The Quick Verdict
The BenQ AH30ST 1080P Short Throw LED Golf Simulator Projector is the one I'd hang over most hitting bays. It has the same lens specs as the AK700ST, so it mounts in the same spot and makes the same size image. It lists the same 4:3 and square screen modes and has a golf mode too. It also lists $1,400 lower, and BenQ rates its input lag at 16.7 ms against 33.4 ms. The AK700ST earns the extra money only if a 4K image, BenQ's higher 4,000-lumen rating or rotation keystone correction is a must for the build. Check price at Amazon →
What They Have in Common
Same throw ratio, 0.69–0.83:1. Same 1.2x optical zoom, and neither has lens shift. Each lists 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 1:1 among its modes, and each has a golf mode. Both are 2025 models, both are rated at 20,000 hours for the light source, and both carry a 3-year parts and labor warranty from the purchase date for the original retail purchaser in the US.
Where They Differ
Throw and image size: a dead heat
Image width is throw distance divided by throw ratio. With identical 0.69–0.83:1 lenses, either one makes an image 12.0 ft to 14.5 ft wide from 10 ft back. For a 10 ft wide image, either one sits 6.9 ft–8.3 ft from the screen. The zoom is all the mounting slack you get, since neither has lens shift. So the number to measure is the distance from where the lens will sit to the screen. A ratio this low is the difference between hanging the projector up over the hitting area and hanging it behind you, and on this pair you get the same answer whichever box you open.
Screen shape doesn't separate them either. BenQ lists 4:3 and 1:1 for both, which covers the common impact-screen shapes.
Input lag and brightness
BenQ rates the AH30ST at 16.7 ms of input lag at 1080p 60Hz and the AK700ST at 33.4 ms. That's a 16.7 ms gap in the AH30ST's favor. Call it a hunch, but on a sim bay that's the figure I'd weight first, ahead of resolution.
Brightness goes the other way. BenQ lists the AH30ST at 3,000 lumens and the AK700ST at 4,000. It doesn't state the measurement standard for either. On BenQ's own figures, the AK700ST is rated 1,000 lumens higher.
Resolution, light source and keystone
The AH30ST is native 1920x1080. The AK700ST is 4K UHD at 3840x2160, and BenQ says that 4K comes from pixel-shift. The AH30ST uses LED and the AK700ST uses laser, with the same 20,000-hour rating.
Keystone is where the AK700ST adds something real for awkward mounts. The AH30ST lists 2D keystone with auto, vertical ±30° and horizontal ±30°. The AK700ST lists 3D keystone: vertical ±30°, horizontal ±30° and rotation ±30°. That rotation axis is the extra.
Size, weight and price
The AH30ST weighs 5.84 lbs and measures 11.95 x 4.23 x 8.69 in. The AK700ST weighs 7.48 lbs at 11.94 x 4.43 x 9.23 in. That makes the AH30ST 1.64 lbs lighter. At list, it's $1,499 MSRP against $2,899, a $1,400 gap.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the BenQ AH30ST if:
- Input lag is the spec you're ranking on. BenQ rates it at 16.7 ms at 1080p 60Hz against the AK700ST's 33.4 ms.
- The screen is 4:3 or square. BenQ lists both shapes for this model, so there's no need to pay more for them.
- A lighter box matters for the mount. It's 5.84 lbs against 7.48 lbs.
- Everything else is a tie. It has the same lens, golf mode, warranty and rated light-source life as the AK700ST for $1,400 less at list.
Get the BenQ AK700ST if:
- The mounting position needs rotation correction. It lists ±30° rotation on top of vertical and horizontal keystone.
- The projector doubles for movies or TV off the sim. Its 3840x2160 pixel-shift 4K is the one resolution edge in this pair.
- The higher rated brightness is a requirement. BenQ lists 4,000 lumens against 3,000, with no standard stated for either.
- A laser light source is on the spec sheet you're building to.
The Bottom Line
These two share a lens, so the throw math doesn't pick a side. Image width is throw distance divided by throw ratio, and either one makes an image 12.0 ft to 14.5 ft wide from 10 ft back. With the throw settled, the deciding numbers are input lag and list price, and the AH30ST wins both: 16.7 ms against 33.4 ms, and $1,499 against $2,899. The AK700ST's 4K, higher lumen rating and rotation keystone are real additions, but they cost $1,400 at list, and the lag figure goes the wrong way. If I had to bet on which one a sim bay gets more out of, it's the cheaper one.