Expert review of the Sony A90J OLED TV
Sony Bravia OLED XR-65A90J
- Thanks to the OLED screen, images have a powerful and realistic contrast.
- The 10-bit panel and the high brightness provide a lifelike color gamut.
- The smart Cognitive Processor XR analyzes what you're watching and improves the accuracy of the image and sound reproduction.
- Acoustic Surface ensures the sound comes from the screen, which make movies and series sound more realistic.
- The sound of the TV isn't always as powerful and rich.
First impression of the Sony A90J OLED TV
Thanks to the unique design, the A90J stands out right away. The 2 leg stands of the TV are all the way on the side of the screen. This makes it look like the entire screen rests on the TV cabinet. When I'm right in front of it, the leg stands are hardly visible. Are you purchasing a soundbar with your TV? Place these leg stands under the screen easily, so you create room to place the soundbar below the TV.
Higher brightness and detailed colors
Thanks to an improved temperature control of the screen, this TV has a higher brightness than many other OLED TVs. With a peek brightness of 1300 nits, the bright parts of the screen are very light. HDR images come out even better as a result. In addition to that, the new smart Cognitive Processor XR improves the brightness and color gamut of every image. I can see a lot of details in colorful images, such as different red tones. This way, images look realistic and vivid.
Excellent viewing angle and little reflection
As the luminous pixels of an OLED TV lie close the screen surface, the viewing angle of these kinds of TVs is always excellent. For example, the color representation and contrast are just as good as when I'm watching TV at an angle. Thanks to the high brightness of the A90J, I'm also less bothered by reflections. Even in the bright room I'm testing this TV in, images stay clearly visible and the surroundings hardly reflect on the screen.
Powerful contrast and deep black levels
The big advantage of an OLED screen is the powerful contrast. As every pixel lights up and dims individually, black parts of the screen are truly black. Combined with the higher brightness of the A90J, this ensures a very powerful contrast. When I'm watching images of a city at night, I can see that the lights of the buildings are very bright and the shadows deep black. This makes it look very realistic.
Modern and stylish design
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The leg stands of the A90J lie flat on the TV cabinet.
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Thanks to the OLED technology, the screen of the A90J is very thin.
The Sony A90J has a striking design. Thanks to the short leg stands in the bottom corners of the screen, the TV is very low on the cabinet. You can place the leg stands in various positions, creating space below the screen for a soundbar. The screen itself is less than 1cm. On the back of the television, there's a neat plastic casing with all the connectors. Thanks to these properties, the A90J looks modern and stylish.
Good sound for normal use
The Sony A90J has 2 speakers and 2 subwoofers. The TV also has the Acoustic Surface technology. This means that the screen itself serves as a speaker. This way, the sound actually comes from the images you're watching. As the sound of the TV isn't always as powerful, I do recommend a soundbar for an immersive movie experience. If you connect a soundbar, you can still use the TV as the central speaker. This allows you to enjoy the advantages of Acoustic Surface, even with the soundbar.
Luxurious remote with backlit buttons
The brushed material gives the remote of the A90J a luxurious appearance. Because it's pretty long, you can't reach all buttons with one hand, like the on and off button. The buttons light up when you pick up the remote. That's useful if you want to pause an exciting movie in a darker room. The remote has 4 buttons to open a streaming service directly, for YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video.
Screen-filling, user-friendly smart menu
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The Android platform offers a screen-filling, clear menu.
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With the Bravia Core streaming service from Sony, you can watch a large amount of new and older content.
This year, Sony gave the Android smart platform a new layout with Google TV. This menu still offers the same functions and apps as the familiar Android, but looks simpler and is more user-friendly. I find that the screen-filling smart menu looks very clear. It allows me to find the content I want to open right away. Sony also introduced their own streaming service, Sony Bravia Core. With the A90J, you get 10 new free movies you can stream in high quality.
Conclusion
The stylish Sony A90J offers an impressive viewing experience with a high brightness, powerful contrast, and deep black levels. That's why this TV is suitable for the true movie fanatic, as every scene is displayed realistically. The sound is true to life thanks to Acoustic Surface. If you want a truly powerful and rich sound, I do recommend a separate soundbar.
