Nebula (Soundcore) Nebula by Soundcore Mars 3 Air Google TV Projector (Black)

Nebula (Soundcore) Nebula by Soundcore Mars 3 Air Google TV Projector (Black)

By Nebula (Soundcore) · Smart Projectors · Audio & Electronics

  • 400 ANSI lumens
  • 1080p HDR display
  • Google TV built-in
  • Doubles as a Bluetooth speaker

Lowest price seen
$599.99
from $599.99 at Soundcore · Checked Oct 7, 2026

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

A battery-powered 1080p DLP projector with Google TV, licensed Netflix and two 8W speakers, sized to carry from room to room. The trade-off to plan around is brightness: it needs a dark room, and on battery the Eco mode that stretches to 2.5 hours dims the picture hard.

Strengths

  • Genuinely portable at 3.7 lb, with a carry handle and a built-in battery.
  • Auto setup handles focus, keystone, screen fit and obstacles quickly.
  • The dual 8W Dolby speakers sound strong for the size.
  • Licensed Netflix runs at full 1080p with no sideloading.
  • A full movie is possible on battery in Eco mode.
  • Doubles as a Bluetooth speaker for up to 8 hours.

Weaknesses

  • 400 lumens washes out fast with any ambient light; this is a dark-room projector.
  • At usable brightness on battery, real runtime is closer to 1 to 1.5 hours.
  • Google TV stutters and lags on its 2GB RAM and modest chip.
  • No USB-C power, only a proprietary 19V barrel adapter.
  • The shallow 1/4"-20 tripod thread lets the projector wobble.
  • Fan noise is inconsistent, with owners reporting loud fans.

Verified specifications

ModelNebula by Soundcore Mars 3 Air, model D2325, black.
Brightness400 ANSI lumens claimed; independent testing measured 399 in Conference, 383 in Standard, 372 in Movie, 382 in Game and 145 in Eco.
Native resolution1920 x 1080 (1080p), 16:9.
ImagingDLP with a 0.23-inch DMD chip and an RGB LED light source.
Light source liferated 30,000 hours.
Contrast400:1 manufacturer claim.
Throw ratio1.2:1; 30-inch to 150-inch image; manual throw distance 0.8 to 4.0 m.
Auto setupautofocus, auto keystone correction, auto screen fit and obstacle avoidance.
PlatformGoogle TV with licensed Netflix, Chromecast and Google Play apps; Android TV 11.0 underneath.
Chip and memoryMT9629 with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage.
Audiotwo 8W speakers with Dolby Audio, plus a standalone Bluetooth speaker mode.
Batteryrated 2.5 hours of video in Eco, 8 hours of Bluetooth audio.
Wireless802.11 a/b/g/n/ac on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz; Bluetooth 5.1.
PortsHDMI with ARC, USB-A 2.0, 3.5mm audio out and a 19V DC barrel power input with a 90W adapter.
Noisemanufacturer claim under 28 dB; independent testing measured 42.4 dBA.
Input lag44.1 ms at 1080p/60Hz.
Weight3.7 lb (1.693 kg).
Dimensions7.0 x 4.8 x 5.2 inches (178 x 122 x 133 mm).
Operating temperature32 to 95°F (0 to 35°C).
Remoteincludes two AAA batteries.
Warranty12 months new; 3 months on certified-refurbished units.
Full research notes and sources

Brightness and battery are the real trade

The 400 ANSI lumens figure is reachable, but only in Conference mode, which carries a green cast. ProjectorCentral measured 383 lumens in the more usable Standard mode and just 145 in Eco, the only mode that stretches the battery toward the 2.5-hour rating. On battery at higher brightness, owners and reviewers see closer to 1 to 1.5 hours, and RTINGS puts maximum-brightness runtime under 90 minutes. ProjectorCentral got 3 hours 10 minutes in Eco at 145 lumens; The Smart Home Hook Up measured 3 hours 23 minutes at 128 lumens. Practical image size lands well under the 150-inch maximum once light creeps in.

Streaming, app performance and owners

Google TV carries the apps, and the licensed Netflix app plays at full 1080p rather than the 720p cap some cheap projectors enforce. The catch is the hardware under it: a MT9629 chip and 2GB of RAM leave menus slow and playback occasionally stuttery. Owners in r/projectors and r/nebulaprojectors describe Netflix and Prime behaving acceptably while other apps lag; another 2026 owner reported heavy lag in Peacock, Paramount+ and rented Google TV videos even after moving the router and clearing the cache. There is no published failure rate, so treat the app slowness as a known annoyance rather than a defect. A streaming stick can bypass it but costs you the all-in-one convenience.

Parts, running costs and warranty

There are no user-serviceable parts. The LED engine is rated 30,000 hours with no replaceable lamp or filter, the internal battery is not user-replaceable, and the manual says not to disassemble the unit. If you need spares, a third-party Pwron replacement AC adapter runs about $25.98 and a D2325-compatible remote is around $37.49 at Newegg; no OEM prices were found.

Power use is modest. ProjectorCentral measured about 49.9 W in Standard/Movie, 59.2 W in Conference and 22.4 W in Eco. Two hours a day at 49.9 W works out to about 36.4 kWh a year, roughly $5.46 to $12.75 at illustrative rates of $0.15 to $0.35 per kWh; the same schedule in Eco is about 16.4 kWh and $2.45 to $5.72. There is no mandatory subscription, though streaming plans are separate. The new-unit warranty is 12 months; certified-refurbished units carry only 3 months, with a 30-day return window.

Is it worth it?

Soundcore lists the Mars 3 Air at $599.99, with a $120 coupon that would bring it to $479.99, and the Mars collection separately shows $519.99 (Soundcore, 2026-10). Certified-refurbished units appear at $429.99, a $170 cut from list, but with 3 months of warranty. Walmart listings run around $510. At $400 or less new, or around $350 refurbished, it is a strong value for nighttime portable viewing. From $401 to $450 it stays appealing if sound quality matters more than placement flexibility. From $451 to $500 compare the XGIMI MoGo 4, which is $479 direct with 450 ISO lumens and a built-in adjustable stand. Above $500 it is weak value, and at full $599.99 skip it unless a promotion is running.

Which model this is

This is the Mars 3 Air, model D2325, the smallest of the Mars line. It is not the larger, brighter Mars 3 (model D2333, rated 1,000 lumens), and not the smaller Nebula Capsule 3. Both of those have different specs and their reliability reports do not transfer. Soundcore labels the HDMI port 2.1/ARC while reviewers list it as HDMI 2.0, so do not count on HDMI 2.1 gaming features.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Parts and stores:

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