EW3880R does undergo from some glare when a light-weight supply is in entrance of the show, because the curved display screen tends to amplify the sunshine.

Nonetheless, I had no bother utilizing the BenQ EW3880R in a light-controlled room and, in reality, had it tuned to about 40 % of most by means of most of my use. 

Matt Smith

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

That will be positive in 2020, as evidenced by the Alienware AW3421DW, an older monitor with the same distinction ratio. Nevertheless, buyers can now select from a wide range of choices which have new panel expertise. 

The Dell U3223QE gives IPS Black, which roughly doubles distinction when in comparison with standard IPS. Samsung’s Odyssey Neo G9 makes use of Mini-LED to additional increase distinction to a wonderful 8780:1. Alienware’s AW3423DW has a QD-OLED panel that, in my testing, had an successfully infinite distinction ratio.

Matt Smith

The BenQ EW3880R is a large gamut monitor that covers 96 % of the DCI-P3 coloration gamut and 88 % of AdobeRGB. That is huge sufficient to make the monitor helpful for some skilled duties, nevertheless it’s defeated by the Dell U3223QE and Alienware AW3423DW.

Regardless of this, most house owners will like what they see out of the field. A coloration gamut this huge skews the monitor in direction of a vivid, colourful presentation that appears nice in video games and flicks. It’s finest when displaying video games with a punched-up coloration palette, similar to Overwatch. Animated films and reveals look nice, too.

Matt Smith

Colour accuracy is powerful, although not distinctive. The BenQ EW3880R scores in addition to the Odyssey Neo G9 and older Alienware AW3821DW, however falls means behind the Alienware AW3423DW. I doubt this might be an issue for many house owners, as all of the screens in contrast are relatively correct general and greater than adequate for common leisure.

The EW3880R suffered a pair minor setbacks in additional nuanced elements of picture high quality. It scored a default gamma curve of two.3, which signifies the picture is a bit darker than the goal of two.2. Colour temperature was a bit cool, too, at a studying of 7000K as an alternative of the goal of 6500K. This implies the picture can look relatively sterile and medical at default settings. Each gamma and coloration temperature could be adjusted by means of the on-screen menu.

Sharpness is nice, however not superb. The monitor’s 3840×1600 decision appears excessive on paper however, when unfold throughout a 37.5-inch ultrawide panel, interprets to 110 pixels per inch. That’s nearly an identical to a 27-inch 1440p monitor. The picture appears sharp, however some pixelation turns into noticeable round very small fonts and positive particulars in 3D video games. 

It’s a little bit of a combination, then. The BenQ EW3880R performs nicely in coloration however falls behind in brightness and distinction. As talked about, the EW3880R’s general efficiency could be glorious in 2020, nevertheless it’s falling behind the pack in 2022.

BenQ EW3880R: HDR efficiency

The advertising and marketing behind BenQ’s HDR assist may use one other look, to say the least. The monitor helps HDR10 and consists of the corporate’s “HDRi” branding, which appears to counsel it gives nice HDR assist. But BenQ makes no particular guarantees about HDR efficiency, except for the very fact it’s supported, and the monitor just isn’t VESA DisplayHDR licensed. 

Matt Smith

The EW3880R is a lackluster HDR show. It detects an HDR sign routinely and turns HDR mode on with out problem. As soon as on, nevertheless, I measured a most HDR brightness of simply 317 nits. That’s low: Most HDR shows can a minimum of hit 400 nits. The shortage of brightness, alongside the monitor’s modest distinction, makes for a uninteresting HDR expertise. 

The BenQ EW3880R is a SDR monitor at coronary heart, and I like to recommend leaving HDR off.

BenQ EW3880R: Movement readability

I used to be a bit stunned to find the BenQ EW3880R has a most refresh price of simply 60Hz. The EW3880R is offered as an leisure show, not a gaming show—however what’s gaming, if not leisure? 

The shortage of an improved refresh price has penalties for movement readability. Quick objects are fairly clear however small particulars develop into onerous to select up. Ghosting streaks usually comply with quick objects.

Total efficiency isn’t terrible, and typical of a 60Hz IPS monitor, however ditching assist for top refresh charges looks like an apparent miss given the low value of entry-level 144Hz gaming screens.

Last ideas

BenQ’s EW3880R is in a tricky spot. It sticks to a standard IPS show panel with an unsophisticated LED backlight regardless of competitors with superior IPS Black, Mini-LED, or QD-OLED expertise. I believe it is a actuality of producing. I’ve but to see any 38-inch ultrawide with cutting-edge panel expertise, so I believe appropriate panels are usually not obtainable on this measurement. 

Nonetheless, it’s onerous to suggest paying over $1,000 for a monitor with modest picture high quality. Most buyers could be higher off shopping for Alienware’s AW3423DW. It’s smaller, certain, however there’s a simple repair for that. Simply transfer it a pair inches nearer to your face. 

Even when in comparison with 38-inch alternate options, nevertheless, the BenQ misses on a couple of particulars. These embody HDR efficiency, USB-C Energy Supply wattage, and refresh price. Options just like the LG38WN95-C and Alienware AW3821DW win in these areas, although at a typical value that’s $100 to $250 larger. If funds is a priority, the LG38WN75C-B appears a better option, because it’s obtainable underneath $900. 

The EW3880R does have one clear benefit: audio high quality. That’s a distinct segment perk, although, and never sufficient to make BenQ’s massive ultrawide a good selection.