Studio Display to Pro Display XDR?

[fpenta]

Hi everyone,

I've been using the Studio Display for 2 years. When I bought it, I was reluctant to spend $2K on a monitor similar to my old iMac 2019, but it was my only option at the time. I'm now finding that the 27" feels small and I'm considering upgrading to the Pro Display XDR. It's very difficult to find it used here in Italy and my only option would be to get it new with an educational discount.
Do you think it’s worth the upgrade from the Studio Display in 2025?
I've heard mixed reviews about the XDR's uniformity compared to the Studio Display. I'll be using it primarily for photography/video work on my Mac Studio, and gaming on my PC with a 5090.

 

[Bigwaff]

XDR have no speakers/camera. XDR refresh rate max 60Hz. XDR stand purchased separately. XDR is nearly 6 years old. Rumors of refresh w/ Thunderbolt 5 in next 1-2 years. My opinion .. buy used, or wait or choose alternative.

 

[rumz]

Yeah, I would wait a bit, see what this year brings (WWDC particularly if they do in fact have some kind of update for the Mac Pro they’ve been holding back).

Otherwise— are you only considering monitors by Apple?

 

[fpenta]

Yeah, I would wait a bit, see what this year brings (WWDC particularly if they do in fact have some kind of update for the Mac Pro they’ve been holding back).

Otherwise— are you only considering monitors by Apple?

Yes, I had the LG Ultrafine 5K before the ASD, and the Apple panel has always been on another level. I also value a lot the esthetics. The XDR is everything I ever dreamed of in a display. I just wish it were mini-LED like my 16” MacBook Pro. I don’t mind that it doesn’t have speakers, since I use external studio monitors anyway.

I can sell my ASD with the tilt-adjustable stand for €1,500, so the total cost of the XDR would be around €4,500. That’s quite a significant difference

 

[rumz]

Yes, I had the LG Ultrafine 5K before the ASD, and the Apple panel has always been on another level. I also value a lot the esthetics. The XDR is everything I ever dreamed of in a display. I just wish it were mini-LED like my 16” MacBook Pro. I don’t mind that it doesn’t have speakers, since I use external studio monitors anyway.

I can sell my ASD with the tilt-adjustable stand for €1,500, so the total cost of the XDR would be around €4,500. That’s quite a significant difference

Ah, fair enough. I was going to say, there are some current (Dell) and upcoming (LG) 6k 32” monitors— yeah the looks of the Dell were a dealbreaker for me. No idea when the new LG is going to actually come to market— maybe this year? The renders look good, but I’m curious what the build quality will be like in real life.

iF Design - LG Ultrafine 6K Monitor(32U990A)

Slim and high-tech design for creative professionals The 32U990A monitor is equipped with a high-performance 6K Nano IPS black display for stylish, compact, and iconic arch design for aesthetics. The 4-sided borderless design increases immersion, maximize desk space efficiency. Users maintain a...

ifdesign.com

I bought my XDR a couple years ago. The fact that the XDR was not a “smart” display was actually a selling point for me. Didn’t need / want a webcam and / or speakers built in. Still got AppleCare on it though, since it would be pretty catastrophic if it failed, and there are enough reports of that to concern me.

 

[fpenta]

Ah, fair enough. I was going to say, there are some current (Dell) and upcoming (LG) 6k 32” monitors— yeah the looks of the Dell were a dealbreaker for me. No idea when the new LG is going to actually come to market— maybe this year? The renders look good, but I’m curious what the build quality will be like in real life.

iF Design - LG Ultrafine 6K Monitor(32U990A)

Slim and high-tech design for creative professionals The 32U990A monitor is equipped with a high-performance 6K Nano IPS black display for stylish, compact, and iconic arch design for aesthetics. The 4-sided borderless design increases immersion, maximize desk space efficiency. Users maintain a...

ifdesign.com

I bought my XDR a couple years ago. The fact that the XDR was not a “smart” display was actually a selling point for me. Didn’t need / want a webcam and / or speakers built in. Still got AppleCare on it though, since it would be pretty catastrophic if it failed, and there are enough reports of that to concern me.

Looks like the LG UltraFine 6K uses the same local dimming technology as the Pro Display XDR.


In the end, I found and ordered a refurbished Pro Display XDR with a one-year warranty from an Apple retailer and saved €2,000. I’m sure a new XDR 2 will be released anytime soon, but honestly, it will likely be too expensive for me, and I wouldn’t be able to justify the extra cost. I’m sure it will feature mini-LED or similar technology, with significantly more local dimming zones, better blacks, blooming control and 120Hz refresh rate, but that would also mean it only works with Thunderbolt 5 devices which I don’t currently have.


Is the blooming really as bad as the reviews say on the Pro Display XDR? Does the blooming appears only in HDR or also in SDR?

 

[BeatCrazy]

Is the blooming really as bad as the reviews say on the Pro Display XDR? Does the blooming appears only in HDR or also in SDR?

Blooming would occur with either HDR or SDR.

However, I have never seen it with any typical screen content, only when you see the Mac boot-up white Apple logo, and that is so minor most people would never notice it.

The difference between the black levels/blooming between the Pro Display XDR and Studio Display is dramatic. I have them both side by side. If you have a mostly-black background, the XDR is on a completely different level vs. the Studio Display.

 

[fpenta]

Blooming would occur with either HDR or SDR.

However, I have never seen it with any typical screen content, only when you see the Mac boot-up white Apple logo, and that is so minor most people would never notice it.

The difference between the black levels/blooming between the Pro Display XDR and Studio Display is dramatic. I have them both side by side. If you have a mostly-black background, the XDR is on a completely different level vs. the Studio Display.

Thanks. Is the blooming worse than on the Studio Display?


How are you using the Studio Display together with the XDR? I’m honestly thinking of keeping it instead of selling it.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Thanks. Is the blooming worse than on the Studio Display?


How are you using the Studio Display together with the XDR? I’m honestly thinking of keeping it instead of selling it.

The blooming or 'lack of real black' is 1000x worse on the Studio Display. The XDR is near-perfect.

I use the Studio Display for my work MacBook, and the XDR for my personal Mac Studio. Occasionally I will connect the Studio Display (in addition to the XDR) for my personal use. The monitors are side-by-side.

 

[rumz]

Looks like the LG UltraFine 6K uses the same local dimming technology as the Pro Display XDR.


In the end, I found and ordered a refurbished Pro Display XDR with a one-year warranty from an Apple retailer and saved €2,000. I’m sure a new XDR 2 will be released anytime soon, but honestly, it will likely be too expensive for me, and I wouldn’t be able to justify the extra cost. I’m sure it will feature mini-LED or similar technology, with significantly more local dimming zones, better blacks, blooming control and 120Hz refresh rate, but that would also mean it only works with Thunderbolt 5 devices which I don’t currently have.


Is the blooming really as bad as the reviews say on the Pro Display XDR? Does the blooming appears only in HDR or also in SDR?

What Mac(s) are you connecting to the Pro Display XDR?

 

[fpenta]

What Mac(s) are you connecting to the Pro Display XDR?

I’m switching between a Mac Studio and Windows PC

 

[rumz]

I’m switching between a Mac Studio and Windows PC

Solid. I could be wrong, but a lot of the failures I’ve seen *appear* to be related to power delivery to a laptop (MacBook Pro, generally). Shouldn’t be an issue with your desktop machines.

 

[alchemistics]

I had 3 Pro Display XDRs and they've been great, but I've had to returned all of them over a period of 2 years due to non-uniform backlighting which was very disturbing during design work specially towards the edges. I've never seen an acceptable uniform XDR, even those in the stores have it, you can test it on a plain gray background.

I agree that 32" inches at 6k is the way to go and after using it 27" seems limiting.

New 6k Displays seem to be around the corner for acceptable prices and design such as the LG one.

Given repairability is basically non existent and longevity of the backlight panel seems to be compromised, at this point in time I would no longer invest in an XDR.

 

[etc]

Looks like the LG UltraFine 6K uses the same local dimming technology as the Pro Display XDR.

No, it doesn't. So it will have better backlight uniformity.

 

[fpenta]

No, it doesn't. So it will have better backlight uniformity.

I just received the refurbished Pro Display XDR. It looks stunning, and honestly, I can't see any non-uniformity issues. The panel looks perfect across all the edges. Yes, it suffers from blooming, but it doesn't look worse than on the Studio Display. Additionally, the Studio Display has brighter areas along the edges, which I don't see on the XDR.

It also works great on Windows 11 in 6k using the DisplayPort to USB-C cable, but the HDR feature is not enabled. Do you know how to activate it? I’ve seen some articles mentioning using Bootcamp drivers via Brigadier, but some people say that reduces the resolution to 5K. Any help?

 

[etc]

I just received the refurbished Pro Display XDR. It looks stunning, and honestly, I can't see any non-uniformity issues. The panel looks perfect across all the edges. Yes, it suffers from blooming, but it doesn't look worse than on the Studio Display. Additionally, the Studio Display has brighter areas along the edges, which I don't see on the XDR.

Try with gray uniform background.

It also works great on Windows 11 in 6k using the DisplayPort to USB-C cable, but the HDR feature is not enabled. Do you know how to activate it? I’ve seen some articles mentioning using Bootcamp drivers via Brigadier, but some people say that reduces the resolution to 5K. Any help?

It should be available via display settings in Windows, like "Windows HD Color".
You can also try brigadier if there's no option. I remember using it, it did not affect resolution.

If nothing helps, perhaps you need to find another way to connect the display, see USB-C options listed here:

Add USB-C with DisplayPort-alt-mode to your PC

[Updated 2025/02/20 with TB5 cards] IntroductionExternal multiplexers: Video + USB data -> USB-CBoxesCablesGPU PCIe add-in-boards (Desktop)DP ALT mode PCIe add-in-boards (Desktop)NotesUSB4 and T…

dancharblog.wordpress.com

 

[fpenta]

Try with gray uniform background.


It should be available via display settings in Windows, like "Windows HD Color".
You can also try brigadier if there's no option. I remember using it, it did not affect resolution.

If nothing helps, perhaps you need to find another way to connect the display, see USB-C options listed here:

Add USB-C with DisplayPort-alt-mode to your PC

[Updated 2025/02/20 with TB5 cards] IntroductionExternal multiplexers: Video + USB data -> USB-CBoxesCablesGPU PCIe add-in-boards (Desktop)DP ALT mode PCIe add-in-boards (Desktop)NotesUSB4 and T…

dancharblog.wordpress.com

Grey uniformity background looks absolutely perfect. Can’t see any issue.


I installed boot camp via Brigadier, but I can’t see the Bootcamp utility and the HDR is still not supported.
Maybe the Boot Camp version is not compatible with Windows 11?

 

[etc]

Grey uniformity background looks absolutely perfect. Can’t see any issue.

Wow, could please take a picture of the screen? Sounds unbelievable

I installed boot camp via Brigadier, but I can’t see the Bootcamp utility and the HDR is still not supported.
Maybe the Boot Camp version is not compatible with Windows 11?

Oh, that could be tricky to run Bootcamp Utility if you don't have macOs partitions.

You can try this command (run as administrator) to open Bootcamp panel:

C:\Windows\System32\runas.exe /trustlevel:0x20000 AppleControlPanel.exe

And then you should see this:

The P3-1600 preset must be chosen to be get HDR in Windows settings. You won't be able to control brightness in HDR mode though. The only way to make it is changing HDR/SDR balance in Windows settings, but it's not brightness control actually.

Also, when P3-1600 is active and HDR is disabled, the colors are oversaturated, so if you don't need HDR, select P3-500 then.

 

[fpenta]

Wow, could please take a picture of the screen? Sounds unbelievable


Oh, that could be tricky to run Bootcamp Utility if you don't have macOs partitions.

You can try this command (run as administrator) to open Bootcamp panel:

C:\Windows\System32\runas.exe /trustlevel:0x20000 AppleControlPanel.exe

And then you should see this:

View attachment 2514345

The P3-1600 preset must be chosen to be get HDR in Windows settings. You won't be able to control brightness in HDR mode though. The only way to make it is changing HDR/SDR balance in Windows settings, but it's not brightness control actually.

Also, when P3-1600 is active and HDR is disabled, the colors are oversaturated, so if you don't need HDR, select P3-500 then.

It worked! Thank you very much!

Actually I found that it’s possible to change the brightness in HDR. In HDR Settings there is a SDR Brightness slider that it is possible to move. I calibrated the screen and it’s now showing 1760 nits

I’m super happy, I can enjoy the HDR both on Mac and Windows at the same time, using a USB-C switch.

Attached is the photo in with grey uniformity. Actually I can see some artifacts in the photo that I can not see in real person.

 

[etc]

It worked! Thank you very much!

You're welcome

Attached is the photo in with grey uniformity. Actually I can see some artifacts in the photo that I can not see in real person.

You should use darker gray to check uniformity. But even with this I see that it's quite common as many other XDRs have.

 

[fpenta]

You're welcome


You should use darker gray to check uniformity. But even with this I see that it's quite common as many other XDRs have.

I’ll need to save this thread in case I need to format windows😄


Ok! But honestly, the position from which I take the photo affects how the brightness appears. The center looks brighter, but if I move the camera, it doesn’t look like that anymore. To be honest, I don’t see any uniformity issues with my eyes even with darker greys. In my opinion, the Studio Display has other more noticeable flaws, like yellowish and brighter edges that are always visible on white or dark backgrounds.

 

[etc]

I’ll need to save this thread in case I need to format windows

You can create *.bat file with the command I wrote above and run it when you need to open Bootcamp settings. If you lose it, you can try searching over the internet "cannot open bootcamp under windows".

Ok! But honestly, the position from which I take the photo affects how the brightness appears. The center looks brighter, but if I move the camera, it doesn’t look like that anymore. To be honest, I don’t see any uniformity issues with my eyes even with darker greys. In my opinion, the Studio Display has other more noticeable flaws, like yellowish and brighter edges that are always visible on white or dark backgrounds.

I'd suggest to stop looking for the issues right now. It's better to be happy

 

[fpenta]

You can create *.bat file with the command I wrote above and run it when you need to open Bootcamp settings. If you lose it, you can try searching over the internet "cannot open bootcamp under windows".


I'd suggest to stop looking for the issues right now. It's better to be happy

Actually, now it’s showing the bootcamp utility on the windows bar, and it opens no problem. So I have no idea why the first time I couldn’t find it.

Yes definitely a lot more reasons to be happy😍
Thanks again