The Sony A90J OLED TV among the best TV options if you own or will use a Sony PS5. It's also ideal for those that want the very highest quality streaming from a dedicated Sony service.
When it comes to HDR, this TV supports team Dolby Vision, which is now used mostly by the likes of Netflix and Disney Plus, so you can get the very best out of those services. Although there's no HDR10+ support for Amazon Prime Video fans. But with Sony's own Bravia Core streaming service offering the best quality picture of anyone right now, that's a very appealing addition.
This is so Sony, hitting all the important points of picture quality, design and audio and blowing them away. But for that, there is a premium price tag. So is it worth you splashing out on the Sony A90J OLED TV?
Sony A90J OLED TV review: Picture
- Superb motion handling
- Rich and vibrant images
- Great upscaling
The Sony A90J OLED TV really does push the limits of what OLED can offer with a superb visual finish. That means that you get those rich blacks and well-defined darker areas you'd expect from an OLED but also a better peak brightness to tackle any would-be competition from the brighter likes of QLED TVs.
The Bravia Core streaming service is a big plus here as it offers the highest-quality streaming available anywhere. So it's still 4K and Dolby Vision level, only with a higher bitrate, like Blu-ray offers. This TV is certified for IMAX Enhanced video which makes it a really stunning set. But even for less quality imagery, the smart upscaling does a great job of refining the images to look stunning on this screen.
Average price: $2799
Sizes available: 55", 65", and 83"
Screen type: OLED
4K ready? Yes
8K ready? No
HDR type: Dolby Vision
Audio type: Dolby Atmos
HDMI connections: 4 (2xHDMI 2.1)
Other connections: 3 x USB, 1 x Ethernet, Audio Out, Headphone Out, RS-232C , Composite Video Input.
Expect lots of details, plenty of rich color, well defined contrast and a natural finish that directors would be proud of. Motion is also well executed with a super smoothness that is particularly excellent at the 120Hz level. There's no ghosting, no juddering and no hesitation detectable when watching anything on this TV.
This TV doesn't yet support VRR, but then since the PS5 doesn't yet either, this is only an issue for Xbox Series X gamers. In that case, you'd either get HD with 120Hz or 4K at 60Hz. And with no Dolby Vision game mode, this could be lacking for some gamers.
Sony A90J OLED TV review: Sound
- Impressive glass speaker
- Powerful and detailed
- Soundbars are still superior
For most OLED TVs the sound is rarely anything to get excited about and so pairing them with a soundbar is usually the best way to do the picture quality justice. While that's the case here too, this is one of the best sounding TVs out there thanks to Sony's impressive glass screen speaker tech.
The glass speaker, backed by rear-firing drivers, can actually produce impressive bass power while still offering a dynamic sound that's balanced and works for most movies and music. That not only means this can offer a wide soundstage with enough scale to allow soundtracks to build dramatically, but also to deliver voices clearly.
Voice audio is often the most important part for a TV speaker yet it's also one of the things many TVs don't do so well. That's not the case here as no matter what is being watched you can rely on the speakers, combined with smart Cognitive XR processing, to offer clear vocal audio no matter what. Since that processing works to separate the left and right channels, there is a real sense of surround sound created too.
Sony A90J OLED TV review: Design and build
- Minimalist design
- Moving legs for soundbar
- HDMI 2.1 ports
The Sony A90J OLED TV is super minimalistic which make this a very attractive TV, on or off. The bezel is nearly non-existent and the legs barely protrude at all. The rear edges are still slim, 6mm at its thinnest, but it bulges more as you go down -41mm at its widest- making space for the processing nubins and speakers.
Impressively, this TV features speaker connections on the rear panel, allowing you to still use that giant glass speaker and rear-firing woofers as your central channel in a larger surround sound system if you want to.
The rear features those bass drivers as well as space for connections via the plentiful ports. These include two HDMI 2.1 ports and two more HDMIs all with 120Hz and 4K capability. One of these ports supports eARC, ideal for soundbar passthrough, and those two top-end ports are good for 48Gbps and ALLM support.
It's the legs we love though. These are designed to be moved, so that you could make space for a soundbar. In fact, they can even be used to lift up the TV so it stands with enough height to slip the soundbar unobtrusively underneath. Brilliant.
Under the glass is the new Google TV operating system which makes this the easiest Sony TV to use yet. It also means you get a whole host of apps at your fingertips and some great smartphone integration for Android users.
Sony A90J OLED TV review: Should you buy?
If you don't mind spending a bit more than average on your OLED TV, to ensure you get the best picture possible in a beautifully designed TV, then this Sony OLED TV is for you. If the idea of using the TV's speakers without adding more is also attractive, the the Sony A90J is especially ideal. It also features that Sony Bravia Core streaming service for the very highest quality streaming in IMAX Enhanced quality, which you won't find anywhere outside of Sony.
This is a Dolby Vision friendly set, so that's good for Netflix and Disney+ users but for those Amazon Prime Video fans, you may want a set that supports HDR10+ instead.
Other TV reviews: Samsung Q90R review | LG C9 OLED review | Vizio M-Series Quantum review | Samsung Q950TS 8K TV review | Hisense H9G ULED TV | TCL 6-Series TV
