A Closer Look

Out of the box, the first thing the XGIMI Elfin reminds us of is a classic Mac Mini. It is essentially a flat square with rounded corners, and even the underside with its circular cover is reminiscent of those small desktop computers. It feels quite sturdy and hefty with the center of gravity towards the rear, which is where the cooling for the unit resides.


Taking a look at the front, there is the lens on the left with a throw ratio of 1.2, which is the same as the company's Halo or Horizon line. Next to it is a nicely designed speaker vent and the sensors to allow for both auto-keystone and auto-focus. In the rear, you will find a black vent which gives you an unobstructed view of the heatsink as well. You will find the power button on the left, and the I/O consisting of HDMI, Audio, and USB 2.0 alongside the power plug on the right.


Both sides of the XGIMI Elfin are solid with the exception of branding to let you know that the unit uses Harman Kardon speakers. This black block also holds a white LED to let you know when the projector is booting or shutting down.


Interestingly enough, our test sample has an ever so slight bulge towards the rear, above the cooling area. It is essentially invisible to the naked eye, but run your hand over the surface and you can feel it. That said, there were no unusual gaps in the housing, or any issues using the unit.


Before we dive into actually using the XGIMI Elfin, a quick weigh-in reveals that it clocks in at just under a kilo with 983 g. The PSU adds 236 g to that total, while the remote (with batteries) puts 66 g on the scale. This make the Elfin much lighter than the comparable Halo, which clocks in at 1.6 kg.