Epson L690SU vs. BenQ 4K: The Ultimate Short Throw Laser Showdown

Epson’s L690SU is a high brightness projector with a short-throw lens that is designed for conference rooms and classrooms but can also be used for golf simulators.  So how does it compare against the top-selling short throw laser projectors from BenQ for use in these settings as well as golf simulation?  Here is a fair comparison that addresses the following areas.

• Brightness and resolution

• HDR & color accuracy specifications

• Maintenance requirements

• Throw ratios & lens shift

• 24/7 Use and pixel sharpness

• Purchase price 

The Epson L690SU and the BenQ LU935ST / LK936ST both use a laser instead of a lamp to generate a rating of over 5000 ANSI lumens.  The Epson L690SU and the BenQ LU935ST are rated at 6200 and 5500 lumens respectively, slightly higher than the LK936ST, which is rated at 5100 lumens. So, while the Epson L690SU is the brightest of the three models, it also sacrifices several other features that are popular for golf simulation and immersive spaces.

Both the Epson L690SU and the BenQ LU935ST use WUXGA resolution that display 2.4 million pixels on the screen. In 2026, WUXGA resolution for projectors saw declining growth while the high brightness 4K projectors are growing 50% year over year. The BenQ LK936ST offers true 4K UHD resolution with over 8.3 million pixels, enabling you to see all the minute details of an image, especially on the newer golf simulation software platforms. It also is essential for use as a home theater and gaming projector. Since they are both about the same price, the BenQ LK936ST offers much higher resolution that makes the image look more realistic on platforms like GSPro, while the Epson L690SU offers more brightness on the screen. 

You can use tools like the BenQ golf simulation planning tool to see how the different throw ratios on various models will enable you to place your projector in the right spot – without a shadow. BenQ has three different throw ratios for golf, with the shortest being a 0.5 throw ratio like the BenQ AH500ST.

Color performance is a key part of any projector. Projectors can increase brightness by decreasing the color accuracy of the projector or lower the rated brightness by increasing the color accuracy.  For televisions, cameras, monitors, and projectors, the color performance of a display is specified using an industry-standard color gamut Rec. 709.  

For a classroom or basic signage application, color accuracy may not matter much, but a projector with higher color accuracy will create a more realistic and immersive image with difficult colors such as Bermuda grass, mottled skin tones, and realistic clouds when used in a simulator or theater.  Both BenQ LU935ST and LK936ST deliver over 92% Rec. 709 color accuracy, and the LK936ST has advanced HDR capabilities to enable you to use the projector to watch movies, play games, and stream video for maximum versatility. You can see the performance of the BenQ LK936ST yourself via many third-party reviews to show the actual color performance of the projector in real settings such as this video.

The Epson L690SU specifications only include brightness and avoids disclosing any Rec. 709 color accuracy measurements for this model. This means that certain colors may not be entirely accurate. There are limited online third-party reviews that show the performance of the projector.

If you are placing the projector in a hard-to-reach place – such as suspended from the ceiling, you want to check to see if your projector has a filter that requires cleaning.  The Epson L690SU has filters that must be kept clean to keep the projector cool – and keep dust from getting inside the laser engine.   How often you will need to clean the filter will vary from place to place - and if the filter is not maintained, this could invalidate the warranty on the projector.

The best solution is to use an advanced sealed laser engine – which doesn’t require a filter.  Even better, BenQ tests and certifies every model using an industry-standard IP5X dust test certification to ensure that the projector will operate even when dusty –eliminating the risk of a “clean filter” warning or damage due to a dirty filter.

Projectors can be complicated to mount and set up in the right location where they are out of the way but still enable you to properly fill the screen.   The short-throw lenses on both the BenQ laser projectors and the Epson L690SU have good zoom and lens shift capabilities and will fill up the large screen from just 10 feet away.

Besides the sealed laser engine, the BenQ models have another big advantage over the Epson L690SU – the Emmy award-winning DLP chip that creates the picture is used in nearly every commercial laser-powered cinema today.  Both the BenQ LU935ST and the LK936ST are rated for 24/7 use, while the Epson L690SU has a restriction on “excessive and continual” use that will void the warranty

These chips also have very high “fill factors” to nearly eliminate the black boxes or “screen door” effect on the projector. This keeps the projector pixels looking very sharp and easy to read, even with small text. The Epson projector doesn’t use DLP technology and uses three LCD panels that need to be precisely aligned to ensure the colors are correct. If the panels become misaligned, you’ll have to use a special menu to realign the three colors to improve sharpness.

Here is a breakdown of the cost and features of the Epson LU690SU compared with other similar high brightness short throw laser projectors:

BenQ has trained staff to help you find the perfect golf simulator projector – within your room size and budget. To help you make the best decision, you can reach out to one of our experts to set up anything from a chat to a complete online demo, to help you find the right projector for your needs.