The Quick Verdict
Get the BenQ AH700ST 1080P Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector (Ace). It lists at $2,299, which is $2,600 less than the LK936ST at list. BenQ states it can fill 4:3 and 1:1 screens, and it gives a wider image from the same mounting spot. It also comes with a published 3-year warranty. The LK936ST justifies its $4,899 MSRP only if its lower input-lag figure, its lens shift or its 3840x2160 resolution outweighs all of that for your bay. Check price at The Indoor Golf Shop →
What They Have in Common
Same maker. Both are short-throw laser projectors with a 16:9 native shape, both have a golf picture mode BenQ names, and both are rated at 20,000 hours of light-source life in normal mode. Each has a zoom lens, so each gives a range of image sizes rather than one fixed figure. Neither lists a successor.
Where They Differ
Throw and image size
Image width is throw distance divided by throw ratio. The AH700ST's throw ratio runs 0.69–0.83:1, so from 10 ft back it gives an image 12.0 ft to 14.5 ft wide. The LK936ST runs 0.81–0.89:1, which works out to 11.2 ft to 12.3 ft wide from the same 10 ft.
Flip it around for a 10 ft wide image. The AH700ST sits 6.9 ft–8.3 ft from the screen, and the LK936ST sits 8.1 ft–8.9 ft. Both are short-throw by the numbers. The AH700ST reaches the same width from closer in and has more spread across its zoom range. Measure the distance from where the lens will hang to the screen and hold it up against those ranges.
The LK936ST claws some of that back on mounting slack. BenQ lists lens shift of -60% to +60% vertical and -23% to +23% horizontal for it. The AH700ST has no lens shift. Keystone follows the same pattern. The AH700ST lists 2D correction at ±30 degrees vertical and horizontal. The LK936ST lists 3D correction at ±40 degrees vertical, horizontal and rotation. Optical zoom is 1.2 on the AH700ST and 1.1 on the LK936ST.
Screen shapes
For the AH700ST, BenQ states 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 1:1 modes. For the LK936ST, BenQ lists no selectable aspect modes at all. That doesn't mean the LK936ST can't fill a square or 4:3 impact screen. It means BenQ doesn't say either way. If your screen is 4:3 or square, only one of these has it in writing.
Brightness, lag and resolution
The AH700ST lists 4,000 lumens and the LK936ST lists 5,100. BenQ doesn't state which measurement standard either figure uses, so treat both as BenQ's listed numbers. On those numbers, the LK936ST lists 1,100 more lumens.
Input lag at 1080p 60Hz is 16.7 ms on the LK936ST and 33.4 ms on the AH700ST. That's a 16.7 ms gap in the LK936ST's favor, and it's the clearest spec win the pricier projector has. Resolution is 1920x1080 on the AH700ST and 3840x2160 on the LK936ST. BenQ doesn't say how the LK936ST's 4K is produced.
Size, warranty and price
The AH700ST weighs 7.28 lbs and measures 11.95 x 4.43 x 9.23 in. The LK936ST weighs 15.4 lbs and measures 16.4 x 6.5 x 13.8 in, so it's 8.12 lbs heavier. Worth knowing if it's going on a ceiling mount.
The AH700ST's warranty is "3 years parts and labor from purchase date (original retail purchaser), US." BenQ publishes no warranty term for the LK936ST. The AH700ST is the 2024 release and the LK936ST is from 2021. At list, it's $2,299 against $4,899.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the BenQ AH700ST if:
- Your impact screen is 4:3 or square and you want the maker to state the projector can fill that shape.
- The lens has to sit closer in: it gets a 10 ft wide image from 6.9 ft–8.3 ft back.
- You want a published warranty term. It has one, and BenQ lists none for the LK936ST.
- The mount needs to carry less weight. At 7.28 lbs, it's the lighter of the two.
- You'd rather keep $2,600 at list for the rest of the bay.
Get the BenQ LK936ST if:
- The input-lag figure is the spec you care about most. It lists 16.7 ms against 33.4 ms.
- You can't get the mount square to the screen. Its ±60% vertical and ±23% horizontal lens shift give slack the AH700ST doesn't have.
- You want the 3840x2160 resolution and the higher listed lumen figure, and $4,899 at list is fine with you.
- Your screen is 16:9, so the missing aspect-mode list doesn't matter.
The Bottom Line
The LK936ST has real spec wins: half the listed input lag, lens shift, 3D keystone and a higher resolution. Seems like a lot of hardware for $4,899, though. For a hitting bay, the AH700ST covers the things that decide the build. It has stated 4:3 and 1:1 modes, a wider image from the same distance, a published 3-year warranty and a lighter body to hang. It does all that for $2,600 less at list. Measure your lens-to-screen distance first. Unless lag or lens shift is the deciding spec, the cheaper one is the pick.