Home cinema on wheels: the Anker Nebula X1 Pro

Luca Fontana

7.9.2025

Translation: Elicia Payne

Sometimes, I seriously question who exactly these devices are really built for? And then I see the Nebula X1 Pro, the new projector from Anker, and think: never mind. The main thing is, someone’s building it.

Imagine rolling a suitcase into the living room, but instead of clothes, a complete home cinema suddenly jumps out at you. That’s exactly how the Anker Nebula X1 Pro feels. Projector on top, subwoofer in the belly, speakers all around. And the best thing is, the magnetically attached speakers aren’t fixed, so you can easily remove them like switch controllers and freely distribute them around the room.

In other words, you can have them right next to the sofa, in the corners of the living room or even outside around the garden table. The case essentially becomes a modular 7.1.4 system – like cinema Lego for adults.

As if that wasn’t enough – it gets even better with the software. The X1 Pro asks me where I’m sitting – in the middle, to the side, right at the back – and adjusts the drivers so that the sound reaches my seat. The whole thing works by reflecting sound off walls and the ceiling.

Of course, you won’t notice the full effect outdoors because there are simply no surfaces for the sound to bounce off. But in the living room? The best-case scenario is that it’ll create a small sound dome that feels like a personal surround sound setup.

Technically, the X1 Pro has a lot to offer. A 4K triple laser with 3500 ANSI lumens is bright enough to deliver a usable picture, even in living room daylight – not just in a darkened basement movie theatre. It has contrast values of 5000:1 (static) and 56,000:1 (dynamic), flexible alignment via gimbal and automatic image settings that take over focus and keystone correction in seconds.

On top of that, there’s Google TV with Netflix integration and certification for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Simply put, picture and sound to official cinema standard.

The price starts at 2,999 dollars as part of a Kickstarter campaign. That’s about as much as a 65-inch OLED TV in the upper price range or a high-end projector without a sound system. A lot. And the fact that Anker is launching the whole thing via Kickstarter also shows how experimental the concept is, even though the brand’s no longer a start-up and isn’t launching something new via Kickstarter for the first time.

Between high-end and experiment

So then, who’s all this for now? Those who want high-end results, usually set up a permanent solution. Anyone looking for that outdoor feeling will notice the limitations of the room acoustics. And if you really want to enjoy Atmos sound to the full, you also need walls and ceilings that reflect the sound. The X1 Pro can’t just conjure that up.

And yet, I don’t want to talk down the concept at all. Quite the opposite. I salute manufacturers that don’t bring out the umpteenth iteration of projector XY, but dare to come up with new ideas.

The Nebula X1 Pro is one of them. Probably not what you’d rationally buy. But definitely one to watch because it ignites the fantasy spark. A home cinema on wheels, a rolling suitcase of magic – this idea alone makes it exciting.

Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.» more

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