Why You Can Trust CNET NEC MultiSync LCD2180WG review: NEC MultiSync LCD2180WG
NEC's MultiSync LCD2180WGLED features new backlight technology and an enormous price tag, but most professional users will be better served by other, less expensive LCDs.
The $6,749 NEC MultiSync LCD2180WGLED is the first monitor we've tested that has a panel backlit entirely by light-emitting diodes (LEDs). This technology supposedly reproduces colors more accurately than traditional LCDs or CRTs. While it definitely produced bright, vivid colors, the $1,700 Eizo FlexScan L997 and $1,600 LaCie 321 both performed better in CNET's color tests and are better overall (and much less expensive) monitors.
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
The all-black NEC MultiSync LCD2180WGLED has a chunky, sharp-edged look. Despite its slim bezel, the 5-inch-thick panel houses a heavy heat sink, which gives the 40-pound LCD2180WGLED more of a CRT feel. It also makes wall- or arm-mounting dicey, though you can connect the removable panel to VESA mounts.
For all its weight, the LCD2180WGLED stands sturdily on a square base. You cannot adjust the height, though you can tilt it backward 25 degrees and forward 5 degrees. It also pivots between landscape and portrait mode, but NEC does not supply pivoting software, so you'll need to dig that up separately and use a graphics card that supports it. The LCD2180WGLED has two digital signal ports and is one of the first monitors we've seen to eschew an analog port. A removable plastic clip attaches to the neck and keeps the cables together.
The 2180WGLED's control panel consists of eight clearly labeled buttons, including Power, Reset, Input Select, and a few for navigating through the well-laid-out and easy-to-use menu. The LCD2180WGLED has five color-temperature presets (9,300K, 6,500K, 6,000K, 5,500K, 5,000K), two for RGB and Adobe RGB, and one that's programmable. For each temperature setting, you can tweak the red, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and magenta levels. To precisely calibrate the LCD2180WGLED, NEC recommends its $400 GretagMacbeth iOne Display V2 colorimeter and SpectraView II software.
We tested the LCD2180WGLED at its native resolution of 1,600x1,200 at 6,500K. We did not use the iOne Display V2 colorimeter and SpectraView II software to calibrate the colors; instead, we used CNET Labs' DisplayMate test suite to optimize and evaluate image quality. The colors looked vivid, bold, and striking. Subtle distinctions in hue were clearly visible, with just a small amount of compression at the darker end of the color spectrum. Starting with a completely solid black, the LCD2180WGLED displayed a smooth range of grays, slightly marred by compression at the darker end of the scale and a tinge of pink at the white end. Text appeared dark and legible, though characters did not jump off the screen as they did with the Eizo FlexScan L997. Though LED technology is supposed to offer better screen uniformity than fluorescent-tube backlighting, the LCD2180WGLED's was good for such a large panel, but not perfect. We found small light leaks in the corners and a faint, column-shaped blotch in the center. Further, the LCD2180WGLED didn't perform all that well with games or movies.
The NEC LCD2180WGLED comes with an industry-standard three-year limited warranty, and extended warranties are available for an additional cost. NEC provides 24/7 toll-free tech support during the warranty and after. On the NEC Web site, you will find links to accessories, manuals, and driver downloads, as well as a searchable knowledge base and answers to FAQs.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)