The 5652 is HP's latest top-of-the-line Deskjet offering. Does it justify its top-of-the-line price?For an asking price of AU$330, the Deskjet 5652 packs an awful lot under the hood, including a two-sided printing accessory. However, if you don't need this feature, the 5652 is virtually the same printer as the HP Deskjet 5160, with the latter losing the added flexibility. Otherwise, we're pleased to say the Deskjet 5652 is a suitable choice for home or SOHO users.
Does This Belong Here?
Sporting a design reminiscent of the much older Deskjet 3420, the 5652 keeps the same breadbox styling albeit with a much more appropriate colour theme. The latter is clad in a more office-oriented black-and-silver finishing, dictating the target audience. You will not have problems fitting this machine on most desks; it has a rather compact 449 x 425.5 x 145mm frame that hits the scales at just 5.9kg. Depending on your requirements, the two-sided printing accessory is detachable and installs in the rear. The attachment, though, protrudes an additional 55mm from the chassis.
On the left, you'll find the "Print Cancel" and "Print Quality Selector" buttons. These are primarily there for users who are overzealous in sending out their print jobs. Instead of wasting ink while the inkjet finishes producing the spooled print job, the former allows immediate cancellation to prevent further ink wastage. The latter, on the other hand, lets you switch between the different qualities should you realize that incorrect settings were used after the first page.
However, not everything is peachy. On the downside, this DeskJet does not feature the "6-in-1" memory card readers that have been sprouting on many competitor offerings, leaving this role for the higher-end Photosmart range. Furthermore, the output tray extends and folds out, resulting in the papers being supported by only a flimsy plastic structure.
Minimal User Intervention
Like most inkjets in this class, the Deskjet 5652 is simple to set up. The handy quickstart posters as well as installation CD provide clear setup and usage instructions. The unit supports Windows 98 and up; and Macintosh OS 8.6 or later. The printed manual is rather skimpy with details and contains just a few troubleshooting tips. The rest of the documentation is available in PDF format, so you'll need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. A USB cable is bundled with the unit so you won't have to purchase one before you get started.
Besides the device drivers, the software will also set up the "printer assistant" program. This allows users easy access to printer documentation, troubleshooting support, as well as links to HP support and shopping links.
On the hardware side, the ink cartridges install on the right side of the body, similar to the HP Officejet 4110. Aligning them is even simpler. With the paper placed in the input tray, the Deskjet 5652 immediately starts printing and calibrating itself. A blue LED (Light Emitting Diode) and optical sensor located near the printheads work in unison to read the calibration sheet, much like an optical mouse.
Mixed Performance
The Deskjet excelled in text printing but gave us mixed reactions with regard to photo prints. In terms of speed, it finished our 10-page test in about 65 seconds, making this an impressive 9.2 ppm. This put the 5652 a fair bit ahead of the similarly priced Canon i470D. However, for photos, this Deskjet took twice as long as the Canon, clocking in at 8 minutes for A4-sized borderless outputs.
In our testing, text output was exceptional, staying very clean and legible even down to a 2-point font size. With PhotoREt 4 (Photo Resolution Enhancement Technology), photos were generally crisp with smooth gradations, though this required some tweaking on the software side. With the driver's default "HP photography" settings, the photos almost always turned out too bright (due to the flash algorithm designed to aid in underexposed pictures). As it stands, this Deskjet seems particularly suited for users who tend to take underexposed or incorrectly metered shots on their digital camera, yet do not have the expertise to edit them.
The HP Deskjet 5652 is a solid-performing inkjet. Its generally good speeds and print quality amount to one of the better photo printers around. Also, the notable 5,000 pages/month duty cycle, two-sided printing flexibility and optional networking connectivity should make this Deskjet a pleasant addition to your home office. However, if you're a digital photography buff, it may be in your best interest to have a look at the company's Photosmart range instead.
HP Deskjet 5652
Company: HP Australia
Price: AU$330
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: 13 23 47
7%
1%
