Stuff - UK (2021-08)

3

TESTED SONY XR-55A90J

Q Improving

If you’re watching HD

or worse, it’s also a very

accomplished upscaler.

Picture noise is kept to

a minimum, edges don’t

soften too badly, detail

levels remain high and

movement is (again) kept

completely under control.

Q Proving

Native 4K content looks

deeply impressive. Black

levels are classic OLED

in their depth, but they’re

also very detailed; white

tones pop in a most

un-OLED fashion, and

they’re equally loaded

with information.

Q Grooving

Sound quality is equally,

er, sound. There’s depth

and body to the bass, and

the sort of direct delivery

of the midrange that

comes from using the

whole screen as a driver.

Images and audio are in

close alignment.

Q Moving

The colour palette is

extensive, nuanced and

believable. Edge-definition

is assured and, where

motion is concerned, the

Sony just doesn’t put

a foot wrong – slow or

rapid, horizontal or vertical,

simple or complex.

Spending some quality time with the XR-55A90J is a

feast for the eyes... and only slightly less for the ears

Screen 55in 3840x2160 OLED

OS Google TV Connectivity Wi-Fi,

Bluetooth 4.2, 4x HDMI, 2x USB, optical

HDR formats HLG, HDR10, Dolby Vision

Dimensions 1220x709x41mm, 19kg

STUFF SAYS +++++

Everything this Sony TV

does, it does to a dizzily

high standard – but

the world is awash with

cheaper rivals

All along the watch power

Te c h s p e c s

The Sony XR-55A90J is a brilliantly accomplished

TV that delivers utterly absorbing and believable

images from any source. It has you covered for

next-gen consoles, but a lack of catch-up services

until a promised fix later this year means that,

right now, we’d be tempted by more affordable options from

LG, Panasonic and Philips. @OnlySimonLucas

71

I lost my heart to XR chip, super
The latest XR picture-processing
engine takes the AI capabilities
of the old X1 and adds ‘cognitive
intelligence’. This combines AI
analysis of picture performance
with more in-depth inspection
across multiple zones. So the
chip responds to depth of field,
detail, colour and contrast (4).

My friend Goog

Google TV is clean, logical and

much less pushy than Android

TV; and while its recommendation

algorithms need finessing, it’s

more usable overall. Sony’s

exclusive Bravia Core streaming

service features too, which is a

genuine plus: content is extensive

and super-high-quality.

Shake a lag

PS5 and XSX

owners rejoice: there

are two HDMI 2.1

sockets with 4K @

120Hz, and an input

lag of just 9.9ms in

game mode.