Eizo ColorEdge CG277 review

Eizo’s top-end ColorEdge displays have been a regular fixture on the A-List for years. They may be expensive, but their reputation for top-notch image quality, adjustability and features is well deserved. Eizo has updated its flagship model, the CG277: it has an improved IPS panel, new LED backlighting and a healthy sprinkling of upgrades. See also: The 9 best monitors from £200 to £2,000

Eizo ColorEdge CG277 review: features

The centrepiece of the ColorEdge CG277 is a 27in, 2,560 x 1,440 IPS panel. This might sound like old hat next to the new breed of 4K monitors we’re seeing, but what the Eizo lacks in pixels it more than makes up for in quality. The previous model’s CCFL backlight has been replaced by GB-R LED backlighting – a change that reduces power consumption and increases the colour gamut, which Eizo claims covers 99% of the Adobe RGB colour space. To ensure that every possible hue is visible onscreen, the CG277 supports full 10-bit colour inputs with a 16-bit 3D look-up table, or LUT, to maximise colour accuracy.

The CG277’s killer feature, however, is its integrated colorimeter. Whereas other monitors will drift further and further away from their factory calibration as time passes, the CG277 can automatically adjust its own colour response to compensate. The sensor is hidden away in the display’s lower bezel and, once activated, levers outwards and checks that the onscreen colours are exactly as intended. The Eizo can be set to calibrate automatically on a weekly or monthly basis, or after a set number of hours of usage, and you can set specific times so it’s ready for action before you start work. For anyone who’s battled with colour calibration in the past, it’s an absolute boon.

Needless to say, the result is a monitor that looks fantastic every time you switch it on. It also has a wide range of pre-calibrated colour presets – sRGB, Adobe RGB, Rec 709, EBU, SMPTE-C and DCI – which you can switch between by clicking the Mode button. Choose the colour space best suited to your application and the Eizo serves up supremely accurate image quality from the start.

Eizo ColorEdge CG277 review: image quality

We expected excellence from the CG277 and, by and large, that’s what it delivered. The sRGB mode covered 97.8% of the sRGB colour gamut in our tests, and achieved a colour temperature of 6,500K and a contrast ratio of 825:1. Colour accuracy was on a par with the best models we’ve seen in PC Pro Labs, too: it racked up an average Delta E of 0.7 and a maximum deviation of 1.97 – near-perfect, in other words.

With the CG277’s Adobe RGB mode enabled, the results were equally impressive. We recorded superb gamma, colour temperature and contrast ratio readings, while the average Delta E of 0.97 and maximum of 2.23 were excellent. The only disappointment was that our X-Rite colorimeter measured the Eizo as covering only 96% of the Adobe RGB colour space, a touch short of Eizo’s claims.

The Eizo’s backlight is right on the money, though. We measured no more than a 5.4% deviation across the whole panel, with an average variance of only 1.5%. To the naked eye, the panel looks evenly lit from corner to corner, and there isn’t the slightest hint of backlight leakage.

Crucially, Eizo has finally upgraded its flagship with the same anti-glare coating it originally used on the 24in ColorEdge CX240. This may sound like a minor tweak, but the effects are dramatic. Whereas the previous model – the ColorEdge CG276 – and many of Eizo’s high-end rivals exhibit a grainy sheen across the panel, this is reduced dramatically in the CG277. The result is a clearer view of fine detail when you peer close to the screen, and a markedly cleaner look to onscreen images.

The ColorEdge CG277 also provides deep, solid blacks, even when viewed from the sides, which is another huge improvement. By contrast, many rival IPS monitors suffer from a trait known as IPS glow, which manifests itself as a greyish glow around the panel’s far edges when viewed at an angle and causes blacks to appear grey. We couldn’t be happier that Eizo has remedied this issue.

Eizo ColorEdge CG277 review: colour calibration

In tandem with Eizo’s ColorNavigator 6 software, the CG277’s integrated sensor provides a wealth of colour-profiling options. For those who need accurate colour matching across multiple monitors, it’s possible to use a third-party colorimeter or spectrophotometer (a high-end calibration tool) as a reference point and correlate its results with that of the integrated sensor. With the aid of a supported spectrophotometer, ColorNavigator 6 also allows the creation of monitor colour profiles for mobile devices, such as tablets or smartphones. In addition to the factory-set colour modes, the CG277 also provides three user-calibrated modes.

If you’re intending to connect the CG277 to several computers at once, you’ll be glad of the twin USB inputs at its rear, which make it possible to control the monitor via Eizo’s ColorNavigator software without constantly swapping cables. And, if you’re planning to purchase a fleet of ColorEdge CG277s for your design studio, you’re in luck – Eizo’s ColorNavigator Network and ColorNavigator NX software allow administrators to remotely co-ordinate calibration times and colour modes across a company network. Not even Mac users are left out, with both Windows and Mac versions of Eizo’s applications included.

Eizo ColorEdge CG277 review: design

Physically, the CG277 looks every inch the professional display: it’s a chunky, monolithic lump of a thing. Eizo hasn’t redesigned the chassis for the past few generations, and thank goodness: there’s nothing to improve. A monitor hood – which fits both landscape and portrait orientations – is included in the box to minimise unwanted screen reflections, and the burly stand provides 151.5mm of height adjustment and tilts, swivels and rotates every which way.

Adjusting the monitor’s position requires two hands, but the CG277 stays exactly where you want it. It’s markedly more sturdy than the NEC MultiSync PA272W and, as a result, the CG277 sits reassuringly planted on the desk, even with the stand at maximum extension. Finally, a neat little plastic latch on the rear helps gather cables out of sight.

Connectivity hasn’t changed a great deal, but Eizo has made a couple of key upgrades. Previously, only the DisplayPort input provided a 10-bit input; now, Eizo has added HDMI Deep Color support for full 10-bit input via HDMI. The CG277 also accepts 30fps 4K inputs via DisplayPort and downscales the image to fit its lower-resolution panel. The only minor moan is that there’s still only a two-port USB 2 hub, which is disappointing.

Eizo ColorEdge CG277 review: verdict

The most off-putting thing about the Eizo ColorEdge CG277, however, is its price. Judged by any yardstick, this is a frighteningly expensive monitor. In truth, for most people, it’s overkill. But, for anyone who requires absolutely reliable colour reproduction day in, day out with zero faff, the CG277’s combination of refined image quality and innovative features is impossible to beat. If we had our way, every monitor would be as good as the CG277.

Details
Image quality	6
Main specifications
Screen size	27.0in
Aspect ratio	16:9
Resolution	2560 x 1440
Screen brightness	300cd/m2
Pixel response time	5ms
Contrast ratio	825:1
Horizontal viewing angle	178 degrees
Vertical viewing angle	178 degrees
Connections
DVI inputs	1
VGA inputs	0
HDMI inputs	1
DisplayPort inputs	1
HDCP support	yes
Upstream USB ports	2
USB ports (downstream)	2
Accessories supplied
Other cables supplied	DisplayPort, HDMI, Power, USB
Internal power supply	yes
Image adjustments
Brightness control?	yes
Contrast control?	yes
Ergonomics
Height adjustment	152mm
Pivot (portrait) mode?	yes
Dimensions
Dimensions	646 x 282 x 425mm (WDH)
Weight	12.800kg