Valerion launched a bunch of 4K projectors on Kickstarter last November, and went on to raise more than $10 million. Now the startup has officially released its VisionMaster Max at CES 2025, while also debuting its new interchangeable lens.
Rather than include long-throw projectors in its product portfolio, AWOL Vision – which launched in 2022 to produce ultra-short-throw projectors – opted to spin out a sister brand called Valerion. Its then upcoming product line launched at IFA 2024 in Berlin, ahead of a Kickstarter.
Along with the Plus 2 and Pro models, the crowdfunding campaign also featured the flagship VisionMaster Max. The funding project was successful – the year's most successful campaign on Kickstarter for 2024 in fact – and shipping to backers began towards the end of the year. Now the company has launched the production model at the world's largest consumer tech show in Las Vegas.
For the most part, the VisionMaster Max has the same specs as before, but Valerion has added a new twist for CES 2025. "The VisionMaster Max features the innovative Dynamic Tone Mapping technology and a smart Enhanced Black Level mode," reads the company's press statement. "The real game-changer is the external interchangeable lens. This patented, first-of-its-kind solution extends throw distances and adds remarkable setup flexibility, allowing users to tailor their home theater experience like never before."
Profession-grade projectors from the likes of Epson and others often boast interchangeable lenses among their features sets, but not consumer models. Details are light at this stage, and though the lens-packing Max is on the show floor at CES it won't go into production immediately. We can tell you that the lens on the Vegas promo unit enables a throw ratio of 1.3-2.1:1 – where the stock lens comes in at 0.9-1.5:1.
We have confirmed that Kickstarter backers who opted for the Max will receive the latest version of the projector, but the interchangeable lenses will need to be purchased separately when they become available.
As mentioned earlier, the rest of the specs appear to be much the same as the Kickstarter build. The projection engine puts out 4K imagery from 40 to 300 diagonal inches, while the RGB triple-laser light source is reported capable of 3,000 ISO lumens and enables coverage of 110% of the BT.2020 color gamut.
Usefully, the Max also taps into AI to upscale HD visuals to 4K, and there's a feature that "brings the IMAX picture standard straight to your home." Dolby Vision support is cooked in too, together with Active 3D, Filmmaker and HDR10+ modes.
There's an ISF-certified calibration mode to cater for tweaking visuals to personal preference. Contrast comes in at 15,000:1 (4,000 native), plus the unit's Dynamic IRIS technology is reported to deliver "deeper blacks and sharper details, no matter the lighting conditions." And vertical lens shift allows for adjusting viewing height without moving the projector. Meanwhile gamers are treated to a super-low input lag of just 4 ms (at 1080p/240Hz).
Rounding out the key specs are a pair of 12-watt speakers with support for Dolby Audio, DTS:X and DTS Virtual:X; Wi-Fi 6e and Bluetooth 5.2; three HDMI ports (one with eARC), Ethernet LAN, and USB inputs.
The stock Valerion VisionMaster Max triple-laser 4K projector is available for purchase now at US$3,999. The interchangeable lenses will be optional extras when they go into production. Procing for the latter has yet to be determined.
Product page: VisionMaster Max
