Epson BX925FWD review
It looks great, is cheap to run and performs reasonably well, but Epson's BX925FWD wouldn't be our first choice in the office.
Specifications
38ppm print speed, USB, 10/100 Ethernet, 802.11n wireless, 300x446x368mm
The BX925FWD is the top model in Epson’s considerable range of business-orientated MFPs. Although it can’t handle A3 paper like the Brother MFP reviewed opposite, it has a similarly high specification that includes faxing, direct photo printing and support for wired and wireless networking.
This MFP’s paper handling is almost as impressive as the Brother’s. Again, there are two 250-sheet paper trays and both the ADF and printer have automatic duplexing, so prints, scans and copies can all be double-sided. While the Brother achieves duplex scans in a single pass by using a second contact image sensor (CIS) arranged within the ADF, Epson’s solution is to mechanically flip the paper over and re-feed it.
While many business-focused products look dull, the BX925FWD is quite striking. It’s made from attractive black plastics, and has a particularly attention-grabbing control system. Almost everything is accessed via a huge touch-sensitive panel, at the centre of which is an 8.9cm colour touchscreen. Such systems can be disastrously cumbersome and prone to lag, but Epson’s is very responsive, making this MFP easy to use. It’s a complex device, though, and as with the Brother you have to dig around for some of the advanced settings.
The BX925FWD generally feels as well-built as it looks. When we began testing the scanner, we were surprised to see a ‘scanner warming up’ message for a few seconds; something typical of older devices with fluorescent light sources but not of a modern CIS scanner that uses LEDs for illumination. Fortunately this didn’t reappear between jobs.
Basic Specifications | |
---|---|
Rating | *** |
Maximum native print resolution | 5,760×1,440dpi |
Max optical resolution | 2,400×2,400dpi |
Output bit depth | 24-bit |
Quoted Speeds | |
Quoted speed, mono A4 | 38ppm |
Quoted speed, colour A4 | 38ppm |
Tested Print Speeds | |
Time for two 10x8in photos 1.0 | 9m 5s |
Time for six 6x4in photos 1.0 | 15m 5s |
Physical and Environmental | |
Standard printer interfaces | USB, 10/100 Ethernet, 802.11n wireless |
Optional printer interfaces | none |
Size | 300x446x368mm |
Weight | 9.8kg |
Noise (in normal use) | 37dB(A) |
Paper Handling | |
Maximum paper size | A4/legal |
Standard paper inputs | 2 |
Standard paper input capacity | 500 |
Maximum paper inputs | 2 |
Maximum paper input capacity | 500 |
Duplex (code, cost if option) | Yes |
General | |
Printer technology | piezo inkjet |
Supported operating systems | Windows XP/Vista/7, Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later |
Other inkjet features | 19.8cm touchpanel with 8.9cm colour touchscreen |
Other inkjet options | none |
Buying Information | |
Price | £220 |
Consumable parts and prices | £10 |
Price per colour A4 page | 4.1p |
Quoted life of supplied photo cartridge(s) | n/a |
Warranty | one-year RTB |
Supplier | http://www.morecomputers.com |
Details | www.epson.co.uk |
Print Quality | |
Number of ink colours | 4 |
Number of ink cartridges | 4 |
Maximum number of ink colours | 4 |
Maximum number of cartridges | 4 |
Quoted photo durability | 100 years |
Quoted photo durability source | Wilhelm Imaging Research |
Tested Scan Speeds | |
Full scan area preview | 9s |
A4 document at 150dpi | 11s |
A4 document at 300dpi | 19s |
6x4in photo at 600dpi | 20s |
6x4in photo at 1200dpi | 1m 3s |
Tested Copy Speeds | |
Time for single A4 mono copy 1.0 | 10s |
Time for single A4 colour copy 1.0 | 26s |
Time for 10 A4 copies using feeder 2.0 | 3m 26s |
Photo Features | |
PictBridge support | Yes |
Borderless printing | A4 |
Direct (PC-less) printing | Yes |
Supported memory cards | Compact Flash, MicroDrive, Memory Stick/PRO, MMC/Plus, xD |
CD printing | No |
Copy Features | |
Maximum number of copies | 99 |
Fax Features | |
Max mono fax resolution | 200x200dpi |
Fax memory (maximum mono pages) | 180 |