Philips PicoPix Max Projector Review - Performance: Brightness, Audio Quality, Audible Noise
Philips does not list a lumen specification for the PicoPix Max. We took 3-4 readings about 15-20% out from the center of the lens which usually gives a pretty good approximation of ANSI lumens. We measured the PicoPix Max in its brightest picture mode which was Presentation Mode.
Philips Pico Pix Max Brightness: 366 Lumens
| Color Mode | Lumens |
| Presentation | 366 |
| Normal | 270 |
| Energy Saver | 192 |
The Pico Pix Max was bright for its compact portable size but those who have a larger screen will desire more brightness. While Philips says the unit can be utilized on a screen over 100”, it looks best on screens smaller than 80” in an environment with lower ambient light.
While the Pico Pix Max has a rated battery life of 3 hours, running the projector in its brightest mode will deplete the battery quickly. To enjoy Pico Pix Max for long periods of time at higher brightness, it should be plugged in.
The PicoPix Max has two, 4-watt built-in speakers that can play loud enough for use in an average classroom or meeting room, but they’ll struggle to compete with any significant amount of ambient noise. As with most built-in projector speakers, the sound quality is rather ‘thin’ due to the lack of any bass and the sound can become distorted if you turn the volume up too high. For comparison, I played some music on my iPhone 11 next to the projector, and the phone speakers were easily able to drown out the projector speakers.
The sound quality is fine for voice narrations or background music, but less than ideal for playback of video tracks where music is important. If higher quality audio is needed, the projector has mini-jack audio outputs that can be used to connect to an external powered speaker system and can also be connected via Bluetooth to an external speaker or to headphones.
The fan noise produced by the PicoPix Max was barely discernable over the projector’s speakers, even when they were at max power. The motors for the focus mechanism make more noise than the fan, but they only operate when the focus button is pressed, so they’re hardly distracting from the projected content.
