Sony’s 2022 lineup includes a mid-range OLED TV, the A90K. It is located below the Sony A95K QD-OLED and above the Sony A80K OLED. It shares many features and performance metrics with the entry-level A80K, but it is an outlier in Sony’s lineup because it only comes in 42" and 48" sizes. It belongs to Sony’s “Perfect for PS5” portfolio, which includes a few distinctive features that are exclusive to the PS5, including Auto Genre Picture Mode and Auto HDR Tone Mapping. The primary target market for this TV is PC and console gamers, who will appreciate its Auto Genre Picture Mode and Auto HDR Tone Mapping features. ..
Sony A90K review: Design
The A90K is Sony’s smallest TV yet, and its black bezels and low-profile stand make it easy to find a place to place it. The chin on the stand has a discreet Sony logo, making it easy to identify if you need help finding the TV.
The TV stand provided comes with two stilts that create a gap between the stand and shelf, providing space for a sound bar or gaming monitor. In its default stand position, the bottom edge of the TV is raised by just half a centimeter. If you plan to use the TV as a gaming monitor, you may want to consider purchasing one of these stands to increase its height.
The A90K is a more expensive OLED TV than LG’s C2, but it has a thicker plastic enclosure that houses the speakers, connections, and processing hardware. The back of the screen has received some attention with an etched grid pattern covering the entire surface and providing plastic panels, allowing you to conceal the majority of the connections.
Features
Like other OLED TV producers, Sony purchases its OLED panels from LG. Then, employing a custom processing engine, Sony tries to get the most out of the panel performance. The XR-A95K QD-OLED we recently reviewed uses the same Cognitive Processor XR as the Sony A90K, and just like there, its job is to ensure that native 4K content looks its best (compatibility with HLG, HDR10, and Dolby Vision HDR standards helps here) and that upscaled 1080p content benefits from its AI smarts.
The A95K is a powerful gaming laptop that aims to make your gaming experience as organic, smooth, and believable as your movie-going experience. It has many features that are connected physically, such as four HDMI ports, a few USB ports, an Ethernet port, two aerial posts for connecting the built-in TV tuners, and a digital optical output. It also has Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, Chromecast Built-in, Apple’s AirPlay, and HomeKit wireless capabilities. ..
This product has two HDMI ports that are 2.1 and two that are 2.0, making it a 48Gbps, 4K/120Hz, VRR, and ALLM compatible device. The LGs and Samsung TVs that come with these ports usually have widespread 2.1 compatibility and are priced similarly, but this is good news for current-generation gamers because the Auto HDR Tone Mapping feature on these devices will help you ignore the lack of HGiG support on your PS5 or Xbox One. However, if you have an Xbox Series X device as well as a sound bar that uses eARC, then you may be disappointed because one of the Sony’s HDMI 2.1 inputs does not support eARC.
These days, Sony uses Google TV as a smart interface, and while it is a shameless screen-hogger, at least it is intuitive to use. Wide-ranging app support, reasonable app recommendations, and minimal time spent trying to upsell you on content. The only significant app that doesn’t perform at its peak here is Disney+ because it doesn’t support Dolby Atmos. Either of the included remote control handsets can be used to navigate the interface or the setup menus.
The two devices are nearly identical in terms of their features and design. The only difference is that the A90K has a built-in microphone, which is useful if you want to use Google Assistant voice control. ..
Sony A90K review: Connections
The four HDMI ports on the back of our TV allow us to connect devices such as a sound bar and a VR headset, as well as our TV’s built-in speakers. Additionally, we have two USB ports and a digital optical output on the back.
Sound quality
The A90K is a good TV for movies and TV shows, but it doesn’t deliver adequate bass. The thundering beats at the soundtrack’s low end feel a little limp and light on the A90K. Overall, the delivery is direct, clear, and detailed. ..
The Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology uses actuators to vibrate the entire screen in order to generate sound. Voices and effects frequently even sound as if they are coming from specific parts of the screen.
The A90K has a good sound quality for a small TV, but it’s not as good as some larger TVs. You can use the space made available by the stilts in the box to add a sound bar like the Sonos Beam Gen 2. ..
Picture quality
The XR-42A90K should ideally have access to 4K content with HDR in order to demonstrate its capabilities. And what it can do turns out to be quite a lot when a Netflix stream of Metal Lords arrives via Ethernet with Dolby Vision assistance. Overall, the images appear to be completely naturalistic, convincing, and lifelike. Additionally, you will learn our article on Sony A90K review.
The Sony’s color palette is incredibly diverse, subtle, and convincing. The XR processor shines when it comes to judging color volume and saturation because the colors displayed here are varied, nuanced, and vibrant without ever seeming overblown or aggressive. Additionally, the Sony’s ability to add a great deal of detail—both broad and fine—to images greatly facilitates this. As a result, shading, texture, and pattern can all be fully expressed.
The black tones on an OLED TV are just as good as one would anticipate. The predominantly non-black clothing in Metal Lords appears incredibly realistic since there is significant shade variety, actual depth where it is needed, and detail in every situation. The Sony A90K also performs generally excellent job in other areas. There is virtually no picture noise, smooth, convincing edge definition, and also excellent depth of field.
The Sony A7R III’s motion control is smooth and consistent, with no jitter or artifacts. The edges are clean, and the picture noise is well managed.
Sony A90K review: Price and availability
The XR-48A90K is a high-end TV that costs £1899 / $1500 (roughly AU$3350). It’s unusual to see a TV priced so much higher than its primary competitors in one country and equal to them in another, which is what we find here. ..
Conclusion
The Sony A90K is a great TV for a variety of uses. It has nearly infinite contrast ratio and flawless black uniformity, which prevents blooming around bright objects, making it an excellent option for playing video games or viewing movies in the dark. ..
The Acer Predator XB271HU is a great option for use as a PC monitor, due to its excellent handling of reflections and acceptable peak brightness. It also has a wide viewing angle, which is great if you want to watch sports with a large group of friends and have a wide seating arrangement. Finally, it’s a fantastic option for use as a PC monitor, but because of its WRBG subpixel layout, there are some text clarity issues. ..
