The Cognitive Processor XR is the same, and many of the same capabilities are present, including support for variable refresh rate (VRR), HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and the S-Center speaker input, which enables the use of the TV’s speakers as the centre channel when a compatible Sony soundbar is connected. It is also compatible with the same Google TV smart platform and is offered in 55-inch, 65-inch, and 77-inch sizes as its predecessor. Few TVs now on the market can provide you the visual delight that this TV can. When set to the Cinema setting, it boasts respectable OLED brightness and good color accuracy right out of the box. The panel’s nearly unlimited range of contrast ratios allows you to enjoy stunning images where total darkness and some light coexist. However, it doesn’t just excel at handling dark scenes or deliver breathtaking HDR performance.
Sony A80K (XR-65A80K) review: Design
The Sony XR A80K is an incredibly eye-catching device that appears to be worth every penny that Sony is asking for. The TV’s extreme thinness is one of its most notable characteristics. A plastic container that also houses the TV’s motherboard and additional components, such as the communication ports, holds the thin screen together and protects it from damage. Regarding these, the TV has two USB ports, an AV port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and four HDMI ports. Two metal stands that are height-adjustable are included with the Sony XR A80K to help the TV leave room for a soundbar, if you have one. These stands are quite strong and prevent any swaying of the TV. If you want to keep the TV on a table that is less than the size of the TV, we believe that these feet are set too far apart. Although the Sony A80K is the company’s most reasonably priced OLED TV this year, it isn’t inexpensive. It’s a high-end TV whole and through, as you can tell the instant you take one look at its gorgeous picture. The good news is that it is far less expensive than Sony’s A95K OLED TV, which will be its apex model in 2022. The bad news is that it presently costs about the same as some OLED TVs that perform better than it in important areas.
Features
The company’s XR OLED Contrast Pro and Cognitive Processor XR capabilities are included in Sony’s 2022 OLEDs to enhance picture quality. These features primarily increase peak brightness in highlights and deepen blacks automatically and scene-by-scene. To fully support DCI-P3, a wide colour gamut screen works in conjunction with Sony’s XR Triluminos Pro feature and Cognitive processor XR. There are four HDMI inputs available, two of which support 4K 120Hz, have variable refresh rates (VRR), and have auto low latency modes (ALLM). In the US, the A80K also has an integrated ATSC 3.0 tuner. With 4K resolution video and Dolby Atmos audio available from stations airing in the newest format, viewers can watch free over-the-air digital TV through these channels. After a sluggish start, ATSC 3.0 is beginning to take off in the US, and by late 2022, coverage is anticipated to reach 75% of markets.
Sony A80K (XR-65A80K) review: Connectivity
Strangely, the 2022 A80K opts for the first layout with all of its ports facing horizontally while the A80J used the second. In essence, the layout is identical to that of the Sony X90K. Sony’s decision to make this alteration is unknown, but it has occurred nonetheless. From top to bottom, there are four HDMI ports for connecting all of your devices, two USB ports for powering or connecting external storage, a digital optical audio output for older equipment that does not support HDMI connections, a composite video input that also serves as an S-Center speaker input, an Ethernet port for connecting to your network wirelessly, an RS-232C port for controlling devices, an IR input, and the standard antenna/cable connector. In contrast to some of the other major producers, Sony includes a USB 3.0 connector in the majority of its TVs, including the most affordable ones. This is undoubtedly a positive for Sony, who chose to do the obvious, as manufacturers typically don’t seem to enjoy using the newer USB ports and rely primarily on the antiquated 2.0 version, even for many of their top premium products.
Audio Quality
The OLED TVs in the A80K series from Sony have Acoustic Surface Audio+. Five actuators are placed in this location—three behind the screen and two on either side—vibrating it to produce full-range sound, together with two subwoofers for deeper bass. Other audio capabilities include Voice Zoom for enhancing speech, 3D surround upscaling, and Acoustic Audio Calibration to adjust the sound output of the set to your viewing area. We were astonished at how clear the speech was and how loud the speakers could get without sounding strained since we seldom ever rely on a TV’s built-in audio system these days while viewing movies. We also saw unique vertical and above effects emanating from the TV after switching to the Dolby Atmos sound option. Would the audio quality have been better with a dedicated Dolby Atmos soundbar? Probably. However, we believe that someone who doesn’t regularly watch action movies and who doesn’t want to spend a lot of money on a soundbar would be happy with the X80built-in K’s audio.
Sony A80K (XR-65A80K) review: Image quality
Our observations do not allow us to judge if the A80K is superior to or inferior than the A80J for 2021. There are minor variations here and there, with the A80K exhibiting superior colour performance while the A80J is brighter. However, given real-world content, the differences won’t be obvious unless you compare the two side by side, so we’ll declare them equivalent in terms of overall quality. Regarding the A80K in particular, the TV offered superb upscaling skills, incredible colours and gradients, great performance right out of the box, spectacular contrast as any OLED should be, outstanding viewing angles, robust motion, and input lag that any gamer may fall in love with. There are undoubtedly other OLEDs that can go brighter and have more impactful HDR. Brightness in both SDR and HDR was good, but not as good as we had hoped. The TV can go a little bit brighter than our measurements, but as usual, doing so will result in some visual accuracy being lost.
Gaming performance
The A80K supports its strong next-generation gaming capabilities, including 4K/120Hz video input, variable refresh rate (VRR), and auto low latency mode (ALLM), with a low input lag of 12ms, which is an amazing result. A function called Auto HDR Tone Mapping ensures that PlayStation games with HDR are properly shown on the set’s screen when it is connected to a PlayStation 5 console. With the exception of Auto HDR Tone Mapping, the PlayStation 5 has no game-specific menu settings. also you can check our article on Sony A80K (XR-65A80K) review.
Performance
We ensure sure the panel is turned on and has been receiving a steady signal for at least two hours before testing each TV. Before any readings were obtained, the typical warm-up period was applied to our 55-inch A80K. At the time of testing, the TV also had the most recent firmware updates. We’re testing SDR and HDR using the A80Custom K’s picture mode. The accuracy of this setting is why we chose it, however performance may change depending on which image mode is active. For instance, enabling certain settings might result in a brighter image, but it might also affect the color temperature and overall color accuracy. We conduct the majority of our fundamental contrast tests using a typical ANSI checkerboard pattern in order to gauge the TV’s average performance. To evaluate how well the contrast stays up while showing different levels of brightness, we also utilize white and black panes that range from 2% to 90%. In order to accurately depict the TV’s peak brightness over an extended period of time, our peak brightness measurements are made with sustained windows. Higher brightness levels for specular highlights (such fleeting flashes of reflected light) are possible, but not for extended periods of time.
Price
The 55-inch Sony A80K we’re examining today is currently available and costs £1599 in the UK. Additionally, a 65-inch version is available for £2099, and a 77-inch model is available for £3499 for the utterly serious. These costs correspond to $1599, $1999, and $2999 in America, respectively; once more, the US outperforms the UK. You are looking at equivalents in Australia of AU$3299, AU$4299, and AU$6999.
Conclusion
For most purposes, the Sony A80K performs superbly. Because it displays deep blacks without any blooming in dark settings, it performs best in dimly lit environments for watching movies. Due to its dark room performance and the wide range of colours it displays, it is great for HDR, but the HDR brightness isn’t high enough for the greatest HDR experience. Thanks to its broad viewing angle and exceptional reflection handling, it’s wonderful for watching TV shows and terrific for sports in well-lit rooms, but it doesn’t become bright enough to significantly reduce glare. Additionally, it offers HDMI 2.1 bandwidth support for variable refresh rate (VRR), a quick response time, and minimal input lag, making it excellent for gaming.
