HANNSpree XM-S Verona - TechRadar UK

HANNSpree's entrant includes an HDMI input.

This makes it possible to connect an HDMI-equipped PC or games console without the need for a converter.

Given the fact that even the most recent graphics cards are still sporting dual-DVI ports, the combination of HDMI and VGA inputs seems a little unwieldy for PC use.

Awkward connectivity

Should you decide to donate the HDMI port to a games console or similar, you'll be left with the VGA socket.

This exhibited some strange behaviour in that on booting into Windows, the automatic "auto-adjust" repeatedly failed to focus correctly, leaving text in particular very blurry.

Numerous attempts to make conditions easier for the Verona so that it could correctly adjust itself were unsuccessful. However, when waking from standby these problems were cured each time.

Fair Verona?

Despite its VGA issues, the Verona is a handsome display, housed in a glossy plastic casing.

Offering decent, yet fairly average, specifications including a 1,000:1 contrast ratio and 300cd/m2 brightness level, we found the Verona's image quality to be attractive yet unspectacular. It did, however, take some tweaking to achieve a picture we were satisfied with.

IIn the somewhat unspectacular integrated speakers battle, the Verona includes slightly more powerful 2W offerings.

Sound quality is, therefore, fractionally better than its peers but still nowhere near a match for dedicated speakers.