Sonic Mighty 8K is the third printer from Phrozen's 8K resolution LCD 3D printer series. After the incredible size of Sonic Mega 8K and the revolutionary details from the Sonic Mini 8K, now comes the Sonic Mighty 8K. It offers almost the same level of detail as the Sonic Mini 8K, but with a much larger printing area.
Greg from 3DPrintingPro received this resin 3D printer while he was on holiday, so it took him quite some time before he could finally review it. But fast forward to 2023, this article will cover his thoughts about this resin printer, including:
- The sturdy-built of Sonic Mighty 8K
- Special features never seen before on other 3D printers
- Perfect Test Prints Every Time
- Still a Phrozen Fanboy
- Is Sonic Mighty 8K Worth It?
Unboxing the New Resin 3D Printer
As in the usual unboxing video from Greg—except for the Sonic Mega 8K because of its sheer size, his special 'unboxer' is ready to help him unbox and prepare the machine to review.
Greg started by unboxing the toolbox. It has all the usual stuff like the power brick, cables, gloves, scrapers, and just everything you need to start your resin 3D printing journey. What's different is that this time, it also includes a piece of sandpaper in case you want to give your building plate a little sand off. But most importantly, it includes a Wi-Fi adapter. The Sonic Mighty 8K is equipped with a network connection system, so you can easily transfer your 3D model files through the network instead of via USB.
The Sonic Mighty 8K is pretty heavy. Greg estimated it to easily weigh between 20-25 pounds. Thanks to the metal case and a nice, sturdy, and solid metal piece of z-arm. It provides enough support for anything you want to print on this resin 3D printer without worrying about it moving or bending.
He likes the resin vat too. It's everything that he always preached and wanted on a resin 3D printer. It comes with four feet so you can put it on the table unscratched, handles to lift and transfer easily, and a clear max line so you know when to stop pouring your resin.
Added with the sloped building plate and four-screwed leveling system, the building plate is big and heavy. Although a steeper slope will be a better option, it's great enough for his liking.
Surprise Features from the Sonic Mighty 8K
Greg was halfway through unboxing the toolbox when he realized the small surprise waiting for him in the resin printer. Sitting shy next to the thick and sturdy z-axis is a built-in camera. Greg mentioned that he hasn't been browsing or googling about this resin 3D printer and therefore have not heard or seen anything about this built-in camera feature. So it was a pleasant surprise when he found out about it during unboxing.
He also found the color touchscreen is really nice as it is much bigger than other resin 3D printers he had used in the past. It makes it easier for him to navigate the screen with his "big, fat fingers", definitely fulfilling his dreams after he rants about it in every video.
Is the Sonic Mighty 8K Prints as Good as the Sonic Mini 8K?
After several days of testing and lots and lots of printing, Greg is ready for his full review of the printer and how it prints. In one sentence, he said 'the printer is awesome, really, really good."
Light Source Test
Before reviewing the 3D models, Greg always started by showing us his light source test. And without a doubt, the results from the Sonic Mighty 8K came out perfect. Though Greg apologizes that while it gives a perfectly spread out and well-lit light source test, it might not be shown clearly through the camera as he used a sheet with folded marks and resin stains. So, we need to just take his word for it. But knowing Greg's credibility, we can definitely trust him.
Test Prints With Real 3D Models
For the test print, Greg used his trusty Aqua-Gray 8K resin. He printed the dwarf girl as his standard test print, four of her at once, some trolls in three different sizes, a cleric, and a rogue.
Greg mentioned that he purposefully spread out the four dwarf girls to print in the middle and the outer side of the building plate to see how different placement would affect the prints. The trolls were printed in small, medium, and large to see how they would take up the details. Turns out, every model was printed out perfectly, with all their details showing through regardless of the sizes or the positions where it was printed.
He found it amazing how the 8K resolution screen could still provide such intricate details on a 10" screen. Visually, the printed 3D models look so similar to those printed with Sonic Mini 8K. Greg mentioned that the eyes, eyelid, mouth, and especially armband usually would not look great on lower resolution 3D printers. But with 28 microns 8K resolution screen, the Sonic Mighty 8K printed each of the details up to the T.
Is 3DPrintingPro Still a Phrozen's Fanboy?
Have you seen Greg's review of the Sonic Mini 8K? If you did, you might remember how he is fully fanboy-ing over that resin 3D printer. And it's not surprising to know that he currently owns three units of Sonic Mini 8K, constantly pumping gorgeous prints in that stunning 8K resolution.
But is he still a fanboy after trying the Sonic Mighty 8K?
Of course he is.
Greg looked back on how he first turned into a Phrozen fanboy when the Sonic Mini 4K launched. But it's the Sonic Mini 8K that basically knocked his socks off and converted him into a full fanboy. Unshockingly, the Sonic Mighty 8K is now doing it again with spectacular and phenomenal prints.
Is Sonic Mighty 8K Worth It?
Phrozen has always come up with very well-priced products. But compared to those, the Sonic Mighty 8K's price point might seem steeper. Although with that, you get an all-metal solid construction and the infamous 8K resolution LCD screen printing at 28 microns. In addition, you still get connectivity from the Wi-Fi and Ethernet, and a designated app for the built-in camera, a revolutionary technology that has yet to be done in other resin 3D printers.
Greg admits that he has become more and more of a Phrozen fan with all of their latest machines, as each was super solidly constructed and works really well each time. Phrozen has won him over by maintaining a very well-thought-out construction with quality.
So if you are a Phrozen loyalist, you can't go wrong with this printer. It won't disappoint you and all in all it is an excellent machine. For its size, the Sonic Mighty 8K did an incredible job handling the details it's best at. Because, after all, the prints speak for themselves, and without a doubt, the 8K resolution IS CRAZY GOOD.
To summarize, here are the highlight of the Sonic Mighty 8K with its 8K resolution LCD:
- It's very well constructed with all solid metal parts.
- Thick and robust metal building plate with a laser-etched surface.
- Extremely stable and sturdy z-arms with zero flex.
- Incredible 8K resolution LCD screen, printing at 28 microns.
- Limitless connection with Wi-Fi and Ethernet option.
- Exclusive mobile phone app and built-in camera.
Still not sure whether or not you should get the almighty Sonic Mighty 8K? Read this review by VogMan!
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Greg Kourakos is a successful real estate attorney by day and a professional 3D printer at any other time. Known in the community as 3DPrintingPro, he owns a popular Youtube channel that provides in-depth reviews for various 3D printing-related technologies in the market while also sharing his knowledge on the field, such as painting tips, troubleshooting, how to modify models in 3D builder, and the one he’s famous for, placing supports like a pro. You can find him on his Youtube channel: 3DPrintingPro.