Sony Bravia XR-55A80K Review: Is This OLED TV Effortlessly Good, or Just Effortlessly Expensive?

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Stepping Into the Luxurious Realm: A Deep Dive into the Sony Bravia XR-55A80K OLED TV

The realm of premium televisions is a playground for tech enthusiasts and discerning viewers alike. Among the celebrated contenders, OLED technology stands tall, boasting unparalleled picture quality. In India, however, the choice of OLED televisions is limited, with Xiaomi, LG, and Sony leading the charge. Sony, particularly, has carved a unique niche with its XR Series, offering a compelling blend of performance and aesthetics. Today, we investigate the Sony Bravia XR-55A80K, the smallest and most affordable model in their 2022 OLED lineup, priced at a tempting Rs. 2,49,900 (often available for around Rs. 1,85,000 from official retailers). Is this the ultimate TV under Rs. 2,00,000, or does it fall short of expectations? Let’s delve into the details, exploring everything from its design to its performance.

Sony Bravia XR-55A80K: Design and Specifications

The Sony XR-A80K series is offered in three sizes in India: 55 inches (our subject), 65 inches, and 77 inches, with varying price points. The 77-inch variant, distinguished by its 60W sound output compared to the 50W of the other sizes, remains otherwise identical.

The Sony Bravia XR-55A80K embodies a sleek and modern aesthetic, mirroring its XR-55X90K quantum-dot LED counterpart with its thin black borders, maximizing the screen-to-body ratio. The minimalist design ensures the focus remains firmly on the screen’s captivating content. A subtle Sony logo resides in the bottom-left corner, while a discreet switch on the underside controls the always-on microphone for voice commands.

The microphones, positioned below the screen facing forward, are accompanied by a subtle indicator light. While the TV boasts a slender profile, there’s a noticeable gap between the edges and the wall, with the center of the TV slightly thicker. Weighing approximately 18kg, the 55-inch A80K includes table stands, which can be fitted at the corners, requiring ample table or entertainment unit space. Wall mounting is an option, but the necessary kit is not included. Sony, however, provides free installation, giving you the opportunity to have a suitable wall mount installed by technicians.

Port Paradise

All ports and sockets on the Sony XR-55A80K are conveniently situated on the left side of the screen, with only the detachable power cable connector located near the right side at the back. Even with a wall-mounted configuration, accessing these ports isn’t challenging. The array of connectivity options includes:

  • Two USB Type-A ports
  • Digital Audio-Out (Optical Toslink)
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • One Video-In socket
  • Ethernet port
  • Antenna socket
  • Four HDMI ports:
    • Two supporting 4K at 120Hz
    • One supporting HDMI ARC and eARC

Picture Powerhouse

The Sony XR-55A80K is equipped with a 55-inch Ultra-HD (3840×2160-pixel) OLED display, capable of displaying stunning visuals thanks to its support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG high dynamic range formats. Its audio setup boasts a five-driver configuration with a total output of 50W, incorporating Sony’s Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology, which creates the illusion of sound emanating directly from the screen itself. To further enhance the audio experience, Dolby Atmos and DTS Digital Surround are also supported.

Like its X90K series sibling, the A80K is powered by the Cognitive Processor XR and features dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2, along with 16GB of storage for applications and data.

A Remote That Redefines Control

The Sony Bravia XR-55A80K features the same refined and minimalist remote as the X90K. While minimalistic, it’s far from barebones, offering a comprehensive set of controls:

  • D-pad and Android TV navigation keys
  • Source and settings buttons
  • Playback controls
  • Google Assistant button
  • Volume controls
  • Hotkeys for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and YouTube Music

This thoughtfully designed remote eliminates unnecessary buttons often found on traditional remotes, such as a full number pad. The inclusion of a microphone for voice commands and Bluetooth connectivity ensures a smooth user experience. Powered by two AAA batteries (supplied), this remote covers all your essential TV control needs.

Beyond the Remote: A Feature-Rich Ecosystem

The Sony Bravia XR-55A80K goes beyond basic functionality by incorporating an array of features designed to elevate your viewing experience:

  • Apple AirPlay and HomeKit support
  • Built-in Google Chromecast
  • Hands-free Google Assistant: With the slider switch beneath the TV set to "On" and the TV powered on, you can activate the voice assistant by saying "OK Google" or "Hey Google" directly to the TV.
  • Amazon Alexa integration: If you prefer, you can also set up Amazon Alexa on the TV.
  • Gaming Features: Supports 4K at 120Hz through two HDMI ports, auto low-latency mode, and variable refresh rate (VRR).

Software and Interface: Google TV Takes the Stage

Sony is among the few manufacturers to have fully embraced the Google TV user interface across its product range, and the XR-55A80K is no exception. Built upon Android TV 10, the TV leverages the Google TV UI, delivering a user experience nearly identical to that of the Chromecast with Google TV. This interface is widely considered one of the best available for televisions today.

Key features include:

  • Content Curation and Recommendation System: A significantly improved system that intelligently suggests what to watch based on your viewing habits.
  • Banner View: Displays major new releases, making it easy to stay in the loop with newly available content.
  • Multi-app "Continue Watching" Row: Conveniently displays where you left off on multiple apps.
  • Themed Content Recommendations: A quirky yet effective way to discover movies and TV shows based on specific themes.

A World of Content at Your Fingertips

Google’s own purchases and rentals are seamlessly integrated into the UI. When searching for content, the interface prioritizes options from your subscribed streaming services, providing the most accessible and cost-effective way to watch what you desire. Netflix has been integrated into content searches, but unfortunately not into the recommendation engine (unlike on the Chromecast with Google TV). Other services that leverage the recommendation system include Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+ Hotstar, Voot, and Zee5.

Sony’s Bravia Core streaming service, another notable feature, is available on XR series TVs like the 55A80K. Sony claims that Bravia Core can stream at up to 80Mbps, a remarkable speed compared to other services, resulting in exceptional picture quality for Ultra-HD HDR content, known as "Pure Stream". While the content library may not be as extensive as other services, it’s worth exploring for its superior streaming and picture quality.

Sony bundles a one-year complimentary subscription of Bravia Core with the 55A80K, which includes many titles that can be streamed for free without needing to redeem credits. Additionally, you receive five credits to redeem for "premium" titles, encompassing a large portion of the "Pure Stream" and IMAX Enhanced catalogues.

The service’s future cost after the free trial is currently unclear, but users should be able to continue watching titles redeemed with credits for a period beyond the subscription expiration. The picture quality delivered by Bravia Core for Ultra-HD content definitively surpassed even Netflix and Apple TV.

Sony Bravia XR-55A80K: Performance and Picture Quality

The premium television segment, while not as crowded as its more affordable counterparts, offers a fierce competition. The XR-55A80K faces robust contenders even within its price range, notably the excellent LG 55C2 OLED TV and the Samsung 55QN95B. While the LG television delivered slightly superior contrast and blending, and the Samsung TV impressed with its exceptional brightness and vibrant colors, the Sony XR-55A80K stood out for its overall realism and picture accuracy.

HDR Mastery

The Sony TV‘s HDR format support for Dolby Vision noticeably favored content on Netflix, Apple TV+, and Disney+ Hotstar over Amazon Prime Video, though the objective quality of content from the Bravia Core streaming service consistently outperformed everything else. A defining characteristic of the Sony XR-55A80K was its seamless and effortless adaptability to various content qualities. High-quality content looked stunning, while lower-resolution content enjoyed suitable upscaling, making it presentable on the 55-inch screen.

Adaptive Brilliance

The Sony XR-55A80K effectively utilizes its light sensor to adjust brightness levels and impact in response to content and ambient light conditions. This results in a naturally pleasant and effortless viewing experience. The picture never felt overly bright, and I didn’t need to manually adjust the brightness even in daylight or well-lit rooms. The TV’s adaptive nature created a viewing experience that allowed me to fully immerse myself in the content without distraction.

A Cinematic Experience

Watching Thor: Love and Thunder on Disney+ Hotstar in Ultra-HD Dolby Vision was a visually captivating experience on the Sony XR-55A80K. The TV seamlessly adapted to the numerous bright, colorful scenes of New Asgard while seamlessly rendering the dark, eerie scenes in the Shadow Realm. The ability to capture detail and enhance realism was remarkable. The glistening of Thor’s gold chest plate was absolutely stunning, while Gorr’s presence in the shadows retained all the detail and watchability expected from a high-end OLED TV.

OLED Magic: Unrivaled Black Levels

As expected from an OLED television, the Sony XR-55A80K wasn’t exceptionally bright. Unlike the Samsung QN95B which delivers consistently watchable pictures regardless of lighting conditions, the Sony benefited from some degree of room darkening, even simply drawing curtains. The screen exhibited some glare from light slivers from windows or ceiling lights, making it essential to optimize the room’s lighting setup for optimal viewing.

Color and Detail Across All Resolutions

Colorful animation like Pacific Rim: The Black in Ultra-HD was exceptionally sharp and detailed on the Sony XR-55A80K, as was the full-HD football documentary Welcome To Wrexham. The Sony television displayed impressive consistency in its picture quality, often making it difficult to distinguish between Ultra-HD and full-HD content.

The black levels were equally impressive across resolutions and dynamic ranges, particularly accentuated during the darker scenes of Thor: Love and Thunder. Subtle details were clearly and beautifully visible, even during the shadowy scenes in the Shadow Realm. Watching dark content at night was a surprisingly enjoyable experience, thanks to the crisp detail and naturalness of the image.

Dolby Vision Delight

There was a noticeable difference in viewing quality between good Dolby Vision HDR content and SDR content. The TV displayed striking colors, a visible increase in brightness, and impressive contrast between light and dark areas with Dolby Vision content. Examples like Home on Apple TV+ showcased the TV’s capability, faithfully reproducing the bright Hong Kong cityscapes and the muted interiors of Gary Chang’s converted home.

Standard Definition Considerations

Standard definition content, unsurprisingly, looked somewhat awkward on the 55-inch screen of the Sony A80K TV, though it wasn’t as jarring as on many other televisions of similar size and resolution. To maximize the TV’s potential, it is highly recommended to primarily view content in full-HD resolution or higher.

Sound That Compliments the Picture

The TV’s sound quality was impressive, especially when playing Dolby Atmos content. The audio was both loud and detailed, boasting an impressive soundstage thanks to the company’s innovative speaker layout and positioning. For standard audio content, the sound was entirely acceptable for most purposes, but a good soundbar might enhance the cinematic experience with movies.

Verdict: A Premium Choice With Minor Caveats

While OLED televisions fall short of quantum-dot and Mini-LED TVs in pure brightness, they compensate by offering superior contrast, black levels, and a more realistic picture. The Sony XR-55A80K excels in all these areas, delivering a truly premium viewing experience limited only by its peak brightness. This TV is easily one of the best options available today at around Rs. 2,00,000.

However, competition is fierce, with the LG 55C2 being a strong contender. Both televisions provide a highly similar and consistent viewing experience, especially when showcasing high-quality Dolby Vision and Ultra-HD content. The Sony edges out slightly thanks to its superior software and slightly better consistency when handling lower-resolution content.

If you’re looking for a high-end TV, the Sony XR-55A80K deserves a place on your shortlist. There’s very little to dislike about this TV, solidifying its position as a true all-rounder in the premium category.

Article Reference

Brian Adams
Brian Adams
Brian Adams is a technology writer with a passion for exploring new innovations and trends. His articles cover a wide range of tech topics, making complex concepts accessible to a broad audience. Brian's engaging writing style and thorough research make his pieces a must-read for tech enthusiasts.