NEC MultiSync EA221WM review

With many 22in monitors skirting the £100 mark, you may question the wisdom of spending closer to £200 for seemingly little extra. NEC’s MultiSync EA221WM, however, might just convince you otherwise.

A glance at its specifications isn’t initially promising. Even at this price, NEC has still used a 16:10 TN panel with the traditional resolution of 1,680 x 1,050 pixels.

Distracting backlight leakage was immediately evident from the top and bottom edges of the panel, and DisplayMate’s greyscale and colour ramps both looked a little off. Greyscales were tinted with colour, and the smooth gradations in the colour ramps were interrupted by noticeable, ugly aliasing.

Technical tests don’t always tell the whole story, though. Sifting through our test images and HD clips, subtle colour palettes were handled far more delicately than budget TN panels, and black levels revealed detail in even the murkiest of scenes. Tricky skintones were also reproduced with a natural, believable hue that eludes budget opposition.

One thing that isn’t part of the package is good looks. The black, chunky 7.9kg frame is bland and corporate. What you’re paying for is the sheer range of features. The adjustable stand pivots, tilts and swivels every which way; a single hand is all that’s needed to twist the screen into the perfect position. The worst affliction is a noticeable wobble with the stand extended to full height.

DVI and D-SUB inputs are present and correct, and a 3.5mm connector carries audio to the integrated speakers as well as the headphone socket on the left-hand side. There’s a useful USB hub, too, with a pair of sockets at the rear complemented by another two on the right-hand edge.

The EA221WM might lack the tailored allure of some of the business-class competition, but with superior image quality, an adjustable stand and a generous range of ports and features, it’s a flexible monitor that won’t disappoint.