Starting this thread so we can keep track of available options for 5K/6K monitors in India and also share experiences of using them. The main audience that’d benefit from this thread is macOS users/pixel peepers who want the right HiDPI experience but I (personally) think integer scaling matters regardless of your OS and rig of choice.
Starting with ProArt PA32QCV 6K which is available to pre-book on NationalPC:
One of the best looking IPS panels I’ve ever seen and that too, glossy. Out of the box, had pretty much no backlight bleeding or dim edges etc. Colors (covers P3) look consistent across Apple devices to my eyes.
Stellar camera/mic with center stage that just works with macOS.
Great/loud enough speakers for a monitor for me personally.
600 nits of brightness, made this pretty much the top option back then if you care about that (e.g. working in bright rooms).
Just works with macOS/iPadOS out of the box.
The not so good
The fact that I need to take my ASD to the service center, pay more to get the back replaced just so I can have a more usable stand or add a VESA mount. This is just astronomical levels of grift from Apple and was totally unnecessary.
The power cable is hard to remove and is not meant to be removed. Very, very stupid.
Just 4 USB-Cs in the back with one for display + power output at 96W and rest being just USB 2.0 speed ports. No other ports. No HDMI, no DisplayPort, no audio out. There was so much potential for greatness.
60Hz. This is more of a TB4 limitation of the time but it’s still annoying when the MacBook Pros come equipped with 120Hz displays. It’s fine if your focus is mostly productivity.
HDR being non-existent for a monitor of this price range. Would’ve been nicer if they at least adopted the mini-LED tech from the MacBook Pros. Both Apple monitors available as of writing this IMHO pale in comparison to the MBP screens and that gap is rumored to get worse soon.
I get coil whine (?) when there are multiple heavy duty appliances running in my home and there are others who report the same. Couldn’t get mine serviced since they couldn’t reproduce it and when that happens, you are SOL. Apple blames it on my house wiring. Might be true but this is the first time that happened and I rather blame Apple.
Compatibility with Windows and other operating systems might not be guaranteed. Never tried.
Boot up time feels a bit slow. After all, there’s an iPhone chip inside.
Too costly for 2025 with too little to offer in terms of ports. There should be good options in the market soon if all you want is a good 5K display. Buy if you can get a good deal on a used one or get a good deal for a new one, go for it but only if you are all in on Apple stuff. If your housing is very old, don’t buy this unless you listen to coil whine ASMR. If you have TB5/DP 2.1 capable machine, look out for 120Hz 5K displays if/when they become available if you want to work and play.
First one’s the real problem but disagree on second: you get extra real estate to keep the 4K preview and then have some extras. More impactful on a 6K monitor.
Agree that 5K/6K is still not needed for most people. But again, I believe it’s mostly because of the price. If it comes down significantly in the coming years, which it might, I’m sure everyone will start adopting.
I am looking at this as a stepping stone for reduction in price and mainstream entry of 4K monitors and certainly not interested in other’K’ at this point. As of now 2K/1440 itself is struggling. And Mac users always prefer Apple Studio for its gorgeous displays. So the competition will have to work harder.
