Last year I had the AWOL Vision LTV-3500 in my hand, i.e. without Pro, and was a bit disappointed. Maybe it was just too early and the relatively new company from America still needed time to fully captivate me, or maybe it was the data sheet that promised more than what was ultimately delivered. A lack of contrast and color saturation marred the otherwise positive image impression. In 2023 we again held dozens of Laser TV models in our hands and many were a big disappointment this year too. Praised, promised, kept…rarely. Let's face it, why should the small companies do what the big players can't? Because there are always positive candidates. Which certainly set accents. Although these models are far from dominating in terms of image quality etc., they offer a refreshing approach and are also partly unique.

AWOL Vision already delivered much of what was promised via software at the beginning of the year for its flagship model, but also for the smaller available model LTV-2500. The contrast and black value have been significantly increased, 3D has been improved to reference level and, with the newly created Turbo Mode, it also offers an input lag that sets standards among ultra-short-throw projectors. There was also the AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro model with Dolby Vision support. Reason enough for us to take the models into our hands again, because the sharpness, feel and appearance were impressive the first time. And this time you really deliver. You can now find out why the AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro has almost become the ultra-short-throw projector aka Laser TV that we have always wanted in our detailed product presentation and test.

	AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro	AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro
DMP chip + Resolution	0.47” | 3840x2160 (4K XPR)	0.47” | 3840x2160 (4K XPR)
Brightness	2.600 ANSI lumens	3.500 ANSI lumens
HDR playback	HDR10 | HDR10+ | HLG | Dolby Vision	HDR10 | HDR10+ | HLG | Dolby Vision
color space	107% BT.2020 | 147% DCI P3	107% BT.2020 | 147% DCI P3
laser unit	TriChroma (RGB)	TriChroma (RGB)
Operating system	Android (modified) and Fire OS	Android (modified) and Fire OS
TV Tuner	No	No
Voice control	Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant	Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
Connections	3x HDMI (1x eARC), 1x S/PIDF, 2x USB, 1x RJ45 network connection	H3x HDMI (1x eARC), 1x S/PIDF, 2x USB, 1x RJ45 network connection
fan volume	28dB (A)	30dB (A)
Input Lag	8ms (Full HD) | 15ms (4K @ 60Hz)	8ms (Full HD) | 15ms (4K @ 60Hz)
Price	3499, - €	5799, - €

AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro Review

With the LTV-3500 Pro Ultra Short Throw Projector, AWOL Vision currently offers the brightest RGB Laser TV on the market. Hisense has also already announced a new flagship for the first quarter of 2024. However, Hisense's high-end TriChroma laser light source will initially only be used in this flagship. Since Hisense is also using the new native 4K chipset, this also has its price (€15.000 + / exact price will be announced later). This means that the AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro remains the brightest RGB laser TV for the time being and will probably not be replaced directly in the foreseeable future, but will just have to share the crown. There are pros and cons to using such a bright TriChroma light engine. More on that later.

The AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro is an RGB Triple Laser TV with 3500 ANSI lumens. The manufacturer is very honest with its brightness information and we can fully confirm the stated number of lumens through our measurements. With accurately set colors, the Laser TV still manages a good 3150 ANSI lumens, making it currently the brightest RGB ultra-short-throw projector on the market. In combination with a suitable screen, the AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro can also be used in brighter environments without any problems. But back to the light source used. As mentioned earlier, AWOL Vision uses a Tri-Chroma (RGB) laser light source. For each of the primary colors there is a corresponding color laser available to create the image. As with other RGB Laser TV models, AWOL Vision achieves a rich color space coverage of 107% BT.2020 and 147% of the DCI-P3 standard. This far exceeds the TV models currently in use. Together with a Ricoh F2.0 lens made of pure glass, this enables the AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro to produce a crisp image right into the corners. Reference! The lens is currently a unique selling point of the two AWOL Vision Laser TV models. We are currently not aware of any other laser TV that has such high edge sharpness or complete sharpness across the entire projection area. This makes the Laser TV suitable, in addition to filming, for texts, writings, desktop applications and presentations.

AWOL Vision LTV-3500 PRO brightness

Picture modes	Measured brightness (ANSI lumens)
Standard	3397
Hell	3295
Movie	3394
Sport	3386
Ranges	3394
User	3498
Dolby Vision Dark Room	3382
Dolby Vision Bright room	3385
Dolby Vision Bright	3478

As already mentioned above, such a powerful laser light source in RGB laser projectors also has its downsides. The issue of laser speckles, which basically affects all RGB Laser TV models, is also present in the AWOL Vision. It is therefore particularly recommended to combine a suitable screen with the AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro in order to reduce this problem to a minimum. We say “reduce” because it can’t be completely eliminated. A small glitter effect continues to shimmer, especially with very homogeneous image reproductions (e.g. blue sky). This is not a general problem with the AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro, but affects all RGB laser projectors. However, with the right canvas you can limit and minimize this glitter effect somewhat, while other canvases can actually increase this behavior. We paid particular attention to these phenomena with the screens from HKW Screens and achieved a very good reduction of these effects with these screens.

picture quality

First of all, the sharpness is highlighted by the lens used by the Japanese specialist Ricoh, which is made specifically for the AWOL Vision Laser TV models. I am really impressed with the quality of the lens and for me it is one of the absolute highlights, not just of this one, but of all AWOL Vision models. For me it was never understandable why other major manufacturers in particular couldn't achieve such high image sharpness, and the DMP chip used has nothing to do with it, it's just the quality of the lens. Together with the already mentioned and rightly celebrated lens, the RGB laser light source with 3500 ANSI LUMEN!!! and the complete coverage of the BT.2020 color space, the AWOL Vision sets off a fireworks display of colors. The AWOL Vision LTV-3500 PRO has one of the best black level performances I've ever seen from an ultra-short throw projector. AWOL has done an excellent job of making the most of this model's black level and detail capabilities.

And honestly? I was really missing this combination. We have bright Laser TV models, some of which are even brighter than the AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro, but at the expense of the color space, and we have color-intensive Laser TV models that are not as bright. The AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro combines both with a laser light source that can be continuously adjusted in steps of 10. This means that if I need less light output, for example in the evening or at night, I can adjust it flexibly according to my wishes and during the day I then use the full 3500 ANSI lumens, perhaps in colors that are not entirely exact. It's really fun to work with.

In darker atmospheres, its revised black value and native contrast come into play, which is more than impressive at 2500:1. This means that it is still slightly below the Laser TV reference, but for me personally that is not 100% the most important factor anyway. A perfect contrast value also requires a perfect space in the projection and most people would probably not use such an ultra-short-throw projector in a dark room, but in the living room.

Conclusion

It is 90 percent the laser TV that I personally always wanted. Sharp, extremely high color space, very good contrast and also smart thanks to the Fire TV integration. We also have a very low input lag and the 3D function. If it weren't for the issue of distance and fan volume, then to be honest it would be my absolute dream laser TV. It has been promised many times and somehow not yet delivered. But even so, the AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro would be my favorite among all laser TV models currently available. It doesn't have the smallest gap or the most powerful fan (no one has that anyway), but it simply offers the best overall package currently available. I'd rather have 700 ANSI lumens more brightness and the features mentioned above than a slightly higher color space that my living room couldn't reproduce anyway. Admittedly, the whole thing has a corresponding price at 5799 euros. If you don't necessarily need the maximum brightness because it's usually good in the evening, you can also use the weaker LTV-3000 Pro model without any loss. If you want the best overall package and a real light cannon, you can't ignore the AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro. Clear recommendation – highlight!!!

Positive

• Right out of the box the colors are incredibly well matched
• Black levels and shadow details are excellent
• Game mode (15ms 4K@60Hz and 8ms 1080P@120Hz)
• 36-watt sound system ensures rich sound
• HDR10+ and Dolby Vision are supported
• Special 24 Hz playback mode
• Fully 3D capable
• Three HDMI inputs
• Smart home functions with support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
• Includes Amazon Fire Stick 4K
• Thousands of apps, games and streaming content through the Amazon App Store
• WiFi 6 is fully supported
• 8-point keystone correction

Negative

• The matte surface is a magnet for fingerprints
• The remote control has no backlight
• Two separate operating systems are used, one for the projector and the other for the Fire Stick