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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shaolin95 - Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - link
Why even get that?QNIX is much cheaper and looks awesome. Anandtech come on now...tons of cheaper Korean monitors out there...whats going on...?
DanNeely - Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - link
In general, if a company isn't willing to provide a review sample their products don't get reviewed.Byte - Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - link
My fairly ancient Soyo 24" MVA is finally dying so i need to get something soon. What the consensus on Samsung PVA vs LG IPS (crossover/catleap/shimain vs qnix/x-star). Googling doesn't help much. I want a glossy panel.kedesh83 - Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - link
I just purchased the catleap crossover with the included P-blade stand. For $399 I can't complain, even with the lack of an OSD. The professional stand is enough IMO to choose the catleap.joelypolly - Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - link
I wonder how much variation there are in panel uniformity between sampleswffurr - Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - link
Chris, does this monitor have audio passthrough? A headphone jack would be acceptable.I'd prefer to use a decent 2.1 setup instead of the built-in speakers for audio over displayport or HDMI. I have an Auria EQ276W, and it lacks this feature, which is pretty annoying, especially with a device like a Chromecast that doesn't have a separate audio out.
The 3.5mm jack on the Auria only works as an audio *input* alongside the DVI or VGA video inputs, and won't reverse into an output when using Displayport or HDMI.
twinclouds - Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - link
I got this one at a little over $300 from Rakuten so it was a great deal. Before buying it, I checked with Monoprice and they told me it should have zero dead pixels and when I got it the second day, there was indeed no dead pixels. I like this monitor. However, there are two "major" problems for me. First one is the stand as everybody have noticed. I have to use one of my good old Asus monitor stand and it is much more sturdy. The second issue was not too bad but very annoying. Once my computer turned monitor off and I made it back by using mouse or keyboard, the monitor light sometimes turned on but there's no display. The only ways to make it on is to turn the monitor off and on or let the kvm switch go through a full cycle. I contact their customer service but he cannot really fix the problem. He gave me some useless suggestions which just wasted a bunch of my time. BTW, I tested on two computers and both had the same problem. Both uses Intel graphics so I don't know if it is graphic board specific.Wall Street - Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - link
Chris, I know that IPS displays are all the rage. However, any chance that you can test the 144 Hz displays from ASUS and BenQ? Specifically, the input lag & pixel response at both 60 Hz and 144 Hz compared to 60 Hz TN displays and IPS displays would make for a really good read IMHO.k9cj5 - Friday, October 25, 2013 - link
I think it funny when people talk about paying a lot for a monitor when they will spend 400 bucks on a video card, and 350 bucks for a processor but when it comes to the monitor they'll buy the 100 dollar special on newegg. The monitor and sound is what makes your games pop, and allows you to enjoy the content. When you get a good one you will notice a difference. I bought the ZR24w about 2 years ago and at first I didn't notice much of a difference, but when I go over to my friends house or use the computer at work its night and day.fathomit - Tuesday, October 29, 2013 - link
If I connected the Dual-Link DVI cable directly to a mini-display port on a laptop and the USB part of the cable directly to a USB hub that's connected to the laptop...would it work?