Hisense M2 Pro Review: Triple-Laser 4K in a Compact Body

After the excellent C2, C2 Pro and C2 Ultra, Hisense has brought its TriChroma technology to a more compact model: the M2 Pro. It keeps a good part of the specification that made the C2 range a success, while reducing brightness and a few other aspects.

The M2 Pro is built around a 0.47-inch DLP chip from Texas Instruments, paired with a triple-laser light source that Hisense calls TriChroma. As with almost every 4K projector on the market, this is not a true native UHD panel. The 3840 x 2160 pixel image is obtained through a wobulation process that displays several slightly offset Full HD frames in very quick succession. The technique is well mastered by now and produces a highly detailed result.

The M2 Pro lines up against models such as the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE and the Dangbei Mars Pro 2, as well as mini projectors like the Xgimi MoGo 4 and the Dangbei Freedo. It remains less capable than the Hisense C2.

The brightness and colorimetry measurements reported here were produced with a Jeti specbos 2501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter and CalMAN Ultimate software.

The M2 Pro is a sort of miniature Hisense C2 dressed in metallic grey. It sits on an integrated cradle stand that makes it very easy to aim the image at a wall or even at the ceiling. That has become a genuine trend in this market, and it is undeniably practical day to day, even if this model only tilts up and down and offers no horizontal pivot.

At 5.5 kg, the M2 Pro is compact enough to be moved easily from one room to another, without falling into the category of ultra-portable mini projectors such as the Xgimi MoGo or the Dangbei Freedo. It is more of a living-room projector that can occasionally be taken along elsewhere.

Installation is one of its strengths. As on the brand's other recent models, there is effective automatic focus along with automatic keystone correction that is quick and reliable. Even when the unit is moved slightly, the image regains its geometry within a few seconds. It goes without lens shift, which is normal at this level, but a small optical zoom is present, and that is rare. The image size can therefore be adjusted without losing definition when the projector is placed some way from the projection wall.

Connections are relatively simple on this model: one HDMI 2.1 eARC port and a single USB port, in addition to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Hisense goes without an Ethernet port, an optical output and a mini-jack socket. None of that is really surprising for a product this compact.

The M2 Pro runs VIDAA, Hisense's own operating system. The interface is pleasant to use and responsive enough day to day, and it carries the main streaming apps including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube and Apple TV+, even if the selection remains a little less rich than on Google TV. For use focused mainly on films and series, that poses no real problem. Less welcome is a very intrusive advertising banner on the home page. On the other hand, and unlike some rivals, there is no obligation to sign in to a Hisense account in order to use the projector.

The remote control also deserves credit. Hisense supplies a backlit handset that is particularly pleasant to use in the dark. That may sound like a small thing, but very few manufacturers pay this much attention to the accessory.

The M2 Pro was not conceived as a gaming projector, but it acquits itself rather well. Input lag was measured at 17.7 ms at 60 Hz, a low enough figure to enjoy most console or PC games comfortably, even competitive titles. The refresh rate is limited to 60 Hz, as on the majority of projectors on the market.

A noise level of 34 dB was recorded at 1 m from the projector. The hiss of the cooling system remains audible when the room is completely silent, but it is quickly forgotten as soon as the volume of a film rises slightly. Here too the M2 Pro sits in the better half of the current crop of laser projectors, and its operation never proved troublesome in use.

The M2 Pro can project an image between 65 and 200 inches across the diagonal. As always, measurements were taken on an image with a 2 m base, or around 90 inches, obtained by placing the projector roughly 2 m from a white screen.

The result is a fine performance. The 4K image is detailed and sharp, the colours benefit from the triple-laser source and the contrast level is rather good for a projector of this type. As on other Hisense projectors, several picture profiles are offered; Filmmaker gives the most natural rendering and was the mode used for the measurements.

Unfortunately, that profile suffers from a fault that also appears in HDR: the white balance is unbalanced, with a notable dominance of green and blue. Colours therefore drift more than one would like, which is a shame on a product that otherwise enjoys such a wide colour gamut.

An average delta E of 8.5 was recorded in SDR, a long way from the threshold of 2 generally considered accurate. Orange tones and several shades of grey are particularly affected by the drift. Fortunately, the projector offers enough adjustment to improve the rendering after calibration, thanks to its colour management system.

The same is true of colour temperature. An average of 7645 K was measured, against a reference of around 6500 K, so the image looks distinctly blue, especially in bright scenes. Gamma comes in at 2.1, which is relatively close to the ideal value of between 2.2 and 2.4, even if the darkest greys are slightly overexposed.

With a contrast ratio of 1390:1, the M2 Pro is far from bad for a projector of this kind. It does not match the C2 at 1620:1, but it leaves the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE, which peaked at only 430:1, and pico projectors far behind. Some ultra-short-throw models such as the Formovie Cinema Edge and the JMGO O2S Ultra do better still, though they belong to a considerably higher tier.

As on the rest of the Hisense range, a motion compensation engine (MEMC) is present. It works effectively and clearly reduces judder on tracking shots and sports broadcasts. For films, though, it is better set to Low or switched off altogether to avoid the soap opera effect.

The M2 Pro supports HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, a set of formats that remains relatively rare at this level. On that point Hisense keeps a lead over several direct rivals that still limit themselves to HDR10.

The EOTF curve is broadly well tracked, even if it sits consistently below the reference curve. The projector therefore tends to display a slightly less bright image than the HDR master intends, which is logical enough given its light output.

A peak of 121 cd/m² was recorded on a 10 per cent window. That falls short of the Hisense C2 and the Dangbei Mars Pro 2, which both exceed 180 cd/m², but it remains clearly higher than small portable projectors such as the Xgimi MoGo 4 and its 40 cd/m².

HDR colorimetry is unfortunately of the same order as in SDR, with a measured delta E of 12.3, a direct consequence of the unbalanced white balance. Here too, calibration would improve the result appreciably.

The triple laser shows its worth as soon as attention turns to colour spaces, however. Coverage of 99.1 per cent of DCI-P3 and 97.9 per cent of Rec.2020 was recorded, results that are quite simply excellent. The M2 Pro therefore covers a far wider colour space than most competing projectors or televisions.

Better factory calibration would have been preferable, and it is probably the main criticism that can be levelled at the M2 Pro on image quality. Beyond that point, Hisense delivers a particularly convincing performance thanks to strong contrast and gamut coverage worthy of far more upmarket models.

The built-in audio system is a pleasant surprise, even if the M2 Pro clearly does not play in the same league as the C2 or C2 Ultra given its small chassis.

The stereo rendering is easy to make out, but spatialisation remains modest and the bass naturally lacks depth. That is logical enough considering the volume available inside the housing. The result is nevertheless pleasant, and better than that of many competing compact projectors.

Average consumption was measured at 72.4 W on the usual test pattern. That is a relatively low figure for a 4K projector with a triple-laser light source. The M2 Pro draws appreciably less than the brightest models on the market while retaining a particularly convincing picture. Its power supply also takes up very little space, although it is a proprietary unit.

The M2 Pro finds itself in a fairly comfortable position. Against the Xgimi MoGo 4 it is simply in another category, with genuine 4K definition, far higher contrast and colour coverage the smaller Xgimi cannot match; the MoGo retains a much more compact format in its favour.

The Nebula Cosmos 4K SE remains a credible rival thanks to Google TV, higher brightness and an effective audio system, but its contrast does not rival that of the M2 Pro and it has no integrated stand. The Dangbei Mars Pro 2 keeps the advantage on brightness and out-of-the-box colour accuracy, and will appeal more to those who regularly watch in a partially lit living room, but it too lacks a cradle stand.

Finally, the Hisense C2 remains the better choice for anyone after a brighter image, more careful calibration and a more upmarket performance overall. Even so, the M2 Pro recovers a good share of those qualities.