I look at the external monitor at my desk more than I look at probably anything else in my life, and my job depends on me having a high quality display. Despite that, I struggle to justify me owning the Apple Studio Display XDR. This thing is extravagant. From the 5K resolution to the 120 Hz refresh rate to the extreme brightness and color accuracy, it’s probably the best Mac display on the market right now, and both the picture and the build looks right at home next to the MacBook Pro 14” that I usually have open next to it. I have the VESA mount version paired with a Ergotron LX desk monitor arm. My office gets quite a bit of direct sunlight in the mornings, so I opted for the nano texture.
The display it replaces is a BenQ PD2720U 4K, which I bought six years ago. That display had gotten a few dead pixels and started to suffer bad yellowing and burn-in at the edges, so it was ready for retirement. It had the same 27” screen size as the Studio Display XDR, and with its 4K resolution, low brightness and 60 Hz refresh rate, it’s replacement is a big step up in pretty much every way. You’d expect as much given the price tag. The XDR costs four times as much, after all.
Many miss the 32” screen size on the Pro Display XDR that the Studio Display XDR replaces. I’ve never used a desk monitor that large, so in my blissful ignorance, I’ll happily trade those extra inches for the speakers, microphone and webcam that Apple added to the Studio Display XDR. Neither is as good as you can get from standalone accessories, but the speakers are definitely impressive and add some extra boost to the Audioengine A2+ speakers I have set up next to it. The webcam I’ll likely never use, since I bought the Opal C1 a few years back. The Pro Display XDR was also twice as expensive, so there’s that.
Whether it’s justifiable or not, I am very happy that I picked up the Studio Display XDR. Unless I drop it on the floor, I suspect I’ll still be using it five and hopefully ten years from now.
