Epson Stylus NX515 (printer/copier/scanner)
Manufacturer: Epson America Inc. Part number: C11CA48231
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Epson Stylus NX515 is a capable machine that will improve the efficiency of any office or work-at-home setup. Not only is it a lightning-fast all-in-one, but it also has a broader range of features than most other $150 AIOs. As long as you don't need a full creative software suite, the Epson Stylus NX515 will make a dependable sidekick to your computer.
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Where to buy
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|---|---|---|---|---|
Once you know, you Newegg! | ![]() | In stock Free Three Day Shipping | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/03/2009 |
Dell Home and Home Office | ![]() | In stock Free Shipping on Orders over $129 | as of 12/03/2009 | |
| Amazon.com Marketplace | ![]() | In stock | as of 12/03/2009 | |
| ![]() | In stock | as of 12/03/2009 | |
| ![]() | In stock | as of 12/03/2009 | |
| ![]() | In stock | as of 12/03/2009 | |
| ![]() | In stock | as of 12/03/2009 | |
| ![]() | In stock | as of 12/03/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Epson Stylus NX515 (printer/copier/scanner) price range: $92.99 - $148.99
- Reviewed by: Justin Yu
- Edited by: Rich Brown
- Reviewed on: 07/21/2009
The good: Fastest output speeds on any inkjet to date; outstanding print quality; compact footprint; inexpensive; robust driver options.
The bad: Higher-than-average cost per page; lacks creative software suite.
The bottom line: The Epson Stylus NX515 is a capable machine that will improve the efficiency of any office or work-at-home setup. Not only is it a lightning-fast all-in-one, but it also has a broader range of features than most other $150 AIOs. As long as you don't need a full creative software suite, the Epson Stylus NX515 will make a dependable sidekick to your computer.
The Epson Stylus NX515 All-in-One printer represents a sweet spot for vendors. The $150 price tag seems to be just the amount of money folks are willing to spend on a printer for intermittent use, either at work or in the home. However, just because the machine might not get used every day doesn't mean that it shouldn't function flawlessly and retain its value over time. After putting the Stylus NX515 through our usual benchmark and quality tests, we have no problem recommending it to shoppers for its quick printing speeds, pleasing output quality, and a host of valuable features not typically included for less than $200.
Design and features
The sleek design of the Epson Stylus NX515 certainly sets it apart from other all-in-ones. We like the carbon-weave pattern that runs across the entire hood of the control panel. The grainy texture makes it easy to lift up and protects the lid from unsightly fingerprints as well. Like most printers, the finish is black, which leaves the printer with a subtle elegance that should fit comfortably into any office aesthetic. The output tray and the rear-loading paper feed both fold flat into the device, which measures 17.7 inches wide, 21.3 inches deep, and 11.7 inches tall--about the average size for today's printers. The printer is also compact and easy to store, since the depth and height shrink down more than 5 inches with the trays retracted.
The buttons on the control panel are all laid out in an intuitive strip on the left side of the machine. Starting from that top, you can see the large 2.5-inch tilting LCD screen that only takes up approximately 80 percent of the display, leaving an elegant black border around the edges. Below that, there's a series of buttons including a power switch, four shortcut function buttons for copy, memory card access, photo, and scan, as well as a directional pad for menu navigation and four more buttons for setup, display/crop, stop, and start. We usually require a 10-minute learning curve to digest all of the buttons on a printer, but we were up and running on the NX515 very quickly--a testament to the intuitive layout on the control panel.
The top half of the print juts out over the bottom output tray, creating a handle that lifts up to reveal the small four-ink cartridge bay inside. Down below, Epson leaves a small indentation for access to the extendable output tray. One small complaint here is that all but the base output tray are made out of a flimsy plastic that bends and shutters to the touch, and we worry about the physical integrity after prolonged use. The same goes for the retracting input tray on the back of the device. We do, however, applaud Epson for separating the input and output trays instead of combining them both into a confusing multipurpose drawer at the bottom.
For people who want to print directly from a digital camera or memory card, Epson includes a media card reader and PictBridge compatible USB port in the bottom-left corner next to the output tray, with slots for xD, SD, and MemoryStick Pro, as well as a longer slot for CompactFlash cards. The corresponding button on the top of the control panel acts as a shortcut button for copying and printing directly from one of these external cards.
Epson offers three ways to link the printer up to a computer: direct using USB 2.0, wired Ethernet, and 802.11b/g cord-free Wi-Fi. All of the drivers you need to install the printer using a wired connection come on the driver disc, which also includes a network set-up utility that guides you through the process of establishing a Wi-Fi connection.
Like many other printers on the market, the Epson's setup first asks you to keep the USB 2.0 cord plugged into a computer while it creates an ad-hoc connection to your wireless router. After you establish a connection, you're free to remove the cable and continue printing wirelessly using a PC or a Mac. You can also set up network utilities and preferences through the menu on the control panel of the NX515 itself, but we found the driver setup requires fewer manual operations.
We were also impressed with the abundance of user controls within the driver itself. For example, you can choose between several preset quality modes including Draft, Text, Text and Image, Photo, and Best Photo. Unfortunately, you can't assign shortcuts for your own preset standards. However, there's plenty of room for scene correction (people, landscape, night scene, sepia, gray), paper type, easy fixes (red eye, autofix, quiet mode), as well as a pop-up status monitor that shows ink levels, print progress by page (not many companies include the pagination progress), and a handy event manager for copy and scan modes. Epson also makes it easy to check up on the ink cartridges inside, with information on specific production dates (to monitor expired ink), manufacturer, type, and cartridge code for quick refills.
We did find ourselves pecking around for a creative software suite similar to HP's Photosmart Essential software that helps you edit and print out photos in preset templates like greeting cards and calendars. In a clear-cut case of sticking to an "all-business" philosophy, the Epson Stylus NX515 has no such software. Instead, Epson reduces much of the filler that business users don't need and simply delivers a productive, efficient machine. We can't fault it for failing to offer that extra software, so if you're uncomfortable editing photos yourself, we recommend looking into an HP printer for help along the way.
The Epson Stylus NX515 uses four individual cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink cartridges under the hood that makes a more convincing cost-efficient argument than sub-$100 printers that require ink refills every month. In this case, Epson increases the value more by offering standard and high-capacity color cartridges, and even extra-high capacity black cartridges. Using the posted cartridge yields on the Epson Web site, we calculate a page of all black ink to cost 3.1 cents and a color page to cost 3.2 cents; printers typically keep costs at less than 3 cents per page, so both prices are slightly higher than average, but not unreasonable for a device at this price.
Performance
The cost per page becomes more forgivable when you factor in the performance ratings you see here. In our speed tests, the Stylus NX515 is about average when it comes to printing photos, but it sprints ahead of the competition with presentation output speed, color graphics speed, and especially text speed. To widen the margin further, the NX515 printed a staggering 13.81 pages per minute of plain text on 20-pound white paper. Meanwhile, the next fastest printers are the HP OfficeJet J6480 and the Canon Pixma MX330 that both registered only 5.54 pages per minute, which factors out to slightly more than eight pages per minute slower than the Epson. In fact, the Epson churned out more pages per minute (text, graphics, and presentations) than any other inkjet printer we've tested to date. Look no further than the Epson Stylus NX515 printer if you need hard copies of your documents in your hand yesterday.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
| Presentation speed (PPM) | Photo speed (1 sheet) | Color graphics speed (PPM) | Text speed (PPM) |
The printer also doesn't disappoint in terms of print quality. With so many driver options to choose from, Epson makes it easy to cater to your prints in the most efficient way possible. We tried to cycle through most of the options, including using Epson's Vivid colorspace as opposed to Adobe's RGB, but we found that Epson's preset setting produced the most pleasing and accurate images. By far, the most accurate samples came from black and colored text and graphics containing thick, black lines. Considering the cost of the printer and the consumables, we're comfortable saying that our print samples are some of the most evenly saturated, fully formed shapes we've seen in awhile. We're satisfied with the weight of thin and thick lines, and the readability is clear even down to the smallest fonts on normal white document paper. We're also equally happy with the photo quality that continues to live up to the Epson name. All the printouts display smooth quality and are free of graininess or blotchy facial tones. Again, we highly recommend the Epson Stylus NX515 for its performance alone.
Service and support
Epson backs the Epson Stylus NX515 with a limited one-year warranty that includes toll-free customer support weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT. Further support is available online through a model-specific troubleshooting guide, FAQs, e-mail support, driver updates, and document downloads. We're disappointed to see that Epson only includes one year of service with this device, considering the Epson Artisan 800 includes a two-year warranty. We understand that Artisan series comes with increased features and more hardware upgrades, but we're adamant in our belief that Epson should strive for user confidence across all product lines.
Find out more about how we test printers.
User reviews
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Epson NX515
by nrandazzo on August 10, 2009
Pros: Easy wireless set up & super fast high quality printing
Cons: no complaints so far
Summary: At $109 you can't beat it!
Summary: At $109 you can't beat it!
6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Causes iPhoto to crash
by BOB KAHN on September 26, 2009
Pros: Very fast.
Cons: The driver has a bug that needs to be fixed. If you try to print out of iPhoto using Snow Leopard, iPhoto crashes.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very nice easy to setup
by n1ms on September 2, 2009
Pros: Easy setup, wireless worked flawlessly on both MAC Snow Leopard and Ubuntu 9.04. I did however have to use the NX400 driver for Ubuntu that was what was available. Very fast
Cons: A bit noisy.
Summary: This printer setup very easily, I was able to use the wireless with both operating systems that I use. Both Mac and Linux found this printer on there own! I ...
Summary: This printer setup very easily, I was able to use the wireless with both operating systems that I use. Both Mac and Linux found this printer on there own! I didn't try Windows but I am sure it would have been fine. Print quality if great as far as I am concerned. I would have given it a 5 but I haven't had the printer long enough to test it for it's quality over time! It is a breath of fresh to send a print job and have it just work!
5 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent first buy wireless AIO, great design profile.
by millsfd1 on November 6, 2009
Pros: The wireless setup was surprisingly easy. Picked up the 4 SSID's I rotate between periodically and my next door neighbor's. Control panel layout and navigation are well designed. LCD display bigger than most I've seen in most price ranges.
Cons: Epson scan software falls well short . Poor scanning communication control between scanner and PC. Slow scanning speed to PC using printer control panel. Noisy, both during operations and transitioning from power off to power on and vice versa.
Summary: My decision to purchase the Epson NX510/515 was made for me when I recently found an unused display at a well-known member discount warehouse for less than 50% of ...
Summary: My decision to purchase the Epson NX510/515 was made for me when I recently found an unused display at a well-known member discount warehouse for less than 50% of the average selling price. All shipping contents werer available and still sealed. I had just decided to go with an AIO to replace a 10 year old HP DJ930 that was still working but very slow printing with today's standard. I wanted a wireless, network AIO to go along with an HP LJ1200, the DJ930 and a Photosmart 375 I have netwoked on a TRENDnetTEW-P21G wired/wireless print server.
Wireless installation could not have been easier. My 4 network SSID's were detected and displayed along with my next door neighbor's. Keying in the passkey was relatively easy once you understand the control panel keying sequence. Documentation could have been a little more user friendly, but was of little inconvenience, I performed the install without almost no reference to it, but I would not recommend it. Printer setup and printing of a test page was successful on my 2 PC's, both Windows XP SP3 machines. It is at this point, issues beging to surface, all related to scanning.
The installed Epson scanning software is at best basic. It worked well on the PC that did not have a scanner or scanning software installed, except it would not recognize the PC and send a scan from the scanner to the PC using the scan function from the control panel. However, if I controlled the scanning from the PC, it worked. PC # 2 was a challenge. Paperport 11 was the scan manager software and I wanted to keep it. The Epson scanner replaced a Visioneer 8100. The Epson software installs the scan driver and scan manager software. However, it does not open because of the twain conflict with Paperport which will not operate the NX/510/515 as a twain, it is listed as a WIA Twain, not recommended by Paperport 11, but it works. You must install the NX 510/515 using the USB connection for this to work. You cannot scan to the PC using the scan function on the printer with this setup, but you can scan using the scan utility in PaperPort 11. I have worked out the scanning to PC issue on the PC without PaperPort installed and wirelessly, however, there is still an issue, you cannot scan back to back without making a change in the scan control, either selecting another PC then switching back or pressing the back button and starting the scan operation from that point. This is a very odd and annoying quirk. Scan times need much improving. From the scanner to the PC wireless, an 8 1/2 " x 11" document as a pdf took 30 seconds, the same dcoument in picture mode took 1 little more than a minute. Luckily, I don't do a lot of scanning or I would have to reconsider connecting my Visioneer 8100.
The printer is noisy; power on, power off and printing operations can be heard several rooms away. My 10 year old HP DJ930 operates much quieter than the Epson NX510/515, even today. In and out paper trays are adequate but a little flimsy. Avoid any excessive weight on the out tray extensions, they feel very fragile. The larger than normal LCD screen and font makes the display very easy to read. The control panel design and layout is nearly perfect in my opinion. The ability to operate it in both wireless network mode and usb connection between 2 PC's is a plus. Despite operational flaws that may turn away many, I highly recommend the Epson NX510/515 as a first buy wireless AIO. I like challenges and the ability make something work that may not be functioning as intended or designed is not a detraction for me. I don't know how anyone could be disappointed in this unit, even if they didn't get the bargain I did.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Perfect size for a MF printer
by Hotelier19 on October 10, 2009
Pros: It's a WiFi product. Easy to install.
Cons: A bit noisy when printing.
Summary: This is my second Epson MFP. Does excactly what I am looking for. No fuss no mess and all this for a great price.
Summary: This is my second Epson MFP. Does excactly what I am looking for. No fuss no mess and all this for a great price.
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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FANTASTIC!!!
by JEZEBEL1276 on October 29, 2009
Pros: FAST, EFFICIENT!!! GOOD PRICE, VALUE FOR THE THE MONEY, EASY TO INSTALL
Cons: HAVE NOTHING NEGATIVE TO SAY!!
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worst printer ever - warning: do not buy!
by djhdesign on November 18, 2009
Pros: semi-easy set up. was able to set up wireless.
Cons: HORRIBLE quality prints.
scanner doesn't work.
wireless now doesn't work either.
i hate this printer.Summary: i bought this printer based on the reviews here. i wish i hadn't - i so regret it.
everything set up fine and then all of a sudden, it ...Summary: i bought this printer based on the reviews here. i wish i hadn't - i so regret it.
everything set up fine and then all of a sudden, it went bad.
the print quality is the WORST.... my very first print had lines running through everything.
the paper does not load - it always says "out of paper" when the paper is fully loaded. SO frustrating.
now of course the wireless doesn't work and i can't scan anything.
save your time and money - do not buy this printer!
like i said, i hate this printer.0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Cnet review incomplete.
by tktim on October 27, 2009
Pros: Cnet review incomplete.
Cons: Cnet review incomplete.
Summary: Hello - Cnet there are other OS's besides MS +Mac. Will it work on them?
Summary: Hello - Cnet there are other OS's besides MS +Mac. Will it work on them?
0 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Epson America Inc.
- Part number: C11CA48231
- Description: Wi-Fi and Ethernet built in Scan to e-mail Photo restoration PC-free 1-touch copy; reduce/enlarge Manual two-sided printing Instant dry ink Designed to be recycled Energy Star qualified RoHS compliant
General
- Printing Technology Ink-jet - Color
- Display Diagonal Size 2.5"
- Display Features Tilt
- Office Machine Features Scan to e-mail
- Width 17.7 in
- Depth 13.5 in
- Height 7.2 in
- Weight 15.2 lbs
Memory
- Supported Flash Memory CompactFlash, Memory Stick, IBM Microdrive, MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card, USB flash drive, xD-Picture Card, Memory Stick Pro, SDHC Memory Card
Copying
- Max Copying Speed up to 36 pages/min (mono) / up to 36 pages/min (color)
- Max Document Enlargement 400 %
- Max Document Reduction 25 %
- Maximum Copies 99
- Automatic Duplexing None
- Copying Features Fit to page
Printing
- Inkjet Technology Epson Micro Piezo
- Nozzle Configuration 384 nozzles (black), 3 x 128 nozzles (cyan, magenta, yellow)
- Max Printing Resolution up to 5760 x 1440 dpi (mono) / up to 5760 x 1440 dpi (color)
- Max Printing Speed up to 36 pages/min (mono) / up to 36 pages/min (color)
- Ink Cartridge Configuration 4 cartridges (1 each: cyan, magenta, yellow, black)
- Ink Palette Supported (Colors) Cyan, magenta, yellow, black
- Color 4-ink
- Minimum Ink Droplet Size 2 pl
- Ink Type Epson DURABrite Ultra inks
- Color Management Features Epson PhotoEnhance, Windows Image Color Management (ICM)
Scanning
- Scan Element CIS
- Optical Resolution 2400 x 2400 dpi
- Interpolated Resolution 9600 x 9600 dpi
- Color Depth 24 bit
- Color Depth (Internal) 48 bit
Document & Media Handling
- Max Original Size Letter A Size (8.5 in x 11 in)
- Original Type Sheets
- Max Copy Size Legal (8.5 in x 14 in)
- Supported Media Type Envelopes, Photo paper, Plain paper
- Borderless Photo Sizes 4 in x 6 in, 5 in x 7 in, 8 in x 10 in, 3.5 in x 5 in, 8.5 in x 11.7 in
- Standard Media Capacity 100 sheets
- Speed Details Printing : up to 36 pages/min - Color, Printing : up to 36 pages/min - B/W, Copying : up to 36 pages/min - B/W, Copying : up to 36 pages/min - Color, Printing : up to 15 pages/min - B/W best, Printing : up to 9.3 pages/min - Color best
Finishing Equipment
- Collator None
- Stacker None
- Stapler None
- Binder None
PC Connectivity
- PC Connection Availability Yes
- PC Connection USB host, Hi-Speed USB, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft), Ethernet 10 Base-T/100 Base-TX
- Security Protocols & Features WEP, WPA2, WPA-PSK
- Operating System Support MS Windows XP, MS Windows 2000, MS Windows Vista, Apple Mac OS X 10.3.9, Apple Mac OS X 10.5.x, MS Windows XP 64-bit Edition, Apple Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later
- Software Included EPSON Scan, EPSON Web-to-Page, ArcSoft Print Creations
Power
- Power AC 120 V ( 50/60 Hz )
- Power Consumption Operational 12 Watt
- Power Consumption Standby 3 Watt
Miscellaneous
- Direct Printing Specifications DPOF, PictBridge
- Consumables Included 1 x Cartridge ( Black ) - Epson T069, 1 x Cartridge ( Cyan ) - Epson T069, 1 x Cartridge ( Yellow ) - Epson T069, 1 x Cartridge ( Magenta ) - Epson T069
- Microsoft Certifications Compatible with Windows 7
- Compliant Standards CSA, UL 60950, FCC Part 15 B, CISPR 22 Class B, CSA 22.2 No. 60950
Environmental Standards
- EPA Energy Star Compliant Yes
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Environmental Parameters
- Sound Emission 43 dB (operating)
- Min Operating Temperature 50 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 95 °F
- Humidity Range Operating 20 - 80%
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Epson America Inc.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Epson America Inc. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.epson.com/
- Address:
3840 Kilroy Airport Way, Long Beach, CA 90806 - Phone: 1-562/981-3840
- Fax: 1-562-290-5220









