Disappointing accuracy out of the
box, but it's great after Catibration
NEC’s MultiSync PA301W weighs in at an
imposing 19kg. It’s enormous, sporting a 30in panel with a resolution of 2,560
x 1,600, giving it a 16:10aspectratio.This will delight anyone who prefers to
have the extra vertical space screen space this ratio provides.
The huge panel, which is several times as
deep as some of the other monitors on test, uses old-school CCFL backlighting.
While it lacks HDMI or VGA inputs, there are two DisplayPort and two DVI-D
inputs. These connections are made all the more useful by the inclusion of a
KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switch, and there’s a smattering of USB 2 ports
for good measure too.
NEC’s
MultiSync PA301W weighs in at an imposing 19kg.
The stand is also superb, and offers a
substantial amount of adjustment, including tilt, swivel and height. Of course,
at a price of $2,108, the MultiSync PA301W is clearly a professional display
and, physical adjustment aside, there’s even more tweaking to be had thanks to
a built-in calibration function (although this requires a compatible colorimeter).
The OSD even has on-screen labels next to each button so you can see each one’s
precise purpose.
With no adjustments made, and using the
preset high brightness setting, our calibrator reported a luminance of 220cd/m2
and 800:1 contrast ratio, which are fair, but the default color accuracy was
disappointing for a monitor that delivers such a wallet bashing. The color
temperature was far too warm at 5,834K, and the maximum dE94 color variations
of 8 are worse than those from the cheaper panels also on test. The average
gamma deviation of 0.05 was good, but again this was surpassed by cheaper
monitors.
NEC
MultiSync PA301W
However, switching to the sRGB profile saw
the brightness plummet to 79.4cd/m2 and color temperature fall to 5.223K. The
gamma average was better at 0.02, but the extremes were too pronounced. This
did have the effect of making skin tones appear more natural and adding detail
to deeper blacks though. With such a vast array of adjustment on tap, we
decided to use our calibrator to fine-tune it. This improved the situation no
end. The color temperature rose to a near-perfect 6.563K, and both gamma and
color accuracy were spot on. The only lingering issue was the disappointing
contrast ratio of 530:1.
For
everyone else, the NEC MultiSync PA301W is far too expensive to consider
Conclusion
While the NEC MultiSync
PA301Woffersamighty30in 2,560x 1,600 display with impeccable color accuracy
(once calibrated), its professional-level features are only really there for
the select few who demand such red-hot color accuracy, and the ability to
regularly fine-tune their monitor. For everyone else, the NEC MultiSync PA301W
is far too expensive to consider.
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Information
§ Product
code: 60002926
§ Priced:
$2,174
§ Manufacture:www.nec.com
Specifications
§ Video
Inputs: 2xDVI-D w/HDCP, 2xDisplayPort 1.1a
§ Panel
Type: P-IPS 10-bit with CCFL Backlight - 0Z100223UW
§ Pixel
Pitch: 0.251 mm
§ Colors:
1.07 billion (30 BPP color w/appropriate GPU)
§ Brightness:
350 nits (typical)
§ Contrast
Ratio: 1,000:1 (typical)
§ Response
Time: 7 ms (GTG), 12 ms (max)
§ Viewable
Size: 29.8" (75.6 cm)
§ Resolution:
2560 x 1600 at 60 Hz
§ Viewing
Angle: 178 degrees horizontal and vertical
§ Power
Consumption (operation): 165 watts (typical), 90 watts (eco)
§ Power
Consumption (standby): 1.7 watts (standby), 0.2 watts (off)
§ Screen
Treatment: Matte/Anti-Glare
§ Height-Adjustable:
Yes: 5.9 inches (landscape), 1.2 inches (portrait)
§ Tilt:
Yes: +30 degrees, -10 degrees
§ Pivot:
Yes: Landscape and Portrait
§ Swivel:
Yes: +/- 30 degrees
§ VESA
Wall Mounting: Yes: 100 mm x 100 mm
§ Dimensions
w/ Base (WxHxD): 27.1" (688.0 mm) x 18.4-24.3" (466.4-646.4 mm) x
11.9" (301.6 mm)
§ Weight:
41.5 lbs (18.8 kg) with stand
§ Additional
Features: Integrated USB 2.0 Switch (2 upstream, 3 downstream, 500mA), self-calibration
support with i1D2, 10-bit color, quick warm up
§ Limited
Warranty: 4 years
§ Accessories:
Power, DVI-D, DisplayPort, and USB cables, 4x VESA screws
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