Dough’s 27″ Glossy OLED Monitor is Now the ‘Spectrum Black’ with Glass Coating in Partnership with Corning

Dough have today announced that their forthcoming 27″ OLED monitor, formally known as the Spectrum ES07E2D (previous news piece here), will go by the launch name of “Spectrum Black”. The change in name is “referencing the perfect contrast offered by its OLED panel equipped with cover glass In collaboration with Corning, Spectrum Black monitors now have Gorilla Glass with the DXC AntiReflective treatment.” The actual model name will remain the same (ES07E2D) although Dough are also making available a matte coated version at a lower price point (ES07E2F). More information on that model below as well.

The monitor remains 27″ in size (specifically 26.5″) and features a 240Hz refresh rate WOLED technology panel from LG.Display, 2560 x 1440 resolution and an impressive spec sheet including a 0.03ms G2G response time, 240Hz refresh rate and adaptive-sync VRR for gaming. Thanks to the OLED panel there is also per-pixel dimming for excellent HDR performance and a near infinite contrast ratio, with true blacks.

It’s an alternative option to the LG 27GR95Q and Asus ROG Swift PG27AQDM we have reviewed, which both use the same panel, although those models have a traditional matte screen coating, and one of the key features of the Dough offering is it’s glossy coating finish. Plenty more info on this new screen below.

Disclaimer

We should say here that we are not in a position to vouch for Dough (formally known as Eve) as a manufacturer or supplier or not, and that is not the aim of this news piece. We are simply covering the announcement and launch of a new and interesting display from the company at this time. After much feedback from our audience we have added this disclaimer to the article as well so that readers can consider all aspects of their possible purchase.

It’s fair to say that the company has not been without its problems and controversies over the years. We will leave you, the reader, to consider your purchase and Dough/Eve as a brand. If you want further information from previous buyers and owners of their products and displays we would encourage you to check out the Eve community and also the Eve section on Reddit for lots more information.

Corning Glass Coating on the Glossy Model

The partnership with Corning has lead to the creation of a special glass coating for the screen, which apparently will significantly enhance visual quality through improved perceived contrast, sharpness, and colors. Dough claim that when compared to the previous model, ambient contrast ratio is increased by 40%, and the Corning DXC Anti Reflective coating reduces reflections by 70%. Unlike Industry conventional matte coatings that reduce reflections via haze and scattering reflections, the Spectrum Black’s DXC AR coating uses a carefully engineered combination of layers with different refractive indices.

Dough have opted to use a glossy screen coating for this model which is bound to be popular with some buyers. There’s a lot of debate about whether matte or glossy coating is better for a desktop monitor, and for an OLED panel. It really depends on your lighting conditions and usage patterns, but it’s great to see a glossy option provided for those who’ve decided they want it. In the right room conditions you get a better black depth and contrast, as well as an image that pops more. You do need to be more mindful of reflections though with a glossy coating. Dough previously released a glossy version of their popular Spectrum 4K screen as well, which we talked about and tested here.

For lots more discussion on matte vs glossy on OLED panels, check out our comparison video of the LG 42C2 (glossy) and the Asus PG42UQ (matte).

Dough Spectrum Black ES07E2D Specs

The Spectrum Black is 26.5″ in size (27″ class) and has a 16:9 aspect ratio and a flat screen format (not curved). It has a 2560 x 1440 resolution (1440p) which is well-suited to a screen of this size, allowing refresh rate to be prioritised as well. There is a 0.03ms G2G response time and the high native 240Hz refresh rate is supported by adaptive-sync for VRR, including expected certifications under the NVIDIA ‘G-sync Compatible, AMD ‘FreeSync Premium Pro’ and VESA ‘Adaptive-Sync’ schemes. There is a 48 – 240Hz VRR range by the way. There’s a few gaming extras like crosshair and frame rate counter available too.

In other specs there is a 1.5 million:1 advertised contrast ratio, although with the OLED panel being able to turn off pixels individually, this is approaching infinite:1 with true blacks. For brightness, Dough list a “typical” brightness of 150 cd/m² (for SDR), a peak SDR brightness of 450 cd/m² and a peak HDR brightness of 1000 cd/m² which is typical for OLED technology in this space at the moment. It remains to be seen how brightness in SDR mode behaves with things like ABL.

For HDR the screen will carry the VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification (for OLED, not to be confused with HDR 400) and supports HDR10 content.

There is a 10-bit colour depth as well, and the screen comes factory calibrated. The monitor has a wide 98.5% DCI-P3 colour gamut and will also come factory calibrated with a dE <1 and a D65 white point. They also list the fact that the screen has “pixel perfect integer scaling” to handle lower resolutions as with their other monitors like the Spectrum 4K.

The optional stand will offer tilt, height, swivel and rotate adjustments.

Black Frame Insertion (BFI) now added!

A feature not originally included, but that has now been added by Dough is Black Frame Insertion (BFI). This is the OLED equivalent of a strobing blur reduction backlight on LCD screens, and really helps improve motion clarity in practice. It works especially well on OLED panels thanks to their near-instant response times, and the lack of BFI is something we’ve often lamented on recent OLED displays. LG and Asus did not include it on their equivalent 27″ 1440p 240Hz monitors, but Dough have said in an update from May 2023 that they already have this working up to 120Hz and are planning to extend this if possible up to 240Hz. The final options will be confirmed later on, but it’s excellent news that it will be featured in some form on this monitor.

Connectivity options

The screen has a decent range of modern connectivity options. There are 2x HDMI 2.1 ports and Dough go as far as to specifically list the capabilities supported which is great to see. There’s support for HDMI-VRR and ALLM included here which is good, although the port bandwidth is not listed – we are confirming with Dough. There is also 1x DisplayPort 1.4 (with DSC) and 1x USB type-C connection (with DP Alt mode and 100W power delivery). An additional 2x USB type-C data ports are provided along with 2x USB A ports and an audio jack.

The screen supports Picture in Picture (PiP) modes. The screen has a built-in KVM function as well. The additional Spectrum stand supports tilt, height, swivel and rotate adjustments.

Warranty and Burn-in cover

Dough say that the screen will have a 3 year limited warranty, a zero bright dot pixel policy and also a 2 year burn in warranty.

Dough say they also recognized the importance of optimal thermal management. As such, it made key adjustments to the monitor design. The internal metal structure, in conjunction with thermal interface material, now acts as a heatsink, significantly increasing the surface area to dissipate heat. Additionally, ventilation holes are strategically placed to enhance airflow over the monitor’s vital components, ensuring optimal performance.

Availability and Pricing

Just like the company’s current models, the price of this new monitor will gradually increase as it nears shipment and a global retail release. Early supporters can benefit from Dough’s lean online-only cost structure with no middle-man markups. As they near retail launch, the price will go up to reflect the extra costs charged by retailers. As an example of what you might expect here, the original Spectrum 4K model that currently retails for $949 USD was picked up by early customers for as low as $569.

You can check the current pricing and place orders with Dough here if you’re interested, which will slowly rise up to its eventual RRP of $1099 at launch. Deliveries will start in July 2023 apparently and we hope to feature a review of the screen when it’s available.

A lower cost matte coated version will also be available (ES07E2F)

Dough are also creating a Spectrum Black monitor (model number ES07E2F) with a matte screen coating, for customers who seek a more affordable option without compromising on quality. It boasts the same excellent specs and features as the gloss variant, just with a different screen coating material. The retail price for this model is $899 USD at launch, but with Dough’s early backer pricing model, consumers can purchase the monitor at a lower price via its online store.

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