A few weeks ago, I finally decided to take a couple of paintings I didn’t like off my living room wall. Before I knew it, I realized that I had cleared away a patch of wall big enough to accommodate the home theater screen I’ve always wanted. So I set out to find the best — and quietest — home projector on the market.
Now, if you’re anything like me, the word projector probably just conjured up a memory of those old-timey machines that actually had to spin film. The repetitive and continuous motion used to make a whirring noise that sounded something like this.
Needless to say, I didn’t want to bring something like that into my completely soundproof home, despite the fact that it could pass for white noise. When I’m watching movies or playing an intense game — I’d rather not also hear the sound of the projector whirring in the background.
Thankfully, we’ve moved past having to put up with noisy appliances. So today, I’m going to show you the quietest projectors on the market right now. But before I get to my list, I’ll present a shopping guide that’ll be helpful whether or not you’re specifically looking for a quiet device.
BEST QUIET PROJECTORS: TOP PICKS
What Makes a Projector Quiet/Noisy?
Most of us have a specific idea in mind when someone mentions projector noise. Usually, it makes us think of reels of film spinning. However, digital projectors don’t have the parts necessary to make that kind of noise. So why did I feel compelled to look for the quietest units on the market?
Well, although digital projectors don’t have spinning reels, they usually do have cooling fans. After all, the only way they’re able to project moving images is by having a powerful light source inside them. And where there is light — there is heat; so fans are kind of a necessary component. So if you do hear whirring noises coming from your projector, you can blame them on the fan.
Still, whether it’s the kind of fan or the acoustic quality of the projector box, some units are quieter than others. But how exactly do you find those?
How to Find a Good Quiet Projector
Every time I sit down to work on one of these articles, I start by doing a deep dive into the material. This time around, I took special care because I knew that one of the projectors I found was going to end up in my living room as well. Consequently, I now know more than I thought I would about projectors and the various features potential buyers ought to pay attention to.
So let’s start with the noise — how can you determine the amount of noise a particular device makes?
Projector Noise Level
Typically, I rely on the manufacturer’s product description to tell me which products to focus on in my reviews. However, only two out of the ten products on my list have any mention of fan noise in their descriptions. So I had to try a bit harder than usual to locate the quiet units.
Still, I believe that most of the projectors on my list only produce about 30 or 40 decibels of noise, some units even less. That’s pretty much whisper-quiet. Add to that whichever audio that ends up playing over the projections, and you basically won’t hear a peep from your new projector.
If your silent projector does start making strange noises at some point, you can always open it up and check out the fan. Chances are that the fan is just a bit clogged, and the noise will disappear as soon as you get rid of the dust. If it works on your computer, it should work in this case, too.
Types of Quiet Projectors
Before I move on, I ought to introduce you to the most basic terminology of the world of projectors. If you go looking for the perfect home theater projector for your living room, you may notice a few acronyms floating around. But don’t let all those DLPs, 3LCDs, and LCoS confuse you. These are just the three main categories of projectors on the market:
DLP Projectors
DLP stands for “digital light processing” projectors, which use mirrors to reflect light through color wheels and create the image. This kind of product is by far the most popular, so much so that they’re even used at movie theaters. However, cheaper ones can produce flashes of rainbow colors across the screen, though the effect isn’t always noticeable to everyone.
3LCD Projectors
3LCD projectors use 3 liquid crystal display panels in RGB colors to create an image on the screen. These units offer better color reproduction than DLP can achieve, though the contrast is generally worse. Even though they’re generally quieter than DLP projectors, they usually require more maintenance.
LCoS Projectors
Lastly, LCoS stands for “liquid crystal on silicon” projection. This kind is by far the most expensive. However, it offers the best contrast, resolution, and colors than the other types.
Most of the items on my list are DLP projectors, simply because they’re the most accessible. However, I have also included several LED projectors, which are a fairly new category of products. These kinds of projectors generally last longer, and they consume less power than the other ones I’ve mentioned. They’re also smaller and don’t run as hot as the others, which means that they don’t need cooling fans.
Throw: The Distance Between the Device and the Projection Surface
The room size is perhaps the first thing you should consider when shopping for your home projector. You see, most projectors include the minimum and maximum distances you’ll need between the device and the projection surface. These measurements are often connected to the screen size each product is capable of achieving without losing image quality.
Most manufacturers call this distance between the projector and the screen a projector’s “throw.” For example, the product description will say that a machine has an 8-foot throw if you want a 70-inch screen, and a 12-foot throw for a 110-inch screen.
Some projectors have a short throw, so they can manage to create a 100-inch image from only a few feet away. Even more impressive is the fact that projectors with an ultra-short throw can do that from inches away. However, these kinds of units are usually significantly pricier, and the image quality is a bit fuzzier.
High Resolution
If you’re shopping for an office projector, there’s no need to stress about the resolution. However, it is an absolute must for the home theater. If you expect to be able to see awesome action scenes in movies or games, you ought to stick to a resolution of 1920x1080p and higher. So there will be 1920 pixels, or dots, going horizontally across the screen, and 1080 vertical pixels, which is fairly standard.
Brightness (Lumens)
Brightness is another factor you ought to consider, especially if you’re going to set up your projector in a room where you won’t have control over all the lights. That’s why office projectors need to be especially bright. After all, they’re usually competing with natural light coming in through the windows or strong fluorescent lights from above.
However, we usually have a greater amount of control over the conditions at home. You probably have curtains or blinds — and if you don’t, most soundproof curtains or room divider curtains will completely block any light.
So how do you know if a projector is bright enough? Well, that particular feature is always listed in the product description or even in the name of the product. Usually, the brightness is expressed in lumens, which are a measure of the quantity of light.
Some manufacturers also use the unit “lux” — though, as far as I can tell, these two are pretty much the same thing. Basically, the higher the number, the brighter the projector. Of those different projector types, LED projectors are probably the weakest in this regard. However, you don’t really need to get a super bright projector if you have complete control over the conditions of the room.
The Contrast Ratio
Finally, the contrast ratio is the most important feature to look out for when shopping for a home theater projector. So many movies and shows nowadays have these drawn-out night scenes. They make it impossible to see anything — unless you have a great contrast ratio on your screen. In the final season of Game of Thrones, the main complaint about the final showdown with the Wights was that it was too dark to see!
Well, if you had a great projector with a high contrast ratio, you would be able to enjoy all the fantastic battles, interstellar wars, and intense horror scenes you wanted to. Some projectors even distort the original colors and contrast of the content you’re watching to make it more distinguishable on screen. However, since that feature can annoy some people, I’ll make sure to mention if a product changes the color calibration of the content it’s streaming.
Best Quiet Projectors: Top 10 Picks
As I have just explained, the contrast ratio is really the most important thing you ought to consider before buying a home theater projector. That’s why I’ve decided to list the products I’ve found going from the highest contrast ratio to the lowest.
So if you want to see those deep blacks and sharp whites — stick to the top of the list. But make sure to read to the end of the list, you may find some real gems there!
1. Optoma H146X High Performance Projector for Movies and Gaming
Optoma makes some of the best home theater projectors on the market, so I actually had to think hard about which one of their products I wanted to feature. In the end, I settled on the fan-favorite, H146X projector.
The box is about 12 by 10 inches deep and wide, and 4 inches tall. The Optoma H146X is such a cool piece of equipment, and it’s really versatile, too! Thanks to its crisp colors and sharp resolution, you can use it for both movie-watching and gaming.
Speaking of resolution, the H146X has 1080p video quality, a 25000:1 contrast ratio, and HDTV color quality. Since it has 3600 lumens of brightness, you’ll be able to see exactly what’s going on the screen, no matter where you’re watching from.
The best thing about this projector is that it only produces around 25 decibels of noise in eco mode. It also has a long lamp life — if you used the projector every single day, for 4 hours a day, the lamp would last you over ten years.
The Optoma H146X projector features special modes for a better gaming experience. The Enhanced Gaming Mode takes care of lightning-fast response times, while the Game Display Mode improves visibility by boosting shadows and dark backgrounds.
To make the gaming and movie-watching experience even better, Optoma put an integrated speaker in its projector. But you should know that the sound quality is not that great, so you might need outside speakers as well.
Before you hit Add to Cart, make sure that you have enough throw distance for it. For the H146X, the minimum distance is 6 feet, while the maximum is 45 feet.
You’ll also be happy to know that you can connect the H146X to a wide variety of different devices. That includes laptops, PCs, gaming consoles, and many more. That’s all thanks to the projector’s HDMI connectivity, as well as USB-A port.
Features:
- 1080p video quality
- 3600 lumens
- 25000:1 contrast
- 15000 hours of lamp life
- Up to 300-inch screen
2. ViewSonic High Brightness Projector for Home and Office
The ViewSonic PA503S projector is one of the only devices that acknowledged the noise level it makes. According to the manufacturer, this projector makes less than 27 dB of noise.
The box itself is a rectangle just over 11 by 8 inches in size, and about 4 inches tall. From 15 feet and 8 inches away, it can project a screen of 120 inches.
However, if you move it around, you’ll see that it can project images between 30 and 300 inches without losing image quality. In fact, you can even adjust the zoom and the focus manually, using the dials on the box. Moreover, you can also choose the resolution you want between 640x480p and the Full HD 1920×1080 pixels.
There are plenty of input and connectivity options to choose from. There are VGA and HDMI ports (those are 3D compatible), and the device can pair with PCs, Macs, and mobile devices. As with the previous product, this one has very low input latency. Basically, you’ll be able to game to your heart’s content on it, especially considering the stellar contrast ratio.
Features:
- 30–300-inch screen
- Up to 1920x1080p resolution
- 3600 lumens
- 22000:1 contrast
- 15000 hours of lamp life
3. BenQ HT2050A Home Theater Projector
Like Optoma, BenQ consistently comes out with amazing home theater projectors — including but not limited to the HT2050A model. This particular unit has a normal throw, which allows it to project images between 100 and 300 inches in 1080p, starting from 8 feet away. How’s that for a big screen?
The normal throw version comes with better color accuracy, courtesy of the high lumens count and high contrast ratio. However, there’s also a short-throw version of the device which can either come with color correction or a higher lumens count. As it is, the normal throw model has a lumens count of 2200, which is nothing to scoff at, as well as a contrast ratio of 15000:1.
The device is compatible with various media players, gaming consoles, computer operating systems, and mobile devices. It also has all the usual ports, between the HDMI and USB inputs. Your gaming experience will be practically perfect thanks to the low input lag of the device.
However, it’s a bit larger than the other devices I’ve listed, at 5 inches tall and 15 by 11 inches wide. Like the previous devices I’ve reviewed, this one features dials that help you manually adjust the zoom, focus, and the lens angle.
Since this is another one of the most popular brands on the market, I wanted to recommend an alternative here as well. The BenQ MH535FHD model is supposed to be slightly brighter and more long-lasting unit of the two. So if that’s something that interests you, you might want to check it out.
Features:
- 100–300-inch screen
- 1920x1080p resolution
- 2200 lumens
- 15000:1 contrast
- Up to 7000 hours of lamp life
4. HOPVISION Native 1080P Movie Projector
There’s a big chance you haven’t heard about HOPVISION until now. However, this brand manufactures high-quality and reliable projectors, with its native 1080p model being this company’s most popular product.
Although the box is relatively small, HOPVISION managed to include all the features you would expect from premium-grade projectors. For starters, it has a native 1080p resolution and can project images between 45 and 350 inches. It also has a 12000:1 contrast ratio, 9500 lumens of brightness, and even supports 4K video. As a result, this projector provides six times more details than other 720P products.
Besides its impressive image quality, this projector also comes with built-in dual stereo speakers. And, due to their sound retrieval system, these speakers should give you a precise alto, powerful bass, and higher treble emulating a genuine home theater experience.
Unlike similar projectors, HOPVISION’s offering has an impressive lifespan. In fact, it can reach up to 150000 hours of usage, meaning that it should last almost 20 years, providing a continuous, high-quality audio-visual experience. That’s all thanks to the built-in cooling system.
But despite all of its cutting-edge technology, this product is surprisingly silent. That’s because it uses low-profile fans, which ensure a noise-free experience, even after hours of intense projecting.
All in all, the HOPVISION projector is perfect for watching movies at home, hosting outdoor parties, playing video games, and even holding workplace presentations. It comes with dozens of features that make the entire experience hassle-free and accessible. And with a focus on multimedia connectivity, you can pair this product with any of your devices, including your PC, TV, laptop, tablet, and even a gaming console.
- 1920x1080p resolution
- 9500 lumens
- 12000:1 contrast ratio
- 150000 hours of lamp life
- 45-350-inch screen
5. ACROJOY 5G Wi-Fi Projector With 120” Screen
ACROJOY is a pretty popular brand amongst projector enthusiasts. With only a handful of products, this company focuses on quality and accessibility above anything else. Its 5G Wi-Fi projector is an impressive product that pushes the boundaries of mid-tier projectors.
Featuring the latest ultra-fast 5G/2.4G dual-band Wi-Fi technology, this product provides a stable and speedy connection. Therefore, you can project your favorite content using your smartphone or tablet for a flicker-free and ultra-smooth experience. And let’s not forget about the built-in hi-fi speakers, which are able to deliver impressive acoustics.
When it comes to design, the ACROJOY 5G projector is pretty small. However, it packs quite a punch. Its 1080P native resolution is enhanced by a stunning contrast ratio of 12000:1, which reduces pixel blur and provides crisp and clear images. The projector also supports 4K video when connected to a laptop or 4K TV using the HDMI port. As a result, it is able to render all the details, patterns, and textures with ease.
From outdoor movies to home theater experiences, the ACROJOY projector delivers a high-quality picture up to 300 inches on any blank wall or screen. Thanks to a reliable zoom function, you can enlarge or shrink the image from 50% to 100%. In other words, there’s no need to move the projector in order to maintain the image quality.
There’s no doubt that the ACROJOY 5G Wi-Fi projector is a great product that’s worth checking out. Its wide range of features and premium-grade design make it a reliable alternative to more expensive products. And, to further sweeten the deal, the company also bundles the product with a 120-inch portable screen. So you can use your brand-new projector anywhere you go!
- 1920x1080p resolution
- 12000:1 contrast ratio
- 9500 lumens
- 35-300-inch screen
- 150000 hours of lamp life
6. BIGASUO B-509 Bluetooth Outdoor Movie Projector
The BIGASUO B-509 is a native 1080P projector that aims to cover the sub-200 USD category. Its goal is to provide a premium experience without the added price tag of more expensive products.
Designed for usage at night or in a dark room, this model features a native 1920x1080p resolution and an impressive brightness of 8000 lumens. Therefore, it’s able to offer a stunning image quality that’s both crisp and clear.
![Outdoor Movie Projector Bluetooth 5.0 - BIGASUO Native 1080P Projector with Digital Zoom&HiFi Stereo, 8000L Home Portable Projector Compatible HDMI,USB,AV,TV[100''Screen Included]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/515zh9dLZ6L._SL500_.jpg)
Even though its maximum projection size is a bit smaller than other projectors, the BIGASUO B-509 can still be used for all sorts of activities, including gaming, movie watching, and workplace presentations.
But what makes this projector such a great choice is its silent design. While other products use high-power fans to chill the hardware and cause a lot of noise, this one relies on a proprietary cooling system. As a result, it manages to be powerful, efficient, and, most importantly, quiet.
Connectivity-wise, the BIGASUO B-509 includes a variety of USB ports and a main HDMI port. Thus, you can use the projector with your laptop, gaming console, and even with a variety of streaming devices like Roku and Fire TV Stick. Thanks to the high-quality Bluetooth support, you can also connect your phone and use it to project content.
In the end, you’ll have a hard time finding a better product at this price point. It’s reliable, silent, and has great image quality. And, it also comes bundled with a 100-inch portable projector screen.
- 1920x1080p resolution
- Included a 100-inch portable projector screen
- 25-250-inches screen
- 8000:1 contrast ratio
- 8000 lumens
7. GooDee HD Home Theater Projector
GooDee is a world-renowned company that makes video projectors, and I don’t think that it’s talked about enough. Lately, the company came with a new and upgraded projector that is, according to GooDee, 80% brighter than others on the market.
With a 3000:1 contrast ratio, the colors on your screen will be more vibrant than ever. You’ll be able to watch your favorite movies and shows indoors and outdoors and never have to compromise the picture quality. While I’m on the topic of picture quality, GooDee’s projector supports 1080P full HD with 720x1280p native resolution.
But the best part of this projector is the new cooling system. With an innovative fan design, GooDee has been able to make the projector quieter than ever. Also, the fan helps extend the bulb’s life, so it’s a huge winner in my book.
The projector has an SRS sound system, along with two built-in 3-watt speakers. So no matter where you’re sitting, you’ll have incredible audio.
Depending on where and how you set it up, the projection size can be 44–230 inches. What’s more, the minimum and maximum throw distance are 4.9 and 18.3 feet. Even though that’s less than the Optoma H184X, for example, it’s still pretty solid.
You can easily connect the GooDee projector to a bunch of different consoles, including Xbox, Chromecast, PS3, and PS4. Of course, it’s also compatible with other devices, such as laptops and PCs.
Features:
- 44–230-inch screen
- 1080p full HD resolution
- 300 ANSI lumen
- 3000:1 contrast ratio
- 30000 hours of lamp life
8. Artlii Full HD Home Theater Projector With HiFi Stereo
This Artlii unit is an LED projector with 4000 lumens and a 3000:1 contrast ratio. This product can also project images of around 44–200 inches with an aspect ratio of 16:9, and it does support a resolution of 1920x1080p.
In comparison to the first few products on my list, this one may seem subpar. But trust me. They’re the perfect items to go for if you’re just starting to play with the idea of setting up a home theater. Furthermore, these specs are all you need if you want to spend days upon days watching movies and gaming.
Like some other models, this Artlii projector has two built-in speakers and all the ports you can wish for, including two HDMI and USB ports, VGA and AV ports, and a MicroSD slot. But the best part about it is that it has noise-reducing technology so that you’re never distracted by loud fans.
Features:
- 44–200-inch screen
- 1920x1080p resolution
- 4000 lumens
- 3000:1 contrast
- 45000 hours of lamp life
9. CiBest Portable Video Projector
The CiBest Mini video projector supports 1080p video resolution, and it’s perfect for those of you who are always on the move. It only measures 8 by 6 by 3 inches, but it packs a powerful punch with a 2000:1 contrast ratio. There’s also diffuse reflection technology that will protect your eyes, and make the images softer.
Depending on where you put the projector, your screen size can be anywhere between 30 to 200 inches. That being said, CiBest says that the optimal projection distance is 8.2ft when the screen is around 70 inches.
To accompany the high-quality resolution, CiBest also put two built-in speakers. But if you have a better speaker system, you can connect it to the mini projector via the 3.5 mm audio output. There’s also a high-tech cooling system inside that helps muffle the sound of the fan, and that’ll help make your movie-watching pleasure even better.
Like most of the other quiet projectors that I’ve talked about, the CiBest mini has a ton of connectivity options. You can hook it up to many different gaming consoles, as well as PCs, laptops, and phones.
The CiBest mini projector also has an estimated lamp life of 50,000 hours, which is more than many of its competitors offer. When you order it off Amazon, you’ll also get a two-month money-back guarantee for the projector. But more importantly, CiBest will give you a lifetime warranty for its product, and that’s not something you see every day.
Features:
- 30–200-inch screen
- 1080p video resolution
- 2000:1 contrast ratio
- 50000 hours of lamp life
- Lifetime warranty
10. FATORK Pocket Mini DLP Projector
If you are searching for a compact projector, the FATORK Mini DLP offers an exceptionally portable design. It only weighs about 0.86 pounds and is the same size as a 12 oz. can of soda.
Able to project on screens from 10 to 114 inches, this projector can be used inside a tent or other areas where you are short on viewing space. Since it supports 1.64 to 9.85 viewing distances, you can set the FATORK projector up anywhere you want. And, to further aid you, the company also includes a mini tripod.
With its 1080p native resolution and 150 ANSI lumens, the picture quality is truly impressive. It’s true that the brightness is dimmer than most outdoor projectors. But the FATORK projector will do just fine as long as you use it in a dark environment.
Thanks to its built-in rechargeable battery, which can provide up to 2.5 hours of viewing time, this product can be used for long periods of time regardless of its tiny build. And, with an HDMI, USB, and 3.5 audio jack port, you can pair your devices easily, no matter where you are.
Finally, it’s clear that the FATORK Pocket DLP Projector is an amazing product, perfect for outdoor viewing. Compact, portable, and reliable, this projector should accommodate all of your needs. And best of all, it is completely silent, providing a noise-free viewing experience.
Features:
- 1920x1080p resolution
- 150 ANSI lumens
- 10-114-inches screen
- Included mini tripod
- Up to 2.5 hours of projecting time
- 30000 hours of lamp life
The Benefits of Having a Projector
Believe it or not, getting my family on board with the idea of getting a projector was no easy task. After all, we’re all so used to watching content on our flat-screen TVs — which admittedly do have certain advantages over projectors. The main one, in my opinion, is that the brightness and contrast you get with a TV is simply superior to anything a projector can achieve.
Still, there are plenty of advantages of using a projector instead of a TV for your home entertainment. For one:
- Projectors allow you to adjust your screen size. Depending on how large your room is, a projected image can be anywhere between 30 and 300 inches, diagonally. So a projector can basically be like a huge TV — except it’s typically less expensive, per inch.
- Looking at a projected image is much more comfortable than looking at a digital display. According to eye specialists, we ought to look away from our screens every once in a while to preserve our eyesight. Well, that’s simply not an issue with a projected image, since the most potentially damaging source of light is usually above or behind you and out of sight.
- Projectors are typically much smaller than TVs. Even if you have a setup that includes a projector screen, it can often be rolled up into a smaller space than the one a TV would take up. Moreover, doing away with your TV can make your room appear much more minimalistic — if that’s something you’re into.
- Lastly, because of most projectors’ small size, they’re also an awesome gadget to take with you. You can pretty much set them up anywhere you have a plug and your laptop.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, I’d say that my search for the best quiet projector for movies and video games has been fruitful. Now, all I need to do is get a proper screen. For the time being, though, I’ll keep projecting onto the wall I have freed up. So now it’s your turn.
Has any of the products on my list managed to catch your eye? Or are you going to use this information to find a better option for your home? Whichever way you decide to go, I’m sure it’ll be a good decision. As far as I’m concerned, you’re already ahead of the curve for simply considering setting up a home theater!
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