Monoprice IPS-Glass Panel Pro 27" LCD Monitor
by Chris Heinonen on October 22, 2013 2:40 AM EST
The first Monoprice display I looked at didn’t fare well. While very affordable, it only offered a DVI input and very little in the way of controls. The worst sin was that the brightness control on the display just didn’t work correctly. A step up from that model is their IPS-Glass. With HDMI, DSub, and DisplayPort inputs to go with a dual-link DVI input, it is far more flexible than the cheaper model. It also returns the display controls to the front of the monitor instead of the rear. As important as these changes are, it won’t really matter if the issues found in the cheaper model exist here.
The Monoprice IPS-Glass Pro Panel is a 27”, 2560x1440 display using an IPS panel. It has a standard white LED backlight and uses the standard sRGB color gamut. To utilize the full resolution you’ll need to use the DVI or DisplayPort inputs as the HDMI port is 1.4a but not capable of the full 2560x1440 resolution. The included stand offers a bit of tilt but no other adjustments are available, though the 100mm VESA mounting holes make it easy to replace that with a better model if you desire. The features of the Monoprice are rounded out by a pair of speakers on the rear of the display.
The menu system inside of the Monoprice is exactly like that of the Nixeus displays. With a lot of these cheaper displays the panels and electronics are all being sourced from the same suppliers. There is still a lot that a company can do to improve upon the default performance, but the guts are the same. Unlike the cheaper Monoprice display we're glad to report that the Brightness control here works properly. Beyond the Brightness and Contrast controls you have a few preset modes that are best avoided, and a single point white balance control. There is a dynamic contrast mode but it blows the gamma curve way out of proportion, crushing shadows and highlights in the process. Overall the controls are bare-bones, but they do operate correctly.
The Monoprice IPS-Glass panel has a substantial feeling to it. There are vents at the top and the bottom and the display stays cool during use. Using an external power brick helps with this but also means another item on/near your desk. The bezel is a thick piece of glossy plastic that really picks up fingerprints, so try to avoid touching it if you can. It helps to slightly enhance the apparent contrast to your eye though I still prefer a matte finish that doesn’t show smudges as easily. The screen surface is very glossy as well. If you are in a room with bright, direct lighting the glare is probably going to be an issue.
The speakers provide adequate sound but are nothing to write home about. If you have no other speakers handy they can suffice, but that's about all I'd say of them. Since they’re rear-mounted they may also get muffled if you wall-mount the display, though wall mounting is usually only something we see with HDTVs so it's probably not a major concern. Overall the Monoprice design shows its value roots but it does not feel cheap. The HDMI resolution limitation would be a bigger deal without DisplayPort but most people should be fine with that.
| Monoprice IPS-Glass Panel Pro | |
| Video Inputs | DVI-DL, DisplayPort, HDMI, Dsub |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Pixel Pitch | 0.2331mm |
| Colors | 1.07 Billion (A-FRC) |
| Brightness | 440 cd/m^2 |
| Contrast Ratio | 80,000:1 |
| Response Time | 6ms GtG |
| Viewable Size | 27" |
| Resolution | 2560x1440 |
| Viewing Angle (H/V) | 178/178 |
| Backlight | White LED |
| Power Consumption (operation) | < 90W |
| Power Consumption (standby) | < 1 W |
| Screen Treatment | Glossy |
| Height-Adjustable | No |
| Tilt | Yes |
| Pivot | No |
| Swivel | No |
| VESA Wall Mounting | Yes, 100mm x 100mm |
| Dimensions w/ Base (WxHxD) | 25.9" x 19" x 8.5" |
| Weight | 18.3 lbs. |
| Additional Features | 2W Stereo Speakers |
| Limited Warranty | 1 Year |
| Accessories | Power Cord, Power Brick, 3.5mm Audio Cable, DL-DVI Cable |
| Price | $474 |
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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?