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Samsung Series 9 S27B970D review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £799
inc VAT

Stunning to look at, either on or off, with a price to match. The Series 9 is superb

Ultra-high-resolution PC monitors aimed at professionals are few and far between, and ones with an attractive design are even rarer. Mac users are catered for by Apple’s Cinema display, but until now, anyone using Windows has had to choose between one or two models such as Hazro’s HZ27WC. Samsung looks set to change that with the Series 9, an incredibly stylish 2,560×1,440 monitor that comes pre-calibrated from the factory.

Samsung Series 9 S27B970D

With a 27in, glass-fronted display, the Series 9 will look imposing on any desk. A tiny silver metal screen bezel adds a touch of class, as does the incredibly thin stand. It’s both height- and tilt-adjustable, giving it the edge over Apple’s Cinema Display, although you can’t swivel it to portrait mode. As the screen uses a Plane Line Switching (PLS) panel, which is Samsung’s variation on IPS technology, rather than TN, viewing angles are exceptional, so you should always be able to see what’s on-screen regardless of where you sit.

A set of LED-backlit, touch-sensitive controls are built into the circular base to maintain the stunningly clean design. The screen even manages to look gorgeous from behind, thanks to the black metal-effect finish devoid of inputs and connectors. Instead, Samsung has moved all connectivity to the base of the stand, helping keep cables out of view.

As well as dual-link DVI (necessary for the huge desktop resolution), there’s also one DisplayPort input and a single HDMI port, which supports the Mobile High Definition Link (MHL) standard. This means you can connect a mobile phone directly to the display for video output, while simultaneously charging it using the same cable. A two-port USB hub is another welcome inclusion, although we would have preferred USB3 at this price.

The Series 9 has a set of stereo speakers integrated into its stand, but with no audio output you won’t be able to plug headphones or a more capable set of dedicated speakers into the monitor. For everyday use, however, you may not have to – the display’s speakers were surprisingly capable during our audio tests, producing clear audio that was easily good enough for playing back YouTube videos. There was also some resemblance of bass, although the monitor’s built-in audio is still no real replacement for a dedicated set of speakers.

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Basic Specifications

Rating*****

Physical

Viewable size27 in
Native resolution2560×1440
Contrast ratio1000:1
Brightness285cd/m²
Horizontal viewing angle178°
Vertical viewing angle178°
Response time5ms
Screen depth22mm
Base (WxD)245x245mm
Screen elevation110-200mm

Features

Portrait modeno
Wall mount optionno
Height adjustableyes
Internal speakersyes (not stated)
Detachable cablesyes
USB hub2-port USB
Integrated power supplyno
Kensington lock lugno
Display extrasMHL support
VGA inputno
DVI inputyes
S-video inputno
Component inputno
Composite inputno
HDCP supportyes
Audio inputsnone

Environmental

Power consumption standby0W
Power consumption on62W

Buying Information

Price£799
Detailswww.samsung.co.uk
Warrantythree years RTB

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