The catch
XGIMI Elfin Flip 4K
To get the 1 ms claim you need 1080p120, Game Mode, VRR on and auto keystone off. Fan noise may rise in the maximum brightness mode.
Side by side
Elfin Flip 4K vs JMGO N1S 4K for a small room and soundbar: With JMGO’s single HDMI, a console plus eARC audio gets complicated
Quick verdict
Elfin Flip 4K suits a short, fixed table or a console paired with an eARC-only soundbar. The 1,700-lumen N1S 4K Upgrade suits compatible 3D movies, or a lower current offer if its fixed throw works for you. Check the source format and the glasses. With a single shared HDMI/eARC socket on the JMGO, an external player also needs a sound connection that works.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Adding a console can turn a compact movie setup into a cable puzzle
JMGO’s built-in Google TV sends streaming sound to a soundbar over its one HDMI/eARC connection. A console then finds that socket already taken. When the soundbar has no separate HDMI input, the two can’t both be connected directly. Elfin puts the soundbar on HDMI1 and the console on HDMI2. A compatible soundbar or receiver with video passthrough can make JMGO work, but that means checking your equipment before you buy. With two consoles and the soundbar, Elfin’s direct sockets run out as well.
Where this comes from
The port allocation comes from the current port lists for each exact model. It assumes an eARC-only soundbar with no HDMI input. Whether passthrough works depends on the receiving equipment and the video and audio formats it supports.
The catch
JMGO N1S 4K
A console and an eARC-only soundbar can’t both connect directly to one shared HDMI/eARC socket. The gimbal changes where it points and doesn’t change the optical image size.
XGIMI Elfin Flip 4K
- Why pick it
- For your 120-inch screen, the lens has to sit around 9.5 feet away, which Elfin’s optical zoom range covers.
- A console and an eARC-only soundbar are both part of your setup, and you want each on its own socket.
- The catch
- To get the 1 ms claim you need 1080p120, Game Mode, VRR on and auto keystone off. Fan noise may rise in the maximum brightness mode.
JMGO N1S 4K
- Why pick it
- You are after 3D and have already checked the source format, compatible glasses and sound connection. Elfin does not support 3D.
- You can put your table around 10.5 feet from a 120-inch screen, and the current Upgrade offer saves enough to matter.
- The catch
- A console and an eARC-only soundbar can’t both connect directly to one shared HDMI/eARC socket. The gimbal changes where it points and doesn’t change the optical image size.
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What this page compares
A small living room, a console plus soundbar and a projector you put away after watching: see how the Elfin Flip 4K and the 1700-lumen N1S 4K Upgrade compare.
For movie nights in rooms with no permanent installation, these compact triple-laser 4K Google TV projectors are rivals. Elfin’s optical zoom and extra HDMI port can count for more than a small gap between their brightness claims.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
A 9.5-foot table with a 120-inch picture
That image fits Elfin optically, while JMGO needs the lens farther back.
- XGIMI Elfin Flip 4K
- Better fit
- JMGO N1S 4K
- Not suitable
Run 3D movies with glasses and a source confirmed compatible
3D works on JMGO but explicitly not on Elfin. An external player also needs a plan for connecting to the sound system.
- XGIMI Elfin Flip 4K
- Not suitable
- JMGO N1S 4K
- Better fit
Plug one console and an eARC-only soundbar in directly
JMGO has just one shared HDMI/eARC socket, and Elfin has two.
- XGIMI Elfin Flip 4K
- Better fit
- JMGO N1S 4K
- Not suitable
Stream only through built-in apps, from a fixed distance that works
Google TV comes on both. When the current JMGO offer is lower, Elfin’s added flexibility may do little for this setup.
- XGIMI Elfin Flip 4K
- Good
- JMGO N1S 4K
- Good
Hook up two consoles and an eARC-only soundbar with no switching hardware
Both documented port counts fall short of three direct connections.
- XGIMI Elfin Flip 4K
- Not suitable
- JMGO N1S 4K
- Not suitable
In practice
Differences you will notice
Adding a console can turn a compact movie setup into a cable puzzle
JMGO’s built-in Google TV sends streaming sound to a soundbar over its one HDMI/eARC connection. A console then finds that socket already taken. When the soundbar has no separate HDMI input, the two can’t both be connected directly. Elfin puts the soundbar on HDMI1 and the console on HDMI2. A compatible soundbar or receiver with video passthrough can make JMGO work, but that means checking your equipment before you buy. With two consoles and the soundbar, Elfin’s direct sockets run out as well.
How we worked this out
The port allocation comes from the current port lists for each exact model. It assumes an eARC-only soundbar with no HDMI input. Whether passthrough works depends on the receiving equipment and the video and audio formats it supports.
A table placed to leave walking space could be the wrong distance for JMGO
JMGO’s fixed 1.2 throw tops out at a picture of roughly 109 inches from 9.5 feet, before any digital correction, so it can’t fill a 120-inch screen from there. Elfin’s optical zoom can. This counts when a sofa, walkway or small dining area keeps you from moving the table back. If about 10.5 feet is available, both can produce 120 inches and JMGO’s simpler fixed lens is no longer a real obstacle. Don’t pay for optical flexibility you won’t use.
How we worked this out
Diagonal at 9.5 ft = 9.5 × 12 / 1.2 × √337 / 16 = 109.0 inches. For a 120-inch 16:9 image at 1.2, you need about 10.46 ft. The figures leave out keystone, digital shrink and installation tolerance.
Holding on to a 3D movie collection changes both the winner and the wiring plan
3D works on JMGO and explicitly does not on Elfin. If the occasional 3D night is why you keep a projector, Elfin’s extra socket can’t make up for the missing capability. Before buying, check that your actual source format and glasses work with JMGO. When an external player supplies those films, it takes the single HDMI socket as well, so keeping the existing sound system may call for the player’s separate audio output or compatible receiver passthrough. A household that streams ordinary 2D films sidesteps that compromise and can put more weight on Elfin’s placement flexibility.
How we worked this out
This pairs a documented feature exclusion with a conditional requirement for an external player and sound system. It infers no universal compatibility with every 3D disc format, player, pair of glasses or receiver.
Plug in your numbers
Will either projector work in your room?
This checks hard limits only. Personal preferences are left out of the math.
XGIMI Elfin Flip 4K
Works with your numbersFor a 120-inch 16:9 picture, the calculated lens range is about 8.54 to 11.33 ft. You entered 9.50 ft.
JMGO N1S 4K
Does not work with your numbersFor a 120-inch 16:9 picture, the calculated lens position is about 10.46 ft. You entered 9.50 ft.
Measure distance from the lens to the screen. The math assumes a 16:9 picture and uses the verified throw range for each exact model.
Option A
XGIMI, Elfin Flip 4K
Elfin Flip 4K
For your 120-inch screen, the lens has to sit around 9.5 feet away, which Elfin’s optical zoom range covers.
- Best for
- For your 120-inch screen, the lens has to sit around 9.5 feet away, which Elfin’s optical zoom range covers.
Facts we checked
- 120-inch optical position: About 8.5 to 11.3 feet
- Console plus eARC soundbar: Two HDMI ports, eARC on HDMI1
- Streaming without an HDMI player: Google TV with native Netflix
- 3D movie nights: 3D explicitly excluded in XGIMI’s comparison table
Option B
JMGO, N1S 4K Upgrade
N1S 4K
You are after 3D and have already checked the source format, compatible glasses and sound connection. Elfin does not support 3D.
- Best for
- You are after 3D and have already checked the source format, compatible glasses and sound connection. Elfin does not support 3D.
Facts we checked
- 120-inch optical position: About 10.5 feet at fixed 1.2 throw
- Console plus eARC soundbar: One HDMI port, also used for eARC
- Streaming without an HDMI player: Google TV with native Netflix
- 3D movie nights: 3D supported with compatible content and glasses
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | XGIMI Elfin Flip 4K | JMGO N1S 4K | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120-inch optical position | About 8.5 to 11.3 feet | About 10.5 feet at fixed 1.2 throw | With Elfin you get more freedom in where the table goes, and the picture size stays the same with no digital shrinking. |
| Console plus eARC soundbar | Two HDMI ports, eARC on HDMI1 | One HDMI port, also used for eARC | JMGO’s port does double duty, and it is not a second audio-only socket. |
| Streaming without an HDMI player | Google TV with native Netflix | Google TV with native Netflix | Using built-in apps keeps the external-input socket free. Check the particular service and subscription. |
| 3D movie nights | 3D explicitly excluded in XGIMI’s comparison table | 3D supported with compatible content and glasses | JMGO is the model that applies to this requirement. Verify the input format and accessories rather than assuming every 3D source will work. |
| Aiming the image | Folding stand with optical zoom | 127-degree gimbal with fixed optical throw | Aiming the picture is what a gimbal does. It can’t make a fixed-lens picture bigger unless the projector moves farther back. |
| Published output | 1,600 ISO lumens | 1,700 ISO lumens for the Upgrade version | They come from manufacturer claims and don’t amount to a matched comparison of the viewing modes you’ll use. |
| Weight evidence | 1.55 kg body | Marketing says 4.4 lb while specifications say 2.2 kg | Because JMGO’s values conflict, none of them is used to work out a precise weight or comfort advantage. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With XGIMI Elfin Flip 4K
- An eARC soundbar and two consoles still can’t all connect directly to two sockets. Additional sources call for a suitable switching or receiver route.
With JMGO N1S 4K
- The connection limit may go away if the soundbar has its own HDMI input and compatible video passthrough. Confirm its formats before you count on that route.
Change of plan
When the answer changes
Either a short fixed table or the console-plus-soundbar wiring can’t be given up
Go with XGIMI Elfin Flip 4K. On Elfin you get optical zoom along with a second HDMI connection.
Playing compatible 3D movies matters, or the simpler fixed setup saves enough
Go with JMGO N1S 4K. 3D works on JMGO once the source and glasses are checked. Its one HDMI socket still needs a sound route that works.
You need to run three direct HDMI connections at once
Neither model fits. Plan on switching or receiver equipment that fits, instead of counting on spare sockets.
Decision guide
Before you buy
Your reason for wanting a compact projector is a simple room, but a console plus the soundbar you already own can turn a one-box plan into an extra-hardware purchase.
What this page can’t tell you
- No winner on image quality, acoustics or input lag has been established from hands-on use.
- JMGO gives conflicting weight figures that stay unresolved, so no exact percentage for carried weight is used.
By the numbers
What the data shows
What we found across the home projectors we compare, plus the checked facts behind each finding.
Show the facts and the math
| Product | Needs it meets | Facts we checked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| XGIMI Elfin Flip 4K |
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| |
| JMGO N1S 4K |
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Ready to buy
See today’s price and what owners say
Open either model on Amazon for the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
XGIMI Elfin Flip 4K
For your 120-inch screen, the lens has to sit around 9.5 feet away, which Elfin’s optical zoom range covers.
A console and an eARC-only soundbar are both part of your setup, and you want each on its own socket.
See price & reviews on AmazonJMGO N1S 4K
You are after 3D and have already checked the source format, compatible glasses and sound connection. Elfin does not support 3D.
You can put your table around 10.5 feet from a 120-inch screen, and the current Upgrade offer saves enough to matter.
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
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