Mac external display questions

[Axo1989]

I’ll second that. I used an iMac for years (27” 5K) and wouldn’t want to go backwards (quality and UX-wise). Get Apple if your budget stretches or third party otherwise.

The OP article makes a technical argument for avoiding (non-integer) scaling but that doesn’t apply for your stated uses (or mine). For macOS you absolutely don’t want 2K. You basically want 2x (twice the pixels of your display resolution, so 4K views as 2K and so on) and you can squeeze a bit more out of it by scaling which the OS does seamlessly.

But I reckon if you liked your iMac you’ll risk being disappointed if you don’t go to 5K (life should get better, not worse).

 

[BJL]

I’ll second that. I used an iMac for years (27” 5K) and wouldn’t want to go backwards (quality and UX-wise). Get Apple if your budget stretches or third party otherwise.

The OP article makes a technical argument for avoiding (non-integer) scaling but that doesn’t apply for your stated uses (or mine). For macOS you absolutely don’t want 2K. You basically want 2x (twice the pixels of your display resolution, so 4K views as 2K and so on) and you can squeeze a bit more out of it by scaling which the OS does seamlessly.

But I reckon if you liked your iMac you’ll risk being disappointed if you don’t go to 5K (life should get better, not worse).

This article might be helpful

https://support.apple.com/en-us/122212

The point being that a 27" 5K display will provide native resolution @ 120 Hz. Very nice.

 

[Klonatans]

The BenQ MA270S is the display I had to return due to fading along the sides.

That's a pity! It's kind of a lottery to get a golden sample. Good that you were able to return it.

 

[JIW]

Retina is pixels per degree being at least 57. It is about the threshold of visual perception of individual pixels being discernible. This has as much to do with pixel density as viewing distance but also screen size. A general formula is

ppd = p_h/(2*atan((W/2)/D)).

where W is the width of the screen, D is the viewing distance and the trigonometric function calculate with degrees. Strictly speaking this applies only if the screen has equal curvature to the circle drawn with the viewing distance so applies applies approximately at the center for all displays and exaggerates ppd for flat displays and displays curved less than the viewing distance circle.

I get Retina threshold with my 25 inch 1440p display with 118 ppi at around 64 cm, which is typical for me. A general formula for that is

D_retina = (W/2)/tan(p_h/ppd_retina*1/2).

where ppd_retina is 57. If you work with inches, you can use p_h = ppi*W. This is derived from the above formula, so the same limitations apply.

Some corrections. Pixels per degree over the full display does not apply at the center either but there is only one distance from the center, where it applies for a display not curved like the viewing distance circle. Further, for a flat or under-curved display, it is less at the center due to the lesser viewing distance there.

To find a way to go from pixel density to pixels per degree directly and from that to Retina viewing distance and have the former scale with pixel density and the latter scale inversely with pixel density, I have used small angle approximations, i.e. for x ≈ 0, sin(x) ≈ x and cos(x) ≈ 1 - x. Thus,

ppd ≈ rho*D*π/180

where rho is the pixel density. The viewing distance unit has to match the way rho is derived, i.e. if ppi is used, D has to be in inches and if D is in cm, pixels per cm has to be used. Thus, the Retina viewing distance is approximately

D_retina ≈ ppd/rho*180/π.

Thus, my Retina threshold viewing distance with my 25 inch 1440p display with 118 ppi is at around 71 cm.

 

[Doublej]

A belated thanks to everyone that replied. You collectively have me convinced I to buy a 4K or better monitor.

 

[somethingsup]

Coming from an Asus 4K, I splurged on a 5K Apple Studio Display; there's no turning back. I will never go back to anything less!
View attachment 550279

Have you experienced any ground loop or other noises with your APD, Mac Mini, and those speakers?

I have an incoming system in the works of an ASD, Mac Mini M6, KEF LSX II LT, and KEF Kube 8 and I have been told by a few audio guys here in Japan that if I don’t use something like a Tripp Lite 8 Ultra (for its noise reduction abilities), I’m going to have a bunch of noise issues due to plugging monitor, computer, powered speakers and sub into the same surge protector or power tap (whichever I decide on).

I would think these issues would be moot since Japan wall outlet uses 2p and no ground, and everything plugged into the surge protector or power tap would be ungrounded.

 

[EJasonC]

Have you experienced any ground loop or other noises with your APD, Mac Mini, and those speakers?

I have an incoming system in the works of an ASD, Mac Mini M6, KEF LSX II LT, and KEF Kube 8 and I have been told by a few audio guys here in Japan that if I don’t use something like a Tripp Lite 8 Ultra (for its noise reduction abilities), I’m going to have a bunch of noise issues due to plugging monitor, computer, powered speakers and sub into the same surge protector or power tap (whichever I decide on).

I would think these issues would be moot since Japan wall outlet uses 2p and no ground, and everything plugged into the surge protector or power tap would be ungrounded.

I've not had any ground loop or noise with these Adam Audio D3V's using either USB/Digital or TRS Analog inputs. With my other pair of Yamaha HS8 monitors, I had random noise whenever my mobile phone was nearby. However, as long as I kept any mobile devices a reasonable distance from them, noise was not an issue.

 

[somethingsup]

I've not had any ground loop or noise with these Adam Audio D3V's using either USB/Digital or TRS Analog inputs. With my other pair of Yamaha HS8 monitors, I had random noise whenever my mobile phone was nearby. However, as long as I kept any mobile devices a reasonable distance from them, noise was not an issue.

That’s good to hear (for you and me). There’s a lot of people complaining with this Apple monitor and various speakers/monitors. I don’t know it is just powered speakers or any/all, if its specific to this Apple monitor, or if those complaining have power cables going into different outlets, some grounded and some not, etc. It started to make me worry that before it even arrived, I already have to solve a problem.