The Quick Verdict
Get the BenQ AK700ST 4K Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector. It lists at $2,899, which is $2,000 under the LK936ST at list. It throws the wider image from the same spot. BenQ states it can fill 4:3 and 1:1 screens, and it carries a published three-year warranty. The BenQ LK936ST 4K HDR Short Throw Laser Projector justifies its $4,899 MSRP in two cases: you want the lower input lag BenQ lists for it, or the projector can't hang centered on the screen and you need lens shift. Check price at The Indoor Golf Shop →
What They Have in Common
Same brand, same 3840x2160 resolution, 16:9 native, and a laser light source rated at 20,000 hours in normal mode on each. Both are short throw by the numbers, so neither one needs a deep room. BenQ names a golf picture mode on both.
Where They Differ
Throw and image size
The formula is image width = throw distance ÷ throw ratio. The AK700ST's zoom runs 0.69–0.83:1, so from 10 ft back it puts up an image 12.0 ft to 14.5 ft wide. The LK936ST runs 0.81–0.89:1, which gives 11.2 ft to 12.3 ft wide from the same 10 ft.
You can also work it backwards from a 10 ft wide image. The AK700ST sits 6.9 ft–8.3 ft from the screen to get there. The LK936ST sits 8.1 ft–8.9 ft. That gap at the short end matters. It's the difference between hanging the projector closer in over the hitting area and hanging it further back toward where you stand. Measure from where the lens will sit to the screen, and check that number against those ranges.
Screen shapes
BenQ states the AK700ST can fill 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 1:1. For the LK936ST, BenQ lists no selectable aspect modes at all. That isn't the same as saying it can't do 4:3 or square, and it isn't the same as "16:9 only." It just isn't stated. If your impact screen is 4:3 or square, only one of these has it in writing.
Brightness, lag and golf mode
The AK700ST lists 4,000 lumens and the LK936ST lists 5,100 lumens. BenQ doesn't state which measurement standard either figure uses. I'd read them as two numbers off the same brand's spec sheets, with the LK936ST listing the higher one.
Input lag at 1080p 60Hz is 33.4 ms on the AK700ST and 16.7 ms on the LK936ST. That's a 16.7 ms gap in the LK936ST's favor, and it's the clearest spec win the pricier projector has. Both have a golf mode, per BenQ.
Lens, keystone and the rest
The LK936ST pairs a 1.1 optical zoom with lens shift of vertical -60%+60% and horizontal -23%+23%. The AK700ST has a 1.2 optical zoom and no lens shift. That's where the LK936ST gives you mounting slack. Keystone is 3D on both, at ±40 degrees per axis on the LK936ST and ±30 degrees on the AK700ST.
The AK700ST weighs 7.48 lbs and measures 11.94 x 4.43 x 9.23 in. The LK936ST weighs 15.4 lbs and measures 16.4 x 6.5 x 13.8 in, which makes the AK700ST 7.92 lbs lighter. BenQ says the AK700ST's 4K is pixel-shift. It doesn't say how the LK936ST produces its 4K.
The AK700ST's warranty is "3 years parts and labor from purchase date (original retail purchaser), US." BenQ doesn't publish a warranty term for the LK936ST. The AK700ST is a 2025 release and the LK936ST a 2021 one.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the BenQ AK700ST 4K Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector if:
- Your impact screen is 4:3 or square and you want the maker to state the projector can fill that shape.
- You want the widest image from a given distance. It's 12.0 ft to 14.5 ft wide from 10 ft back, versus 11.2 ft to 12.3 ft.
- You need the projector closer to the screen. A 10 ft wide image starts at 6.9 ft here, against 8.1 ft on the LK936ST.
- You're mounting overhead and the 7.48 lb weight and smaller body help.
- You want a published warranty term in hand.
Get the BenQ LK936ST 4K HDR Short Throw Laser Projector if:
- Input lag is your priority: 16.7 ms against 33.4 ms at 1080p 60Hz.
- The projector can't sit centered on the screen. Its vertical and horizontal lens shift give you placement slack the AK700ST doesn't have.
- You want the higher listed lumen figure, 5,100 against 4,000.
- Your screen is 16:9, so the unstated aspect modes don't matter.
The Bottom Line
The AK700ST lists for $2,000 less. It throws a wider image from 10 ft and can sit closer to the screen. BenQ states it fills 4:3 and 1:1, and it has a published three-year warranty. The LK936ST answers with half the input lag, real lens shift, and a higher lumen figure, all at $4,899. If I had to bet, most bays get more out of the screen-shape support and the shorter throw than out of the lag gap. Unless off-center mounting forces your hand, the cheaper one is the pick.