Anker’s powerful home theater on wheels is pure chaos

Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro is too weird to exist. It takes the excellent 4K projector and karaoke microphones from Anker’s Nebula X1 and packs them into a powerful Google TV party with five speakers on wheels. It’s so absurd it feels like a crazy dream – and I’m here for it.

At the heart of this system is the same liquid-cooled triple-laser projector with automatic image correction and everything that I reviewed last summer. It’s incredibly quiet for a 3500 ANSI lumens projector, claiming the title of the brightest and most vibrant all-in-one portable projector on the market. It’s also now the loudest, adding 400W of sound to the new Nebula X1 Pro.

Inside the X1 Pro is a large booming subwoofer capable of wall-shaking bass. It also features four battery-powered speakers that automatically deploy or extend to create a total of seven horizontal channels and four more overhead for wireless 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos immersion.

Aside from the size and occasional connectivity issues, my only complaint is that the Nebula X1 Pro is sometimes too loud. That’s not something I thought I’d ever say about a portable all-in-one projector.

If you have $4,999 to burn, Anker’s Nebula X1 Pro is a perfect match.

Since the projector’s video and karaoke capabilities are the same as the Nebula X1, I won’t repeat them here. Instead, I’ll focus on why you might choose the X1 Pro: sound.

Looking at the X1 Pro, you might be wondering where all the speakers are. The subwoofer is internal, of course, and the two front speakers automatically unfold like robotic whistling wings at the push of a button. The two rear speakers release from the rear of the unit with a firm push.

The X1 Pro operates in three sound modes: with all speakers docked for 2.1 sound (the rear speakers are inactive), with the front speakers spread out for 5.1.2 surround sound, and with all four spread around the room for full 7.1.4 separation. For the latter, Anker provides animated instructions to help piece together its audio puzzle.

The four satellites are completely wireless with over eight hours of battery life in my testing. They are charged via pogo pins when returning to the projector, or via USB-C. To ensure optimal sound, the X1 Pro features a 4-microphone array to automatically optimize the sound in the room, allowing you to drag the sweet spot to your preferred viewing area. I found Anker’s Flexwave surround sound calibration technology to work very well in my open living room, but the sweet spot is only about two people wide.

When disconnected, the four front and rear speakers sync audio over a proprietary 5.8GHz Wi-Fi signal, not Bluetooth, for superior, lossless, low-latency audio. The X1 Pro speakers performed flawlessly in my testing. They automatically connected to the projector when it turned on, without any of the weird popping or dropouts I’ve seen with a single pair of X1 speakers. When the X1 Pro turns off, the speakers go into sleep mode to help save battery.

However, I have experienced some inexplicable Wi-Fi connection issues with Google TV. About five times in two weeks of testing it simply refused to reconnect to my home network even though my phone and laptop were working fine. Restarting always fixed the problem, but it was very annoying when it broke the movie.

The bass produced by the X1 Pro’s 160W subwoofer is remarkable for a portable projector. If anything, it can be overwhelming at times. Each front surround speaker contains four 20W speakers designed for up, center, front and surround channels. The smaller rear section contains two 20W speakers for the top and rear surround channels. The front and rear satellites have folding legs and a tripod mount to help with positioning.

In 7.1.4 movie mode with all four speakers disconnected placed in the four corners of the room and uh, Flexwavedthe sound rivaled my own 5.1 Sonos system built around a soundbar, subwoofer and two rear satellites.

I especially enjoyed hearing the helicopters overhead while watching the Dolby Atmos version Top Gun: Maverick. Everything I threw at the X1 Pro looked and sounded great and seemed positionally correct, including The Dark Knight, Calm on the Western Frontand Blade Runner 2049. Dialogue cut through the soundstage in the front center channel, bullets whizzed overhead and dystopian machines crept through the dark spaces around me. My walls were already shaking at 30 percent volume, so the X1 Pro should be great for outdoor movie nights come spring.

I listen to music more often than I watch videos, so I like that the X1 Pro can be quickly switched to a near-silent Bluetooth speaker without the constant fan noise produced by most projectors. With all external speakers docked for 2.1 audio mode, the X1 Pro can compete with giant JBL party speakers, just without the unnecessary light show.

Listening to Miles Davis on the X1 Pro sounded exceptional, with bright clean horns sparkling against the baseline. I had to turn down the bass in the Spotify equalizer to enjoy tracks like Ye’s “Black Skinhead” or even Alice in Chains’ “Nutshell.” However, Bob Dylan’s voice on “Masters of War” lost some warmth compared to my Sonos system. I could easily turn the X1 Pro up to a very loud 50 percent and still enjoy music, but things went dark above 70 percent volume.

In general, the sound from the Nebula X1 Pro is a huge improvement over the Nebula X1. But calling the X1 Pro “portable” is a stretch.

With a telescoping handle and wheels, the 435 x 343 x 761 mm (17.13 x 13.50 x 29.96 in) X1 Pro is mobile, within reasonable limits since you’ll still need help lifting the 32.8 kg (72.31 lb) party box up the stairs or into the car.

And I wouldn’t feel comfortable rolling all those delicate optics and electronics over rough terrain. In fact, the fine print recommends using it on hard surfaces like concrete and wood, and “not dragging the projector over grass, large gravel, cobblestones, or water deeper than 50mm.” A $400 electric wagon to carry your $4,999 projector isn’t a terrible idea.

There’s also an asterisk for the unit’s IP43 water and dust resistance. It only applies when the lens hood is closed and the speakers are returned and retracted, which is unlikely if the X1 Pro is accidentally left outside after a movie night. The projector comes with a slide-in cover for those who demonstrate more responsibility.

Look, as a gadget nerd, I’m very excited about the Nebula X1 Pro. There is nothing else on the market and I appreciate Anker’s audacity to build this. But for my money, if you need a portable 4K projector, then the Nebula X1 with its optional set of speakers is loud enough outdoors and will save you about $1,000. But if you must have bass, then the Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro will not disappoint.

Photo by Thomas Ricker/The Verge