In addition to Samsung, Sony also equips a top model with the new OLED technology. We are very curious whether both brands use a different approach, but we can already reveal one thing. Sony has a winner in their hands with the XR-55A95K OLED TV.
Sony XR-55A95K
Brand: Sony
Fashion model: XR-55A95K
Price: € 3,300
What: Ultra HD QD-OLED TV
Screen size: 55 inches (139 cm)
Connections:
4x HDMI (2x v2.0 (18 Gbps), 2x v2.1 (48 Gbps)), ARC/eARC, ALLM, VRR, HFR 4K120),
Dimensions:1,225 x 753 x 265mm
Weight:31.0 kg (incl. feet)
Average usage: SDR 84 Watt / HDR 114 Watt
9 Score 90 
- Pros
- Deep, almost perfect black with many shades of shade
- High peak brightness and very wide color gamut
- Near perfect viewing angle
- Excellent image processing
- Very good motion sharpness
- Acoustic Surface+ delivers great sound
- HDMI 2.1 connections with many gaming features
- New, convenient and simpler remote control
- Negatives
- Directly incident light affects the black display
- Only two HDMI 2.1 connections
- Dolby Vision and 4K120 cannot be combined via HDMI
The A95K uses a new type of OLED panel, which combines OLED and quantum dots, hence the name: QD-OLED. Both the Samsung S95B and the Sony A95K use the exact same panel, and they share all the advantages and disadvantages. In short, these are the following.
QD-OLED offers an almost perfect contrast, but combines it with better brightness and especially with colors that maintain their intensity (saturation) at very high brightnesses. The pixels have a very fast response time. The construction of the panel guarantees a very wide viewing angle, but on the other hand it can suffer from strong ambient light that slightly dilutes the black display.
The panels use a unique triangular sub-pixel structure that may make it slightly less suitable for computer monitors. Finally, there remains a limited risk of burn-in, although manufacturers now use their extensive experience with OLED to avoid this.
Tough TV
One thing we really don’t expect from an OLED TV is a tough look. The OLED panels often emphasize a super slim design. Sony is clearly choosing a different path here. The screen itself is already somewhat thicker, but especially the fact that the electronics housing extends over the entire back is surprising. In addition, the device stands on a base plate that is the same width as the device. The total weight, 31 kg, does not lie, this is a hefty TV.
Not a bad word about the finish. It is perfectly in order, and every detail has been thought of. The footplate can be mounted pointing forwards or backwards. But whatever you choose, the image hangs a centimeter above the furniture, so putting a soundbar in front of the TV is not an option.
Connections
This Sony will force gamers to make choices. Of the four HDMI connections, only two provide the 48 Gbps HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. And one of them is for ARC/eARC. So if you have a soundbar in mind, you only have one HDMI 2.1 connection. They also cannot support both Dolby Vision and 4K120 at the same time, you determine what the HDMI connection can handle via the settings. Support for ALLM and VRR is there, and the input lag of 17.2 ms (4K60) and 8.7 ms (2K120) is fine in any case.
In addition, you will find two USB connections on the Sony, a composite video and stereo minijack input, and an optical digital audio output. You have to use bluetooth for headphones. The A95K offers a unique solution for those who use an AV receiver, because it can be connected as a center speaker.
There is of course also Ethernet and WiFi for smart functions. With the double TV tuner, you can watch and record another channel to USB hard disk at the same time. There is only one CI Plus slot.
Image to enjoy
With the results of the Samsung S95B in mind, we are curious whether Sony can get even more out of the QD-OLED panel. In any case, we see very good uniformity and no dirty screen effect. Sony delivers the most accurate results in the ‘User’ image mode. Thanks to the perfect black, the image has a lot of depth, and the Sony brings out a lot of shadow nuances. The color reproduction is very accurate, and skin tones look natural. We dare to speak of an almost reference quality in SDR images.
The Sony supports HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision. Also in HDR we switch to the ‘User’ image mode, and there we see the same trend that we saw on the Samsung S95B, but with small differences. For example, Sony seems to be a bit more careful with the maximum brightness. It peaks at around 940 nits on a 10% window, and 196 nits on a completely white screen. That is about 10% less than the Samsung, and with that peak brightness, the Sony is more on the line of the LG G2, although it is clear that it should dim less hard in more bright images.
With a 99.8% P3 color range, it delivers a very large color palette. However, the advantage of QD-OLED is that it can also display colors much brighter (up to 2.5x) than WOLED without sacrificing color intensity (saturation). As a result, the A95K has an enormous color volume, very clearly mastered images keep all their color splendor.
Sony also has an excellent tone mapping approach. Although it ignores the HDR10 metadata and relies on its own analysis of the image, it does make every nuance visible, both at the dark and light end of the spectrum. This way you can effortlessly look inside the darkest scenes and clear images remain very rich in nuance without clipping detail.
Smart image editing
The Sony Cognitive Processor XR delivers excellent results for deinterlacing, noise reduction and upscaling. With ‘Reality Creation’ you also give the image a little extra detail and depth without disturbing false contours. It also efficiently removes annoying color bands in soft color transitions, even in difficult dark test scenes.
A few minor problems remain. The processor cannot display horizontal text (the so-called tickers) completely without minor shocks. And we see a similar problem with motion interpolation, where the processor in fast action pans leaves a lot of stutter in the image or introduces clear artifacts.
The QD-OLED panel does provide very good motion sharpness, the fast pixel response time means that there is hardly a faint edge around moving objects. Sony gives you the option to activate Black Frame Insertion, but that does not provide much extra sharpness of motion, and the flickering in the image is disturbing.
Sound right off the screen
Like the other Sony OLED TVs, the A95K uses Acoustic Surface technology. Two actuators make it vibrate so that the screen itself produces the sound waves. Two woofers are provided for the low tones. Main advantage of Acoustic Surface: the sound really comes straight from the screen, instead of from under the screen as is often the case.
The 60 Watts of power provide a solid portion of audio that easily fills the room. Support for Dolby Atmos guarantees a very nice surround experience. You can optimize the reproduction for the room acoustics with a short test procedure. All in all an excellent result, which will suffice for many viewers.
Google TV with some extras
The smart TV part is provided by Google TV. That guarantees an exceptionally rich selection of apps, and an interface that showers you with recommendations. These are arranged by genre and cover different (but not all) streaming services. On the A95K you have exclusive access to Bravia Core, the streaming service from Sony Pictures that has a wide range of films. That access is valid for two years, Sony could not tell us anything about the further future.
The interface is responsive and apps launch quickly, and together with the new remote control it delivers a good user experience. What’s new about the remote? It is simplified, and is better suited to a more streaming oriented view. If you can’t find them again, use the Find My Remote function in the Google Home app. The remote then lights up and makes a sound.
The Bravia Cam
In the box you will also find the Bravia Cam, a camera that you attach magnetically to the top of the screen. You use it as a webcam to video chat via Google Duo. Sony also gives it other functions, although they don’t seem really important or useful to us. The camera can warn you if you’re sitting too close to the screen, or adjust sound and image based on your seat. Additional functions will be added later, such as gesture control or dimming the screen when no one is sitting in front of it.
Fortunately, privacy has been thought of. The camera does not send extra data for those functions, and with a slider at the top you slide a lens hood in front of the camera.
Conclusion
This Sony can without a doubt be at the top of every film lover’s wish list. Gamers would undoubtedly have preferred Sony to offer a bit more HDMI options, but if the limitations don’t bother you, the XR55A95K is an excellent choice for them too. The A95K gets every gram of potential from the new QD-OLED panel. Compared to the Samsung S95B, it gives up a minimum of ground in terms of peak brightness, but shows every nuance in color, shadows and light. The image processing ensures that all your sources look their best. In short, top images to enjoy.
The Acoustic Surface solution underlines the image with excellent sound. Google TV and the new remote control guarantee excellent ease of use. We only think the price is quite heavy, especially since the difference with the Samsung S95B is not that big.
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