The Sony A90J is a great TV for a variety of uses. It provides excellent picture quality, and sports and video games benefit from its nearly instantaneous response time, which produces fluid motion. Although it doesn’t get as bright as an LED TV, its nearly infinite contrast ratio helps it to get bright enough to bring out most highlights in HDR. Although there is a chance for permanent burn-in, it shouldn’t be a problem if you watch a variety of content.

Sony XR-55A90J review: Design

Sony’s new XR-55A90J OLED TV has minimal bezels on the top and bottom of the screen, but it’s more problematic when viewed in profile. ..

The Sony XR-55A90J doesn’t have a wall mount option, which is disappointing. The feet that come with the TV extend beyond the screen’s edges in the first position, but in the second position, a soundbar can be positioned beneath the screen. ..

Features

The TV has a lot of ports and outputs, which are standard for 2021 TVs. It also has a headphone jack, which is becoming less common. It also has a rarer-yet composite video input, so you can connect a vintage VCR to your flagship 2021 OLED TV. The most unusual feature of the TV is that it has two speaker terminals, so you can replace the Centre speaker in a surround sound system. ..

The Sony A90J features four HDMI ports, all of which are 2.1-spec. This means that you can connect four different HDMI devices to the TV at once, including devices that support the latest HDMI technology. One of the HDMI ports is designated as eARC/ARC, which means that you can use it to send audio from the TV to an external sound system. ..

The TV has a number of HDMI 2.1 connections, but it doesn’t have VRR support.

Sony has consistently refused to say whether or not it plans to add VRR support to the PS5, despite the fact that this is a key feature requested by many gamers. We’re not sure if Sony’s assurances are sincere or just a ploy to delay release of the PS5, but we wouldn’t hold our breath.

Sony XR-55A90J review: Performance

Sony’s new A90J OLED TV is not as bright as some of the high-end LED-backlit LCD TVs on the market. Sony is maximizing the brightness of the technology with new panel manufacturing and its OLED XR Contrast Pro image processing. The A90J displays a full-screen field of white with a peak brightness of 180.833cd/m2 when an HDR10 signal is present. Although not remarkable, this is typical for an OLED display that is fully lighted. With an 18% field of white, the TV’s peak brightness increases to 632.348cd/m2. OLEDs get noticeably brighter the less area that needs to be fully illuminated. It rises even higher to 775.534cd/m2 with a 10% field ..

Although it’s not as bright as premium LCD TVs like the Hisense H9G (1,146.921cd/m2), this is a lot brighter than most OLED displays. Additionally, because it is an OLED, it can achieve flawless black levels for a really “infinite” contrast, something LCDs cannot. In terms of color, the A90J really shines, especially for HDR material. Using the TV’s Cinema picture mode, the aforementioned chart compares color levels with an SDR signal to Rec.709 broadcast standards and with an HDR signal to DCI-P3 digital cinema standards. Reds and greens shoot a little further out for a slightly more vivid image than usual, and SDR colors are balanced and accurate right out of the box. ..

The DCI-P3 color space is almost entirely covered by HDR hues. Reds slightly overshoot and greens somewhat undershoot, however the TV still shows remarkable range. The main issues with the out-of-the-box color performance are that the whites and yellows have very slight color deviations—the whites are a bit pink and the yellows a little red. On the A90J, Planet Earth II from the BBC looks stunning. Colors, from the greens of leaves to the blues of water, are vivid and saturated while still appearing natural. The picture appears incredibly realistic thanks to the excellent contrast and color. Whether in direct sunlight or deep shade, fine details like fur and bark can be seen clearly and crisply.

Image quality

The XR-55A90J comes with Sony’s Bravia Core service, which is a nice touch. As a result, watching an IMAX Enhanced-certified stream of Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver seems like a smart place to start, even though it’s not always possible to get the region’s ultra-high broadband rates required for the film’s highest-quality “Pure Stream” edition. In any case, the outcomes are noticeably better than “good.” They might be better characterized as “outstanding,” as the Sony is capable of producing profoundly impressive images when given some high-quality content to work with.

The Sony XBR-75X900F is an outstanding television. Its OLED display produces lustrously deep black tones, and its whites are noticeably brighter than is typical for OLED displays, creating stunning contrasts. The amount of broad and fine detail present in both black and white tones greatly enhances these. The Sony uses a broad, subtly differentiated, and entirely convincing color palette, which results in an almost infinite range of shades and gradations on which it can draw. ..

The overall color scheme is equally striking. In addition to being nuanced, they are also lavishly detailed, allowing for the identification and reporting of any differences in texture or shade. Edge definition is assured and competent in a similar way. Even as they begin to merge with motion, lines are drawn smoothly with no indication of jaggedness. In fact, the Sony is possibly at its most astonishingly accomplished with on-screen motion. Decide on a movement style. swift pan? abrupt fast burst? Multi-directional? against the movement of the camera? The A90J simply digs its metaphorical teeth in and grasps it firmly without hesitation, shimmering, or any of the other giveaways that less capable TVs are prone to.

Sony XR-55A90J review: Sound quality

We’ve been impressed by Sony’s Acoustic Surface Audio+ before, and we doubt we will be the last time. It has one of the best built-in sound systems available, making it one of the most convincing, articulate, and realistic-sounding televisions you can purchase. The fact that the entire screen is contributing greatly contributes to this because it allows for a much closer marriage of the visual and auditory elements than is possible with other systems. The directness of the audio delivery, in particular when it comes to dialogue, greatly enhances the presentation’s cinematic feel.

The Sony A90J OLED TV is a great choice for anyone looking for a high-quality television. Its two rear-firing drivers provide real low-frequency impact, making it impossible to frighten even the most explosion-obsessed blockbuster. However, its audio quality can’t really compete with its picture quality, so it would be best to get a soundbar to go with it. ..

Price and availability

Sony’s XR-55A90J TV debut price of £2699 ($2800) indicates that the company does not see the need to relinquish the premium pricing of its Master Series TVs. As a result, it costs £1000 more than the 55-inch LG C1 and £700 more than the LG G1, which panel Sony may or may not share. A 48-inch version of the A90J is not available, but you can upgrade beyond the 55-inch model with the 65-inch XR-65A90J for £3499 ($3800) and the enormous 83-inch XR-83A90J for £6999 ($8000). ..

Conclusion

The Sony XR-55A90J is a superbly executed television that produces absolutely captivating and convincing visuals from virtually any source. Native 4K content has incredibly stunning visuals. The Sony performs admirably across the board: its black levels are deep and detailed like a traditional OLED. White tones jump off the screen in a way that is decidedly unOLED, and they are equally packed with data. The use of color is varied, subtle, and realistic. A defined edge is guaranteed. And the Sony just doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to motion: whether it’s slow or rapid, horizontal or vertical, simple or complex, it doesn’t matter. ..