Monoprice IPS-Glass Panel Pro 27" LCD Monitor
by Chris Heinonen on October 22, 2013 2:40 AM ESTComing off the cheaper Monoprice display I have to admit I wasn’t looking forward to the IPS-Glass Pro Panel version that much. With the issues that I found before I expected to find a low price that had a pair of serious flaws I would not be able to get past. So when I actually used the Monoprice for a while and ran the numbers on it, I came away very surprised.
Out of the box it really is nothing special. The pre-calibration data is okay but not excellent, and the on-screen display is the same one I used with Nixeus and never really loved. The stand is limited in adjustments as well, and the glossy plastic bezels are a design choice I wish companies would move away from.
Calibrate the Monoprice IPS-Glass Panel Pro and it turns into something else entirely. The panel and electronics have enough quality to provide for an excellent image after calibration. You can even call it almost reference quality if you stick just to the center portions of the screen. Only a few colors that produce dE2000 levels above 2.0 keep it from being a true reference even if the overall average dE2000 is very low. The last thing to cause concern is the bright corners which will distract more if you play a lot of darker games or watch movies on it.
When the price of $475 is taken into account, the Monoprice becomes something of a steal. Yes, you can still get a Korean import model for less but it won’t have the HDMI or DisplayPort inputs, and it will lack the warranty that Monoprice offers. The overall performance comes in ahead of the Nixeus VUE 27 that I’ve usually recommended for a value 27” display as well. The main competition is the Dell U2713HM that offers two main benefits: a more adjustable, ergonomic stand and better pre-calibration results.
The Dell can now be found for around $540 so you’ll have to decide if those features are worth the extra $75 to you. The Monoprice does go on sale for $400 sometimes, but the Dell can be found refurbished for the same $400 making it a wash to me. I’m glad that Monoprice is able to offer a good performing, 27” display for a bargain price. If you’re after a 27” display and want good performance as well as a selection of inputs, the Monoprice IPS-Glass Panel Pro is definitely worth checking out.
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peterfares - Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - link
Would you really count $475 for this as a steal? It seems quite expensive for a rebranded cheapo WQHD monitor.The Dell is probably worth the extra money, especially considering the 3 year advanced exchange warranty included vs 1 year not.The Microcenter monitor also has the same inputs for $400.piroroadkill - Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - link
I'd agree that a far more premium look, more inputs, better stand, etc are worth $75 alone.Let alone 3 year advanced exchange warranty. The Dell is definitely worth the extra money.
Fergy - Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - link
I would gladly play $50 not to have glossy plastic bezels. And $50 to calibrate it for me. I have had my current Dell monitors since 2006 and I am not going to pay $100 less for a cheap looking monitor. It would just irritate me every day.DanNeely - Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - link
To a large extent these monitors are aimed at people who consider $600-700 crazy; but are willing to make compromises to stretch up from a 1080p screen. They're the same people who bought the low end 1920x1200 monitors a half dozen years ago when good ones cost $500 and most people bought $200 1680x1050 screens if they were stepping up from the cheapest common denominator.LancerVI - Thursday, October 31, 2013 - link
.....or they're just gamers who don't need/want that kind of color fidelity, but want the resolution and decent response time. Now that GPU's are getting beefy enought to push beyond 1080p maxed out, it's only natural for gamers to look beyond 1080p monitor solution.Flunk - Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - link
With a $75 delta over a $400 base, I would get the Ultrasharp every time. Dell's monitor is not only better out of the box but you've got a much better history of quality with their high-end monitors. I was going to post that I would rather have a 24" Ultrasharp than this 27" cheapie but the price different is much less than I expected.Maybe if they priced this at $350 it would look like a deal to some. I still wouldn't buy it, LCDs last too long to buy a cheap one.
CaedenV - Thursday, October 24, 2013 - link
That is what I learned the hard way. 4 years ago I picked up a 1200p display for $300 because it was what I could afford, instead of spending the $5-600 on one that would really be nice. But now I am stuck with a monitor that has a faint but noticeable buzzing sound, backlight bleeding, horrible color, huge pixels (1200p on a 28" monitor), and displays have improved so much that there is no possible way to resell the thing to help me move up. So now I am stuck with this thing for another couple years every day being painfully aware that I made a bad call.Next time around I will be waiting for a non-tiled 4K 60fps display in the 35-42" range. It will cost a pretty penny, but if I am going to have to look at it 4-10 hours a day for 7-10 years then the price will be more than justifiable. Monitors, power supplies, and hard drives are things that cost a bit more up front for quality, but more than pay themselves off in reliability and longevity.
CecileWamsley - Monday, October 28, 2013 - link
my Aunty Maria recently got an awesome cream Chevrolet Corvette Z0-Six by working off of a macbook. pop over to these guys... http://smal.ly/8wUo2blau808 - Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - link
Sorry, but that thing is hideous.imsabbel - Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - link
Okay, this monitor is just as unusual as the other monoprice one. Over 150 Cd/m^2 MINIMUM brightness? I know people like "brighter is better", but 100 Cd/m^2 is the recommended brightness in a well lit workplace. For a reason.At night, in a dark room, its already too bright. 163 minimum means you are messing up your eyes bigtime if you are a nighttime gamer. In a dark room, 20-30 are perfectly fine.