Eizo ColorEdge CX240 review

Eizo caters to the high end of display technology, and the latest addition to its range, the ColorEdge CX240, is certainly a premium product. Slotting in between the new entry-level CS series and the money-no-object self-calibrating CG models, the ColorEdge CX240 promises professional-class colour accuracy to anyone who can afford the price of admission.

For a 24in monitor that price is staggering, but the ColorEdge CX240 is a cut above the average. The burly, solid chassis rises up and down by 128mm and pivots into a portrait orientation, while the round base keeps the monitor stable even with the stand at full extension. Around the back, HDMI, DVI and DisplayPort inputs are accompanied by a two-port USB hub.

Unlike lesser models that offer 6- or 8-bit colour, the ColorEdge CX240 spares no expense on its panel: the 16:10, 1,920 x 1,200 pixel display is a true 10-bit IPS panel backlit by wide-gamut RGB LED backlighting – the same panel and backlighting technology used in the top-end ColorEdge CG246.

There’s also scope for future upgrades. Splash out an extra £77 exc VAT on the optional Eizo ColorNavigator software and it’s possible to make use of the CX240’s calibrated mode and the nifty SelfCorrection sensor hidden away in the display’s upper bezel. Partner the ColorNavigator software with a third-party colorimeter or spectrophotometer and you can precisely calibrate the Eizo’s internal look-up table (LUT), while the SelfCorrection sensor can automatically check the display’s luminance at regular intervals to ensure it hasn’t deviated since calibration.

Even without calibration, the Eizo puts in a stunning performance. The backlighting is supremely uniform, and we measured no more than a 3% deviation in brightness across the whole panel. Given that mid-range monitors routinely suffer from variations in brightness of 10% or greater, the Eizo’s RGB LED technology is a cut above.

Put to the test with our X-Rite colorimeter, the Eizo continued to prove its mettle. The factory-calibrated sRGB mode demonstrated a contrast ratio of 810:1, a colour temperature of 6,245K and an average gamma of 2.23. Colour accuracy was exemplary, with an average Delta E of 1.2 and a maximum deviation of 2.6.

The Adobe RGB preset, meanwhile, provided a contrast ratio of 796:1, a colour temperature of 6,221K and a gamma of 2.22. With an average Delta E of 1 and a maximum of 2.6, it’s as colour accurate as you could hope for without resorting to a full calibration.

Eizo’s ColorEdge CX240 is dauntingly expensive – more so even than 27in monitors such as Samsung’s Series 9 S27B970D or Apple’s Cinema Display. What you get, though, is truly exceptional image quality. If you don’t need the specialist features of the CG series, the ColorEdge CX240 provides top-flight performance that won’t disappoint.

Author: Sasha Muller