The Yaber Projector K3 is the company’s latest premier projector. Boasting an impressive 1600 ANSI Lumens, built-in JBL stereo speakers and an intelligent projection system, the Yaber Projector K3 presents a well-rounded home theatre solution. For $599.99 USD, the K3 is an enticing buy for those looking for a cost-effective alternative for home theatre projection.
Weighing a hefty 11.24 lbs, the K3 lands squarely in the premier projector category. The Yaber Projector K3 is built as a TV alternative from the ground up. Its hard plastic exterior offers quite a bit of protection for the system. Dual 15-watt stereo speakers wrap the front corners of the unit, giving the K3 a beautiful textured look. The back half of the side panels house the system’s cooling vents, while the rear panel offers all of the Yaber Projector K3’s IO ports.
On the note of IO, Yaber has included two HDMI ports, which is a welcome upgrade from the Yaber T2 Plus I reviewed last year that featured a single HDMI port (used up by the Google TV dongle I might add). Another quality-of-life feature present with the Projector K3 is internalizing the Google TV dongle, freeing up an HDMI port (another flaw with the T2 Plus). Along with the 2 HDMI ports, Yaber has included a single USB port, headphone jack and RJ 45 port for ethernet connection.
“The Yaber Projector K3 is built as a TV alternative from the ground up.”
Not to worry if you prefer wireless network connections, as the K3 also comes equipped with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC (the latter for Screencasting). Wi-Fi 6 connects without issue and empowers the impressive amount of apps present on Google TV. Bluetooth, likewise, offers a lot of useful functionality with the most useful being the allowance for media device connection to leverage the K3’s built-in 15W JBL speaker system.
The JBL speakers are actually quite impressive. With full Dolby sound support, the K3’s speakers offer some solid and well-balanced audio. In fact, in testing, I was quite impressed at how clear and punchy the audio was in all three areas of testing: Music, Games and Video. While the K3 Pro comes bundled with a separate subwoofer to really push the low end, I still find the K3 to provide a solid audio experience for everyday use.
The only odd element of the audio experience is volume control. With the inclusion of Google TV and Bluetooth pairing, the K3 does struggle to manage which device is handling sound. For instance, while the remote handles the system volume control, if streaming from your device, the device’s audio interface will override the remote control but not in a consistent way.
Often I would accidentally use the phone volume and go from a mellow audio listening experience to full volume, a bit of a startling transition. If you simply stick to the Yaber remote and remove the temptation to leverage another device’s audio controls, though, volume management is a simple affair.
Shifting to the underside of the K3, four rubberized feet allow for air movement under the projector, while a fifth foot offers an extendable post to accommodate a host of tabletops or shelving units. A missing feature, though, is any notable mounting points to attach a projector mount or tripod. While many projectors in recent days house thread points for mounting systems, the K3 lacks any discernable system. This seems like a bit of an odd limitation, forcing the K3 to always sit on a table or shelf.
The top plate houses onboard controls for the K3 and allows for easy access to volume, power, quiet mode and Bluetooth. For additional control and navigation, Yaber has included a handy remote similar to other Google TV remotes. As a bonus, the K3 does support voice control via the remote making it easy to navigate most features of the projector.
As a smart projector, the K3 comes equipped with some pretty solid quality-of-life features. For starters, when powering up the Yabber Projector K3, the system will automatically focus and keystone correct without you ever needing to touch a setting. Additionally, Yaber has included both intelligent screen alignment and obstacle avoidance to further enhance the setup experience.
The former allows for automatic scaling of the display to fit the desired space. The latter adjusts the image to avoid potential obstacles, such as a picture or a light switch. In testing, both features were impressive, working in tandem to easily note and scale the display to account for the light switch on the wall in my office.
What is most impressive with all of the above-mentioned features is how quickly they work together to present a quality image for the user. Even when moving the projector around the room while powered on, the K3 was quick to readjust. It’s a hassle-free approach to screen management and one that serves the K3 well.
The Yaber Projector K3 is a 1080p 60Hz projector. While this is a fairly standard spec for projectors in the price range, what helps the K3 stand out is its overall brightness and scaling. The 1600 ANSI Lumen count allows for an impressively bright image. Daytime testing revealed that the K3 can handle projection in a lighted room, and while direct light interference does impact the image, it’s still usable.
Another element of the projection system that helps bump up the overall image brightness and clarity is the use of direct cast lighting from the projector’s bulb. This method reduces light refraction, which results in a brighter, clearer projection. This rang true in testing as the overall image quality of the projection is bright, crisp and colourful, even when tested on a painted wall.
The other aspect of the display that is impressive is the K3’s ability to project up to 200”, giving it an impressive amount of adaptability to accommodate a wide range of room sizes. Scaling happens automatically thanks to the smart design, making setting up the Yaber Projector K3 in any space a simple and straightforward affair. Simply turn on the projector and let it handle the rest.
“Scaling happens automatically thanks to the smart design, making setting up the Yaber Projector K3 in any space a simple and straightforward affair.”
Along with the included Google TV, the Yaber Projector K3 also includes a few built-in features that boost the overall quality of life. First is the aforementioned Bluetooth pairing, which allows any external, BT-enabled audio source to leverage the K3’s speaker system. The second is screen mirroring which allows the projector to become a portal to your phone or tablet.
While the former works quite well, the latter is a bit of a hit-and-miss experience. Often times while testing the casting from my phone I spent quite some time flipping through settings to present the content I actually wanted. Additionally, it does require downloading the Yaber app, which, unfortunately, is a bit lacklustre. It’s functional for the most part but does leave lots of room for improvement.
The final feature to highlight is the aforementioned quiet mode. Even when running in normal mode, the K3 is still fairly quiet. However, when set to quiet mode, it becomes nearly silent. This was quite impressive to experience, considering many projectors with this form factor tend to be a bit louder, a necessary result of attempting to cool the confirmed space. Yaber’s CoolSwift technology seems to help reduce the overall heat which in turn means the fans need not run as hard to keep up with the cooling demands. It’s an efficient system that keeps the K3 running quietly.
The Yaber Projector K3 is a solid home theatre solution. It offers a one-stop-shop solution that takes care of both audio and video in one complete package. Despite the lack of mounting points, a less-than-stellar mirror casting system and some odd audio control situations, the overall experience with the Projector K3 is stellar. Picture quality and auto-configuration make the Yaber Projector K3 a great home theatre option.
- 【Ultra-Bright】We recommend upgrading to version [V1.0.84] for an improved visual experience. The Yaber K3 features two proprietary technologies: NovaGlow optical technology, which enhances brightness and image clarity while reducing the impact of ambient light by over 30%, and CoolSwift cooling technology for stable, long-term performance. With its powerful daylight projection capabilities, the K3 delivers vivid, clear images even in well-lit rooms—no need to draw the curtains or worry about washed-out visuals.
- 【Built-In Google TV with 7000+ Apps】- Welcome to the cinematic wonderland of the Yaber K3 movie projector! The built-in Google TV for access to more than 7,000 apps like YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu,turning your projector into an all-in-one entertainment hub no matter the occasion. Whether it’s an exciting sports event, a gripping Hollywood film, or charming and entertaining Disney animations, the K3 home proejctor meet all your viewing needs.
