Verdict
For family cinema fans the Sony A80J puts in a gifted HDR performance , while daytime telly viewer gain from its impressive upscaling and motion processing . The auditory sensation is also undecomposed than you ’d expect , but if you ’re into gambling and are n’t a PS5 possessor , you may want to believe other options .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
We ’re a flake late with the XR-55A80J – a year recently in fact – but Sony ’s 2021 2d grade organic light-emitting diode is still available well into 2022 and has hit a price point that would make late adopters to the OLED marketplace peak their head above the parapet with interest .
The A80J is the step - down model from theA90J , which is still one of ourfavourite tv set , and this entry - levelOLEDcovers interchangeable basis to the 2021 flagship , the difference not quite as great as you might bear between the two .
This is an OLED decorate out for the home cinema fan , and at its current Leontyne Price you might find its an go too good to turn down .
Design
The A80J features the same esthetical Sony has been follow up on with its OLEDs in the last mates of years . Its appearance is minimalist , and aside from the Sony logo in the bottom bezel there are few identifiers as to what blade this telecasting could be from , the A80J content to not present anything that would distract from the trope drawn on screen .
The bezel is thin and not really noticeable from a viewing length , the screen encased within a metal frame that adds to its overall elegance . Around the back it ’s less elegant , with the rearward area that houses the TV ’s utterer , processors and connection is a big slab of packaging . But who really cares about this facial expression ? You wo n’t be stare at the back of the telly after all .
With its pes the A80J does its best Optimus Prime impression as it can transmute into three different configurations . You could plant the feet out astray , or have them induct in the middle , or if there ’s a soundbar to fit , configure them into an elevated position . There is the option of wall - mounting , the 53 mm depth of the TV is not bad for an OLED , but both LG’sOLEDsand Samsung’sMini LEDsedge it in those stakes .
Interface
Every user interface begins with the remote control , and Sony ’s wand is refined enough in coming into court with its brushed finishing . There are no fancy features here , just a unproblematic and effective means of interacting with the TV ’s UI . There are no backlit buttons , but press extend sound feedback , and there are blistering primal buttons for Netflix , Prime Video , Disney+and YouTube .
The UI itself isGoogle TV , which is sort of but also not really , the substitution for Android telecasting . It ’s hyped up as a more accessible port that allows for sound content discovery of , and its layout is more logical with rows of rubric to cluck on , with little Rotten Tomatoes logos that indicate a ‘ fresh ’ or a ‘ rotten ’ vigil and terms / streaming options .
With Watchlist you have a means of keeping path of everything you want to follow across a range of apps . Updates to Android TV have bring it closely in feel to Google TV ; but this interface feels more accessible and more inviting .
I ’m not trusted about the character of its recommendation , though . you’re able to like or dislike titles to give Google TV a better idea of what you ’re interested in , but it served me title I did n’t calculate all that interested in or film I ’ve already watched .
There ’s Sony ’s own menu that ’s the same as before , approachable through the circumstance button on the remote or by making your way to the veracious - manus side of the sieve in the Google TV UI . There are batch of pick for tweaking and changing , which are explain in an easy - to - follow manner .
There is , of trend , a smorgasbord of apps to dig into ; and it ’s hard to think of one – handsome or small – that ’s not available under the Google / Android TV umbrella . All the UK catch - up apps are present , and the self-aggrandizing popular apps are available in their 4 K HDR incarnation , withDolby Vision HDRsupported where available .
Features
So far , the A80J has hit the ripe bank bill , but it ’s within the features section where it becomes clearer what audience this TV is for and who it is n’t .
And if you drew the base movie theatre aficionado card from the deck then you are the intended audience for the XR-55A80J. Concessions to gamers outside of the PS5 crowd are few : there ’s noAMD FreeSyncorNvidia G - Syncsupport , with HDMIVRRonly just added in an update earlier in 2022 .
I measured input lag at 16.3ms , which in the opulent scheme of thing is very good , though short of Samsung and LG , with evenPanasonicahead in the gaming bet with their operation and features .
What the Sony A80J can call upon for PS5 gamers is a duet of Bravia XR television receiver specific features such as Auto HDR Tone Mapping , which optimises the HDR performance on the TV ; and Auto Genre Picture Mode that detects when you ’re playing a game and puts the TV into its lowest response time ( basicallyAuto Low Latency Mode ) .
There ’s also 4K/120fps documentation , with Sony saying input lag can be convey down to as petty as 8.5ms in that context . There ’s noDolby Vision Gamingthat ’s available on LG and Panasonic OLEDs , though .
Other features include voice built - in Google Assistant and ‘ Works with ’ Alexa support that brings Amazon ’s digital aide-de-camp into the fray via connected devices . Chromecast , AirPlay 2and support for Apple’sHomeKitsmart home weapons platform replete out the boob tube ’s smarts .
Elsewhere there are a few picture modes to choose from inNetflix Calibrated Modethat submit titles as they were mastered in the studio . The A80J is certify forIMAX Enhanced , tuning its moving picture and sound in accordance with IMAX ’s standards . BRAVIA Coreis a streaming service that lay out claim at a bitrate that ’s near to the lineament of 4 K Blu - ray and it sustain IMAX Enhanced criterion too .
Connectivity is four HDMI ports ( two 2.0 and two 2.1 ) , three USB ( two 2.0 and a individual fast - amphetamine 3.0 ) , two satellite inputs , atomic number 104 antenna , Ethernet , Optical audio out , 3.5 millimeter out and AV complex . Wirelessly there ’s Wi - Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 .
To manage simulacrum keeping and burn - in that organic light-emitting diode are more susceptible to than other types of video display , Pixel Shift propel the image after a certain amount of time to foreclose image retention while Panel Refresh only needs to be used in instances where ‘ trace ’ paradigm need to be removed .
Picture Quality
The A80J does n’t have the brighter OLED Evo panel that LG ’s more late C2 and G2 models have , but as this is a 2021 model , so a more given comparison would be the non - Evo LG C1 ( which I brush up the 65 - column inch version ) .
Comparing the two ( even though they ’re different size ) would bespeak that the Sony A80J puts more of an emphasis on HDR highlight ( small , brighter objects ) while the C1 is a iota burnished when make do with bigger bright objects . However , brightness level is only just one element to consider where delineation execution is worry .
Upscaled content on this 55 - inch screen looks great . received definition is unsurprisingly piano in detail , definition and raciness terms , watching Garden Rescue on the BBC and the sissiness was apparent in the grain of the Ellen Price Wood fencing and close - ups of masses ’s typeface . But edge definition is jolly firm , with comparatively less fuzziness surrounding the outlines of hoi polloi and aim and the color performance produced hard blues , verdant greens and fertile - looking reds of the flowers in the garden . For a 480p image , there ’s nothing too egregious to take note apart from noise on people ’s faces .
With 1080p the A80J carries over all the beneficial attributes from its 480p upscaling but is much clearer , cleaner , sharp and vastly more detailed . Faces , clothes , object all get an rise , with complexions striking a lifelike look , and colouration are more varied and wide - wander in tone . Andrew Dickson White are portray in a blank and bright manner and black levels are strong , make for a very satisfying and logical HD upscale .
The A80J ’s movement processing is hugely impressive . Flick it on and there ’s little to note in condition of judder , pixelation or stutter , and what artefacts are present are of the soft variety . see the Wimbledon in 4KHLGon iPlayer , the fast shots and movement of the players were all capably captured but most impressive was the deficiency of the artificiality that can plague motion interpolation on TVs . The Sony A80J ’s XR Motion Clarity presented images in a enormously rude way .
The same layer of carrying out is afforded to films , with few tell - tale artefact in trickier situation ( like object going past each other ) when watching Dune , Tenet and The Force Awakens . Only a few shots in 1917 bring up some interference and bust in the trenches before Lance Corporal Schofield begins his run across No Man ’s Land . The A80J ’s motion processing sticks to its task in a slick way , Tom Cruise and Christopher Nolan might in reality approve of this public presentation .
impress on to the XR-55A80J ’s 4 K HDR performance , and it ’s very good , though liken to the late OLEDs there ’s an unsurprising performance deficit .
The A80J showcases terrifically inky-black blacks that OLED panels surpass with , and in a film like The Batman , blowlamp and headlamp of motorbikes shine brightly , bring about excellent dividing line and images with depth . Like most organic light-emitting diode , the A80J ’s default option configurations portrays blacks a little too deep , with a lack of detail in the darkest parts of Kylo Ren ’s costume almost casting him as a silhouette .
But item levels , sharpness and limpidity are all very stiff , the intricate patterns on Doctor Strange ’s cloak are impressively defined and detailed ; the yield design of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is brought to spirit with fantabulous pellucidity and high levels of insight in the IMAX presentation of the film on Disney+ .
The deficiency ofDolby Vision IQfactors into things when watching The Dig on Netflix . Detail in dark scenes is more seeable on the LG where the A80J ’s black levels absorb any item in the foreground and backcloth . I also notice that the A80J ’s colours are a piffling cooler in temperature and plainer in appearing , the red ink of the Cafe de Paris setting and pink of Sandie ’s robe in the view where Eloise first travels back in the mid-sixties in Last Night in Soho lack the LG ’s vibrancy , and in some instances in The Dig , complexions are noticeably more pale and less vivid than the LG ’s warmer , more expressive display .
Sound Quality
Pre - standardization the Sony A80J offers a decent attempt at bring out depth , and it ’s more forthright and direct in its presentation than other television set I ’ve tested recently . Calibrate the Acoustic Surface Audio+ sound organisation that uses actuator to vibrate the filmdom to produce auditory sensation and the TV ’s audio performance goes up another grade .
It ’s an undefended performance where duologue and event are operate to their spatial relation on screen and pan across the video display with accuracy . There ’s an melioration to the uncloudedness and definition of setting sounds in a scene after the Acoustic Room standardization creating slightly better depth , and the sharp and crisp tone helps with the definition of dialog and effects but it ’s not overly sharp , with dialogue carry with fine clearness .
There ’s also decent weight to the vocalism of Cumberbatch ’s unknown , capturing the gravelly , slenderly nasally tonus of the fictional character solidly . Dynamism is well transmit , a clear deviation between quiet and trashy bit put across without conjure up distortion and there ’s decent bass and encroachment to the low reaches of the frequency range . The Sony A80J is never going to procreate bass with the deepness and extension of a freestanding subwoofer , but what ’s provided here , whether it ’s for films or daytime TV , is among the better flatscreen TVs I ’ve come across .
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Should you buy it?
The Sony A80J takes content at any resolution and name it depend swell , its move skills are category - leading and its HDR performance sport plenty of particular , contrast and expressive colours
This OLED focuses on PS5 owners , but even then , the width of its features is n’t as across-the-board as what you ’d find on competing LG and Panasonic OLED , whether you ’re a console or PC gamer
Final Thoughts
At its current price The Sony A80J is an fantabulous option for home cinema sports fan after a top - quality OLED at a more low-priced price . The design is well think out , Google TV is a more approachable interface than Android TV and from a film and sound linear perspective , the A80J fork over classy upscaling and colourful 4 K HDR image , with a audio that ’s punchier and weightier than most flatscreen efforts .
Its Dolby Vision public presentation is n’t as good as LG and Panasonic OLEDs , the deficiency of Dolby Vision IQ lead to a surfeit of item in the sullen parts of an image . It also wo n’t have wide-eyed appealingness for gamers , catering mainly to PS5 possessor with its feature .
Nevertheless , for family cinema fans there ’s much to enjoy , and a twelvemonth on from its initial release , the A80J stands out as an splendid organic light-emitting diode , now usable at a more inviting price .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every television we review thoroughly over an extended period of sentence . We use industriousness standard trial to compare features by rights . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to critique a product .
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FAQs
The Sony A80J issue forth in 55- , 65- and 77 - inch example
The Sony A80J support an eARC HDMI connection ( HDMI comment 3 ) , which also serves as the 4K/120Hz input as well .
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Full Specs
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