Profiled endwall (PEW) effectively reduces secondary losses and enhances efficiency in axial turbomachinery. Previous studies focused on numerical design optimization, often overlooking discrepancies between simulations and experiments, potentially overestimating PEW’s effects. This study investigates controlling factors under varying inlet angles and boundary layer conditions, and explores simulation-measurement inconsistencies.Experimental data align with simulations above 30% span but show significant mismatches below 10% blade height, where total pressure loss differs by up to ten times. High inlet incidence weakens PEW effectiveness with an inlet boundary layer, a phenomenon not captured in simulations without the boundary layer. Simulation results exaggerate PEW benefits by underestimating baseline losses below 10% blade height and overestimating static pressure improvements. These findings highlight the limitations of simulations and emphasize the need for experimental validation to ensure accurate performance assessment.