Apple Studio Display - Owners Thread

[Elrodan]

Are all those things (typing, clicking, mouse) being done over Bluetooth? Maybe you're getting some new interference in your setup that's causing Bluetooth to lag, and can try plugging your devices in by cable to see if the problem goes away?

Nope, I'm using a wired keyboard (a modern A1243 alternative) and wired mouse (Logitech), directly connected to the Mac Studio's USB-A ports. No lag on the LG display at all: everything is very snappy.

I'm guessing it's just the slow response time of the Studio Display in general (I've read it's 25 ms, which is higher than the internal iMac 5k's screen used to be). The lag is just very slight, I guess most users won't even notice (unfortunately I do, haha).

I tried connecting the keyboard and mouse directly to the Studio Display's back ports, but that doesn't make any difference.

 

[zorinlynx]

So I got curious just what the total keyboard to screen latency is with the Studio Display, and made the attached video. A total of 13 frames (at 240fps) go by between the key going down and the letter appearing on screen, so the latency of the entire system is about 54ms. Not the greatest.

If you want to do this test it's easy enough, record slow mo with your iPhone at 240fps, export the video, load into Quicktime and use right-arrow to go through and count the frames. I'm curious what other people get, including folks using 5K iMacs.

This setup is an IBM Model M, PS/2 to USB adapter, plugged into the Studio Display itself. The Mac is a 2021 Macbook Pro (M1) 2021 14".

Personally the lag hasn't bothered me but I know some people are more sensitive than others.

 

[constructor]

This setup is an IBM Model M, PS/2 to USB adapter, plugged into the Studio Display itself. The Mac is a 2021 Macbook Pro (M1) 2021 14".

The keyboard going through another protocol conversion of course introduces additional lag, as will using the ASD in non-native scaled mode where there is always one additional scaling stage in between rendering and the actual display output.

But at least subjectively I don't experience any noticeable lag here on my ASDs (Mac Studio M1 Max (32GPU), 2*ASD, 1*4k scaled).

 

[zorinlynx]

The keyboard going through another protocol conversion of course introduces additional lag, as will using the ASD in non-native scaled mode where there is always one additional scaling stage in between rendering and the actual display output.

But at least subjectively I don't experience any noticeable lag here on my ASDs (Mac Studio M1 Max (32GPU), 2*ASD, 1*4k scaled).

The Studio Display was running at native resolution. I just made the font in that terminal window really big so you could see it well.

And yeah, maybe I'll do another video comparing the ASD with the Macbook's own display tomorrow. I didn't think of doing that!

 

[Elrodan]

If you want to do this test it's easy enough, record slow mo with your iPhone at 240fps, export the video, load into Quicktime and use right-arrow to go through and count the frames. I'm curious what other people get, including folks using 5K iMacs.

Oh that's a great tip to test it!

I just used this method and here are my results:

Mac Studio + Studio Display: 12-13 frames between key down and letter appearing
Mac Studio + LG 27GN950: 4 frames between key down and letter appearing
iMac 2017 5K (4.2 i7 Radeon 580): 8-9 frames between key down and letter appearing.

It seems that the Studio Display's response time is indeed slower than the iMac 5K.

 

[constructor]

And yeah, maybe I'll do another video comparing the ASD with the Macbook's own display tomorrow. I didn't think of doing that!

In particular test with the internal keyboard, not with an external one which is going through two additional protocol conversions!

 

[constructor]

Oh that's a great tip to test it!

I just used this method and here are my results:

Mac Studio + Studio Display: 12-13 frames between key down and letter appearing
Mac Studio + LG 27GN950: 4 frames between key down and letter appearing
iMac 2017 5K (4.2 i7 Radeon 580): 8-9 frames between key down and letter appearing.

It seems that the Studio Display's response time is indeed slower than the iMac 5K.

Just for reference: At 240fps recording you have 4 video frames per each 60fps ASD monitor frame, so if an event response misses one rendering frame the closest it can then get to is the next rendering frame 1/60th second or 4 video frames later!

Also, depending on where on screen the cursor is (close to the starting or ending point of the frame scan) you get an additional frame scanning latency of up to another 1/60th of a second.

So you'd need to check a reasonable number of events (because your key presses won't be VSYNC-aligned) with the cursor in opposing corners of the screen and see what the minimum latency is across all of them.

(On a current MacBook Pro with its 120fps Pro Motion display at least the average latency should be correspondingly shorter, of course, down to nearly half that of the 60fps ASD.)

And a USB-connected keyboard may also be faster than Bluetooth, depending on circumstances. The keyboard itself may also have a slight lag for de-glitching / de-bouncing before it recognizes and transmits a key event.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

The firmware updates helped a lot. I'm pretty satisfied with the webcam now. That said, I just received the Opal C1 I had ordered a while back. It's a near-DSLR quality webcam with a lot of configuration options. I'll be using it instead of the built-in camera on the ASD for sure. Not cheap, but worth it if you do a lot of webcam stuff.

 

[xraydoc]

The firmware updates helped a lot. I'm pretty satisfied with the webcam now. That said, I just received the Opal C1 I had ordered a while back. It's a near-DSLR quality webcam with a lot of configuration options. I'll be using it instead of the built-in camera on the ASD for sure. Not cheap, but worth it if you do a lot of webcam stuff.

I had been using the Logitech Brio 4K webcam before I bought my Studio Displays. That's definitely a solid webcam as well. However, for me, the camera in the Studio Display is good enough, doesn't require non-Apple Silicon-native drivers & software (thanks, Logitech 🤦‍♂️), and doesn't occupy yet another USB port.

When everyone at my workplace is using either crappy add-on webcams or built-in cameras with field-of-view so wide that I see more of their room than I do of their face, the Studio Display's camera looks like Acadamy-award winning cinematography.

 

[southerndoc]

I had been using the Logitech Brio 4K webcam before I bought my Studio Displays. That's definitely a solid webcam as well. However, for me, the camera in the Studio Display is good enough, doesn't require non-Apple Silicon-native drivers & software (thanks, Logitech 🤦‍♂️), and doesn't occupy yet another USB port.

When everyone at my workplace is using either crappy add-on webcams or built-in cameras with field-of-view so wide that I see more of their room than I do of their face, the Studio Display's camera looks like Acadamy-award winning cinematography.

Wish Apple offers software similar to LogiTune for the Brio 4k webcam that would allow you to zoom, recenter, etc. manually.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

Wish Apple offers software similar to LogiTune for the Brio 4k webcam that would allow you to zoom, recenter, etc. manually.

The Opal C1 has great software options too—lots of customization. While the camera quality is definitely superior to the ASD, it's the software that makes the biggest difference.

 

[southerndoc]

The Opal C1 has great software options too—lots of customization. While the camera quality is definitely superior to the ASD, it's the software that makes the biggest difference.

Just read about the Opal C1. Looks like an awesome webcam! No reason that a $1500 monitor should not have all of these features built-in.

 

[ZigZagLens]

Same for me. Only my ASD that is set on landscape mode is the one that I can select for Zoom in preferences. While in a Zoom meeting, I can switch cameras, though.

View attachment 2019231

OT but what are those horizontal black things mounted atop each display? I suspect they may be lights, and I've been looking for some lights like that for night work. If my hunch is correct, I'd be interested to hear how you like them and where they came from.

 

[Arctic Moose]

OT but what are those horizontal black things mounted atop each display?

Best Monitor Light Bars: Enhance Your Workspace

Explore BenQ Monitor Light Bars. We offer various solutions for laptop, curved, thick, and dual monitors. Enhance lighting, reduce eye strain.

www.benq.com

 

[QuietGamer]

Count me in as well. Wifey needed a monitor so I handed down the LG/Apl 24" 4K to her and treated myself to a Studio today. This thing is HUGE.

 

[generationfourth]

Does anyone have any utility that can apply an equalizer just to the Studio display output? even at 15% I can hear the bass from the other room. I'm sure my upstairs neighbors love the new purchase as much as I do!

---

Some first impressions (while trying to avoid things that have been said a million times before)

• I didn't think the cable would be annoying but mounting a monitor up on VESA is a sketchy procedure and the fixed cable makes it even more difficult. Using it as a dock will be challenging running all the cables through the arm. The stand folks will have a much easier time in that regard
• People call the standard glossy which I find to be a disservice because apple's anti glare on their standard glass just keeps getting better and better. Do need to be more mindful with lighting, especially in dark mode.
• After running most sound through MacBook Pro (that's off to the side, or closed) there is a unique experience having good sound emanating directly from the display itself (even over good headphones). I was initially at "this sounds pretty good" and didn't feel the need to go over 40-50% then I discovered that I had the Music app output at only 50%! I'm assuming there is way too much bass for my upstairs neighbor's tastes.
• Noticeable jump in quality from my Dell 4k 27" scaled at 1440. I went through my Lightroom catalog looking at my favorite photographs from over the years. I was surprised to see a lot of sharpening/noise reduction artifacts and other bad details. I can really pixel peep with this resolution and see things I didn't catch before. While not flattering for some of my collection (a good thing I guess), a lot of photos looked great and I found that iPhone photos looked surprisingly amazing. I also found some (not all!) 4k footage and other lower resolution content to look a little 'meh', not sure if there is some upscaling issues.
• Did some side by side with the 14" MBP XDR with HDR footage on YouTube. Yeah the studio display doesn't do it as well but it no slouch. IMO pro-motion and HDR is a game changer on the MacBook Pro or iPad when I'm consuming content (doom scrolling, and watching Netflix). But on the studio display when I'm working? I don't find the need for either. I also don't see how the ASD would have promotion but the flagship XDR wouldn't...
• Color is the most important aspect for me (digital designer). Lately been having color related disagreements and back and forth with my boss and when I saw some colors on this screen I had a few "oooohhh I can see what he's saying" moments. I do find the color to be a little over saturated in P3.

 

[ZigZagLens]

Best Monitor Light Bars: Enhance Your Workspace

Explore BenQ Monitor Light Bars. We offer various solutions for laptop, curved, thick, and dual monitors. Enhance lighting, reduce eye strain.

www.benq.com

Thank you!

 

[iJaximus]

Thank you!

Xiaomi lightbar comes with a wireless remote at a fraction of the price of BenQ.

 

[constructor]

Does anyone have any utility that can apply an equalizer just to the Studio display output? even at 15% I can hear the bass from the other room. I'm sure my upstairs neighbors love the new purchase as much as I do!

Yeah, it does have some bass indeed; Not very deep, but still remarkably good for flat monitor speakers!

I'm using Rogue Amoeba's Sound Source for controlling the volume of different Applications separately and it also gives me separate signal indicators for applications in the menu bar.

One of its extra features is a 10-band equalizer with the usual standard presets, but also with a manual 10-band editable setting, even different settings for individual Apps if I want.

At least as far as I can see directly you would need to switch the EQ on and off manually when you're switching between the built-in MacBook speakers and the ASD's, but that should be able to do what you need already.

And maybe there is also an automatic way to switch the EQ dependent on the output – I just don't know about it right now.

SoundSource User Manual: Welcome to SoundSource

Get started with SoundSource.

rogueamoeba.com

• People call the standard glossy which I find to be a disservice because apple's anti glare on their standard glass just keeps getting better and better. Do need to be more mindful with lighting, especially in dark mode.

Indeed; I have a matte 4k LG next to the "glossy" ASDs and the ASDs have much better contrast because their overall reflectivity is much lower. Reflections are never a relevant issue for me, not even when I'm using fully black backgrounds (which I do).

• After running most sound through MacBook Pro (that's off to the side, or closed) there is a unique experience having good sound emanating directly from the display itself (even over good headphones). I was initially at "this sounds pretty good" and didn't feel the need to go over 40-50% then I discovered that I had the Music app output at only 50%! I'm assuming there is way too much bass for my upstairs neighbor's tastes.

Indeed, they are really nice. I'm using separate speakers which are still better, but I've tried the ASD speakers for several hours of music listening and it was still perfectly nice and enjoyable!

• Noticeable jump in quality from my Dell 4k 27" scaled at 1440. I went through my Lightroom catalog looking at my favorite photographs from over the years. I was surprised to see a lot of sharpening/noise reduction artifacts and other bad details. I can really pixel peep with this resolution and see things I didn't catch before. While not flattering for some of my collection (a good thing I guess), a lot of photos looked great and I found that iPhone photos looked surprisingly amazing. I also found some (not all!) 4k footage and other lower resolution content to look a little 'meh', not sure if there is some upscaling issues.

Yes, the LG 27" 4k next to my ASDs is a pretty clear step down in resolution and I can still see the pixels there (both in pixelation and fuzziness of text and in grainy colour fields). For an extra "dashboard" display it's okay, but it is indeed noticeably below the "retina" threshold!

The "total sharpness" impression with no graininess visible at all is only to be had on the 5k ASDs by comparison. Worth it to me! (Just not quite as much for the 3rd display! 😉)

• Color is the most important aspect for me (digital designer). Lately been having color related disagreements and back and forth with my boss and when I saw some colors on this screen I had a few "oooohhh I can see what he's saying" moments. I do find the color to be a little over saturated in P3.

I'm mostly working with text so colours do not matter to me that much but maybe your colour management settings need to be tweaked; Or maybe you're actually not seeing the real colours on the other displays if those have less than P3 colour spaces!

 

[generationfourth]

Yeah, it does have some bass indeed; Not very deep, but still remarkably good for flat monitor speakers!

I'm using Rogue Amoeba's Sound Source for controlling the volume of different Applications separately and it also gives me separate signal indicators for applications in the menu bar.

One of its extra features is a 10-band equalizer with the usual standard presets, but also with a manual 10-band editable setting, even different settings for individual Apps if I want.

At least as far as I can see directly you would need to switch the EQ on and off manually when you're switching between the built-in MacBook speakers and the ASD's, but that should be able to do what you need already.

And maybe there is also an automatic way to switch the EQ dependent on the output – I just don't know about it right now.

SoundSource User Manual: Welcome to SoundSource

Get started with SoundSource.

rogueamoeba.com

Indeed; I have a matte 4k LG next to the "glossy" ASDs and the ASDs have much better contrast because their overall reflectivity is much lower. Reflections are never a relevant issue for me, not even when I'm using fully black backgrounds (which I do).


Indeed, they are really nice. I'm using separate speakers which are still better, but I've tried the ASD speakers for several hours of music listening and it was still perfectly nice and enjoyable!


Yes, the LG 27" 4k next to my ASDs is a pretty clear step down in resolution and I can still see the pixels there (both in pixelation and fuzziness of text and in grainy colour fields). For an extra "dashboard" display it's okay, but it is indeed noticeably below the "retina" threshold!

The "total sharpness" impression with no graininess visible at all is only to be had on the 5k ASDs by comparison. Worth it to me! (Just not quite as much for the 3rd display! 😉)


I'm mostly working with text so colours do not matter to me that much but maybe your colour management settings need to be tweaked; Or maybe you're actually not seeing the real colours on the other displays if those have less than P3 colour spaces!

Thanks I will check out Rogue Amoeba, I'm ok with turning on the EQ manually and it looks like it can be done quickly (through the menu bar?). Currently I'm using Apple Music's EQ that I toggle but obviously doesn't apply to other media...

One of my rationalizations for the ASD was to move my Dell 4k to my girlfriends house so I have a large monitor to use over there with my 14" MBP. I'm hoping I can adjust back to it and that the ASD didn't ruin that monitor for me.

I think my boss is using a ASD, possibly an XDR. Need to confirm. I am looking forward to utilizing the sRGB and other presets - the fact that it has all of the presets from the XDR (aside from HDR) made this a no-brainer for me. Looking forward to having the ASD on P3, and the 14" on sRGB, etc. And of course having the dell and other old monitors around for second/third opinions.

 

[constructor]

Thanks I will check out Rogue Amoeba, I'm ok with turning on the EQ manually and it looks like it can be done quickly (through the menu bar?). Currently I'm using Apple Music's EQ that I toggle but obviously doesn't apply to other media...

SoundSource will indeed apply to everything that's playing on your Mac, unless you explicitly want a special EQ setting just for a sepecific app.

One of my rationalizations for the ASD was to move my Dell 4k to my girlfriends house so I have a large monitor to use over there with my 14" MBP. I'm hoping I can adjust back to it and that the ASD didn't ruin that monitor for me.

I think you should be fine: I can still read and use everything on the 4k the same way as on the ASDs, it's just noticeably fuzzier and grainier.

But it also cost only a fraction of the ASD, so it's okay for what I'm using it for, and just keeping an existing monitor in use is good, sustainable practice if it's feasible!

I think my boss is using a ASD, possibly an XDR. Need to confirm. I am looking forward to utilizing the sRGB and other presets - the fact that it has all of the presets from the XDR (aside from HDR) made this a no-brainer for me. Looking forward to having the ASD on P3, and the 14" on sRGB, etc. And of course having the dell and other old monitors around for second/third opinions.

Just this: The ASD natively has a P3 colour space which is much wider than sRGB (allows for much more saturated colours in particular).

And since macOS generally uses colour management any content that's tagged as sRGB will still be displayed correctly as it would on an sRGB monitor (or on the ASD when it's set to just sRGB) while at the same time it also correctly displays P3 content with its wider colour gamut.

When you switch the monitor to sRGB you lose the second option.

Most web content is interpreted as sRGB if it isn't explicitly tagged, but Safari and other modern browsers do recognize other colour space tags, too, and display content accordingly, so normally you'd be best set to have the monitor in native P3 mode (factory-calibrated or with a more precise individual calibration) and letting macOS taking care of handling content if it's tagged correctly.

Differences with your boss's monitor might be in the selected colour profile in display settings; It could be worth it to look at that, and then to consider if you could or should optimize your photo workflow in any way (such as explicitly tagging and/or converting colour spaces if necessary).

 

[generationfourth]

Just this: The ASD natively has a P3 colour space which is much wider than sRGB (allows for much more saturated colours in particular).

And since macOS generally uses colour management any content that's tagged as sRGB will still be displayed correctly as it would on an sRGB monitor (or on the ASD when it's set to just sRGB) while at the same time it also correctly displays P3 content with its wider colour gamut.

When you switch the monitor to sRGB you lose the second option.

Most web content is interpreted as sRGB if it isn't explicitly tagged, but Safari and other modern browsers do recognize other colour space tags, too, and display content accordingly, so normally you'd be best set to have the monitor in native P3 mode (factory-calibrated or with a more precise individual calibration) and letting macOS taking care of handling content if it's tagged correctly.

Differences with your boss's monitor might be in the selected colour profile in display settings; It could be worth it to look at that, and then to consider if you could or should optimize your photo workflow in any way (such as explicitly tagging and/or converting colour spaces if necessary).

Thanks for the clarification, makes sense... also I forgot that I can simply set the color space within each program

 

[zach-coleman]

I am incredibly happy to say I'm finally an owner of a Studio Display! Finally managed to snag a tilt and height adjustable normal model. Unfortunately I do not yet have a desk to put it on, haha.

Forgive the bad framing of the final picture.

 

[antipodean]

Nice! I picked up the same model yesterday (available in store for same day pickup). Loving it so far. The stand is a great piece of engineering. The display is pin sharp and the sound very serviceable.

 

[zach-coleman]

Of course I'd be in the honeymoon phase with something I've have barely more than 24 hours, but I am incredibly in love with this monitor. I never had a 5K iMac so this resolution is totally new to me. Prior to this, I had a 24" 1080p monitor (91ppi), so I'm really feeling the clarity here. I'm really just in awe of the color and clarity of this panel. It's pin sharp, I can hardly find a pixel even if I hold my face right up to it. The build quality is possibly the best of anything I own. It's beautiful both as an object in a room and as a screen to do work on. The speakers sound incredible, although I've never been much of an audiophile so take that with a grain of salt if you are.

I have tried it both with my laptop below it, and am currently trying it with my laptop in clamshell mode with a keyboard and mouse attached. I think I prefer it this way, but I don't own an apple keyboard so I'll probably pick one up if I continue to prefer this way of using it.

Where I am sitting currently has a window with closed blinds behind me, and the glare is fine. It's nearly identical to the glare of the modern apple laptops if you are someone who is curious about the coatings. I saw a nano texture in a store and I wasn't a fan.

I've not messed much with the camera yet. I will probably not be impressed considering what's been said about it by many people before. However, I'm not much of a video calling person so whatever. Center Stage feels like a perfect idea for a product like this but I guess they failed to get the correct hardware in there.

Not having to deal with terrible monitor menus controlled via stupid buttons to adjust settings is a really underrated feature. It's a breeze to adjust anything I need to, and I love features like auto brightness and True Tone.

Is spatial audio always on? I don't see any toggles for it.

This monitor certainly isn't a product for everyone but it checks every box of mine. On paper I wouldn't mind a higher refresh rate, but I'm really not noticing that missing element very much.

Additional comment that really hardly matters but I want to mention anyways: Did anyone else notice the unboxing experience of the Studio Display was a lot lower quality than most of the other apple devices these days? Difficult to open tabs, confusing initial box design (it's upside down in there!), and generally the materials that held components like the cables didn't feel quite up to par. Again, this is an incredibly stupid nitpick. It'll only ever go back in that thing when I'm moving, so it doesn't really matter at all now.