I2473Pwm
An IPS display with beefed-up Onkyo audio – what’s not to like?
A decent IPS panel at a reasonable price, but buy it for convenience rather than sound quality.
£167 Manufacturer AOC Response time 5ms Connectivity VGA, 2x HDMI, 3.5mm audio in and out
We love IPS displays. The viewing angles are stunning, and the quality of colours and clarity of text is terrific. Enter AOC’s latest 23.8-inch i2473Pwm display: it boasts IPS technology behind an LED-backlit HD screen with a 5ms response time, while its base houses a 2.1 Onkyo speaker system. AOC clearly hopes this display will be bought as a one-stop-shop for those who are limited on space.
Unfortunately, the speaker units are only seven watts, so while the audio quality is adequate in a small area, it’s weak in a larger space. It’s definitely no match for a dedicated speaker system. It was also a little annoying that we had to turn on the speakers in the on-screen menu before they would work.
Connectivity-wise, Mac owners lucky enough to have an HDMI port on their computer can use that, while owners of other Macs need an adapter to connect to the HDMI or older VGA analogue connection. MHL technology on the HDMI port means you can connect up compatible Android devices should you not be in the iOS camp. An alternative version – i2473Pwy – costs £189 and has Miracast technology for wireless streaming from devices, and Miracast is supported by various iOS apps.
As a display, the AOC isn’t as good as some IPS panels we’ve seen at this screen size. Its price is competitive with the speakers included, but we wouldn’t recommend you buy it on the sound quality. Dan Grabham
Price competitive
Lovely colours
Great viewing angles
Sound quality not up to snuff