The Sony Bravia XR A95K OLED seems to be the pick of the best TVs. The color and brightness of the A95K are impressive, and its smart features enhance the user experience. Additionally, reviewers consider the Sony OLED TV to offer exceptional viewing and listening experiences for all content. The assumption here is based on reviews on RTings.com, Tom’s Hardware, Tech Radar, and the NY Times Wirecutter site. In addition, I took a look at the qualitative reviews from a number of other sites including HDTVTest, and FlatpanelsHD.
The Sony A95K OLED TV, available in 55- and 65-inch sizes, is one of the best-looking TVs around, and there doesn’t seem to be much argument against that opinion from any reviewer. It is more expensive than Samsung’s S95B, which also uses quantum dot technology and seems to have better performance . However, the A95K has several upgrades such as compatibility with Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG formats, a metal heatsink to improve panel brightness, and Sony’s Acoustic Surface Audio technology. However, it is not certain that these upgrades are worth the additional cost for most buyers.
The other one of the big three, LG’s C2 OLED TV also supports gaming features, Dolby Vision HDR, DTS:X, and other advanced audio codecs but Sony seems to be winning reviewers over with its Cognitive XR processing engine for image processing. While the Samsung S95C has brighter images due to its better performing QD-OLED panel, the Sony A95K’s image processing combined with Dolby Vision HDR support is the preferred choice.
The high-end of the TV market is unlikely to change in the near future because it’s been Sony, LG, and Samsung for a number of years now, and all three TVs – the A95K, C2, and S95B – are just coming into their own. However, for all the in-depth reviews, the availability of a vast number of YouTube channels with side-by-side comparisons, it’s probably personal preferences that decides the ultimate choice made by consumers. Samsung seems to have favor among game enthusiasts, although I haven’t seen enough data to suggest what the market for this demographic measures out as for high-end TVs. Sony is always going to be the most expensive. The company has never been a discount or price-conscious seller. LG, on the other hand, seems to fall somewhere in between the two, not having one thing that sways an audience its way. Sony has its looks, Samsung has its speed, so what about LG?
The other point of concern is that there is a tremendous amount of inconsistency in the reporting of reviews, a lot of is driven by affiliate links to online merchants so reviews are configured to generate paid clicks, not that there should be any fear this means they are gamed one way or another. Content creators don’t care about what people buy or which affiliate links get clicked on as long as there are clicks. So, there can be a tendency to have an overwrought assembly of categories for “best TV” as well as page layouts that favor diplomacy and tact over outright criticism.
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| The Sony A95K OLED is the absolute best OLED TV we’ve tested, especially if you’re looking to upgrade your home theater experience. It stands out from the other OLED TVs on this list thanks to its QD-OLED panel technology, which delivers more vibrant colors than the other OLEDs like the LG C2 OLED. It also has a great selection of additional features, including many of the same great gaming features found on the C2 and the S95B. It supports Dolby Vision HDR, letting it deliver an incredibly immersive movie-watching experience that perfectly recreates the content creator’s intention. It also supports a wider range of advanced audio codecs, including DTS:X, one of the most widely used audio formats on UHD Blu-ray discs, ensuring you’ll get the best audio experience possible when connected to a compatible A/V receiver or soundbar. | The Sony A95K is an OLED TV masterpiece. It masters Quantum Dot OLED technology, combining OLED’s black level prowess and peerless light control with brightness and pure color. Sony’s excellent Cognitive XR processing engine delivers images so good we were truly shocked during our testing. We’d even say that the Sony A95K delivers arguably the most flat-out beautiful images we’ve seen from a consumer television. The new Samsung S95C (also in this list) provides even brighter images thanks to its next-gen QD-OLED panel, but with Sony’s refined image processing and support for Dolby Vision HDR, we suspect that cinema lovers will still prefer Sony. | The Sony A95K OLED is considered the best OLED TV tested, particularly for enhancing the home theater experience. It differs from other OLED TVs on the market by incorporating QD-OLED panel technology, which offers more vibrant colors than the LG C2 OLED. Additionally, it comes with several useful features, such as gaming features, and supports Dolby Vision HDR, DTS:X, and other advanced audio codecs for an immersive viewing experience. The Sony A95K OLED TV is considered a masterpiece, incorporating Quantum Dot OLED technology that combines OLED’s black level performance and light control with brightness and pure color. Sony’s Cognitive XR processing engine delivers stunning images that are arguably the most beautiful from a consumer television. While the Samsung S95C has a next-gen QD-OLED panel with brighter images, the Sony A95K’s refined image processing and support for Dolby Vision HDR is favored by cinema lovers. |
YouTube video reviews have their followings, and RTings.com seems to be quite popular within the display industry, but I wonder how effective these reviews are in driving actual sales, other than among a small group of enthusiasts. Most TV reviews, in-depth ones with significant image testing and supporting data, are time-consuming and expensive to produce, and are not doable by big publishers, and probably have little impact on ad dollars and affiliate links for publishers. Nevertheless, there’s a whole cottage industry in review churn where forums, Reddit discussions, and social media amplify conversations, connect the most engaged TV enthusiasts to brands and manufacturers, and drive expectations, but it’s probably only the balance of size and price that wins out in the end.
As for home theaters, there are channels and systems integrators that do the picking and choosing there. They probably need to have better information than the average consumer when they pick a screen for a customer, even if price is not a problem. One high-end integrator of home cinemas in Los Angeles told me about how these installations are as much about integration with a home automation system, and the interior design of the screening room as they are about technology. So, by all means, Sony is probably the luxury TV of the moment, but that may mean less than it sounds in palpable consumer activity.
