This model runs on Google TV, and that’s a relief because it meant setup only took a few minutes. Auto-keystoning with manual screen-size options worked just fine. There’s also a QR code you can use to automate keystone correction from your phone, but my room was too dark, and it didn't work for me. (AWOL Vision reps told me it should have worked fine even in a dark room like mine.)

The portable projector weighs 19.3 pounds—notably less than its 23-pound competitor Hisense XR10 Smart Projector (8/10, WIRED Recommends)—and I found it both easy to grip and move around between rooms. For wireless streaming, the Aetherion Max supports Wi-Fi 7, offering nice compatibility and speed. It also runs quite fast thanks to 8 GB of internal RAM and offers 128 GB of internal storage for storing content, though I relied mostly on streaming.

Unlike the highly rated Xgimi Titan Noir Max, the Aetherion Max's iris does not adjust dynamically as you watch content. But similar to the Hisense XR10, you can adjust picture-quality settings to match the room. For example, Dolby Vision Bright works best in a bright room, allowing the iris to let in more light.

For color accuracy, the projector hits 110 percent of the Rec. 2020 spec. That means if you watch a movie that meets that color spec, like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 or Inside Out, you will see the entire color palette. AWOL Vision also lists the contrast ratio as 6,000:1 and lumens at 3,300 ISO, but—as I've learned from personal experience—those specs are not the final arbiter of picture quality. Many other factors come into play, including the darkness level of a room.

The weak spot here is the remote, which is functional if not impressive. I like its large Home button that’s centered and easy to find in the dark without looking. There’s also a button for Google Gemini and convenient shortcuts for apps like Netflix. My main issue is with the volume buttons, placed just above the shortcuts, but small and hard to find. Only the upper half of the remote is backlit, which uselessly doesn't extend to all of the buttons, including volume.

The Aetherion Max's ability to work in a brightly lit room blew me away throughout testing. I watched the movie Mayday on Apple TV+ from start to finish in broad daylight, projecting the image on a wall that measures nearly 16 feet diagonally. I didn't notice any contrast problems and could see nighttime scenes just fine. The slight warping on my wall distorted the image a bit, but that's to be expected of ultrashort throw models.

In my windowless testing room, with a full surround-sound system that even includes height channel speakers in the ceiling, the Aetherion Max performed even better. To test a projector's contrast ratio and brightness, I typically play dark scenes in the movies Awake and The Creator, and I've never seen the scenes look as great as they did when rendered by the Aetherion Max. I didn’t even have to tweak the picture-quality settings (and generally when I test these specs, such is not the case).