Philips 276E6ADSS Quantum Dot Monitor

Quantum Dot Color tech is as cool as it sounds

$299 Manufacturer Philips, philips.com/monitors Features 1920x1080, HDMI, DVI-D, VGA, audio pass-through

Most monitors produce color that almost anyone would be happy with, but if you’re serious about your Photoshop work, video editing, page layout or any other media design creation, you shouldn’t settle for average. Philips says this new 27-inch display in its E-Line range reproduces “99% of Adobe RGB,” the color space that’s relied on by media pros.

This focus on color reproduction means it doesn’t have any extra features; there are no pass-through USB ports or built-in speakers, but it does have a pass-through audio jack if you connect using HDMI. It’s a moderately elegantlooking device, with a white bezel around the 27-inch LCD panel, and rests on a slim curved aluminum base. There’s a 25-degree range of tilt, although only five of those are leaning back from vertical. The specs state a viewing range of 178 degrees both vertically and horizontally; in other words, what’s on the screen looks the same until you’re so nearly edge-on that it’s pointless.

Philips says this is the first monitor with Quantum Dot Color Technology, using nanomaterial that produces more precise color control. That “99% Adobe RGB” claim is a bold one; there are monitors that do achieve this, but the vast majority resolve the color range of the more basic sRGB. We tested the display with Datacolor’s SpyderElite and found that our model achieved 98% of Adobe RGB – a negligible variance.

But it isn’t all roses. The gloss-white plastic casing looks good, but it’s rather thin and prone to bending if you grip the top or the sides. It also creaks and pulls slightly away from the actual LCD panel when you tilt it forward or back, somewhat undermining the display’s credentials as a high-quality device.

The buttons for power, displaying on-screen controls and configuring them are touch-sensitive spots underneath the screen’s front edge. There’s absolutely no tactile element here, so you’ll have to look very carefully to be sure you tap the right part of smooth plastic.

the bottom line. A very high-quality LCD panel that achieves almost 100% Adobe RGB color rendering, better than almost anything in its class. The image quality is not matched by the build, though; the case is thin and flexible, and the on-screen display controls are awkward. Keith Martin