It supports variable refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, making it ideal for gamers. It uses Google TV, a user-friendly smart platform with a tonne of apps available for download, just like previous Sony TVs. At CES 2022, Sony unveiled two series of Mini-LED TVs. The gorgeous Sony X95K 4K model features XR Backlight Master Drive technology. Let’s compare the X95J and X95K first, then talk about the TV. The same LCD TVs with the XR cognitive processor, as well as X-Wide-Angle and X-Anti-Reflection technology, are what these models have in common. Excellent and immersive sound is provided by the Acoustic Multi-Audio system. So the Sony XR-65X95K is undoubtedly comparable to the series from the previous year.
Design
The chassis used in the X95K is different from the one that was used in the X95J, despite the fact that the layout and overall proportions are comparable. This is even more obvious from the stand and the rear, which differs slightly from the previous models we have seen. The X95K is a premium TV that looks nice overall and has thin black borders that are close to 0.3 inches wide. Although it may not be OLED thin, the TV’s overall thickness of 2.4′′ (6.1 cm) is excellent and it will still look fantastic mounted on a wall. The checkerboard pattern on the rear of the X95K is fairly common among Sony TVs, however this time the squares lack the diagonal lines of the X95J. The connection ports are on the far right, the power connector is on the left, and the VESA wall mount holes are in the centre. As with the X95J, Sony made the decision this year to omit the Bravia XR branding from the plastic casing. The stand’s design resembles a fairly common bench type, which gives the TV more stability, but requires a larger piece of furniture if you intend to mount it on it rather than the wall. With the included stand, the TV was comparatively stable, and there was little overall wobble. The real design is different, and this is most likely due to the fact that they had to replace the TV’s body as well, necessitating the purchase of a new stand. Similar to last year, the X95stand K’s can be adjusted at two different heights, which might be very useful if you intend to place a sound bar beneath the TV. Last but not least, there is no cable management. There are no cable-driving grooves or unique clips that can be fastened to the legs to keep all cables together.
Sony Bravia X95K review: Display
The TV industry is currently obsessed with high-contrast OLED displays and Samsung’s brand-new Quantum-Dot OLED panels. In spite of this, the giant of Japanese electronics, Sony, decided to launch a new Mini-LED TV as part of its 2022 lineup of 4K HDR televisions. However, the new Bravia X95K must first compete with its highly successful predecessor.
Connectivity
Most people will be satisfied with the Sony X95connectivity K’s options, but ardent gamers and A/V fans should pay attention to the TV’s HDMI requirements. The TV has four HDMI connections, but only two of them can handle VRR, ALLM, and a 4K signal at 120Hz. One of the two HDMI 2.1 ports among them serves as the eARC port for the TV. You will therefore have to choose between giving up eARC or giving up 4K/120Hz gaming on one console if you own both a PlayStation 5 and an Xbox Series X, as well as a sound bar or AVR. you will check our article on Sony Bravia X95K review.
Features
Updated because this feature now adjusts picture brightness based on the lighting conditions in your room and integrates with the X95K’s ambient light optimization feature. The TV also comes with Sony’s online streaming service, Bravia Core, which offers streams with up to 80 Mbps of bandwidth and additional IMAX Enhanced content. Bravia Core offers some very respectable and high-quality streams, but sadly their best quality requires a 115Mbps connection, while the Ethernet port can only handle 100Mbps, so you are limited to using wireless. Sony’s Voice Search is another option that is available. The same issue has been reported with numerous other Sony TVs, and it is likely related to the fact that Alexa could not be integrated because it runs on Google’s Android operating system. The functionality of voice control goes far beyond just controlling the TV; it also lets you command any smart device you have in your home. We couldn’t help but compare the Sony A95K QD-OLED and the X95K in real time because we had the unusual pleasure of having them so close to one another. This comparison was completely unfair, but it was inevitable all the same. Even though the X95K employs two very different technologies, with the QD-OLED having clear advantages, we were still extremely impressed.
Picture quality
The X95K somehow possessed comparable color saturation and accuracy, outstanding black levels and shadow detail, tremendous depth, and incredibly brilliant HDR highlights. We anticipated the QD-OLED TV to dominate the X95K in many respects, but that didn’t happen. The X95K provided incredible depth, and the level of realism was higher than on the majority of the mini-LED backlit TVs we reviewed last year. We never felt that the X95K delivered anything other than a completely satisfying image with tonnes of HDR punch, despite what could be considered a rather modest peak brightness measurement by today’s standards, where some TVs are shooting for 2,500 nits and beyond. Furthermore, the brilliant highlights and dark shadows were so expertly detailed that we felt like we could see more of what the content’s makers had recorded. Often, it seems like dazzling and detailed can’t coexist in a TV, but I discovered that the X95K can successfully pull off both qualities at the same time. In conclusion, we believe the X95K provides excellent picture quality. There is no doubt that the competition to produce the best mini-LED backlit TV has begun, and this year’s winner will be decidedly close. Customers will have a wide range of options to choose from if you include models from Samsung, Sony, LG, TCL, and Vizio, but we are confident that the X95K will make most shortlists.
Sound quality
The audio performance of the Sony Bravia X95K Mini LED TV is better than you might anticipate. With two tweeters, two front-firing speakers, and two subwoofers, it boasts a total sound output of 60W. The result is that the set gets quite loud while creating a rich acoustic environment. Support for Dolby Atmos also helps. The sound-based suspense in No Time to Die was enhanced by the Sony Bravia X95K Mini LED TV as Bond, Madeleine Swann, and their daughter tried to escape Safin’s goons in a remote Norwegian forest. Our protagonist’s surroundings effectively put our ears in the middle of the high-stakes scene, complete with the sounds of motorcycle engines, radio reports, and crunching foliage. The Sony Bravia X95K Mini LED TV uses the remote during setup to adjust the sound to the room or the spot on the couch you anticipate sitting most often. If you want the best audio experience possible as well, you may spend money on one of the best sound bars (or one of the best Dolby Atmos sound bars). But what’s cool about the X95K is that it has a feature called Acoustic Center Sync that allows you to use the TV’s speakers in addition to your sound bar.
Sony Bravia X95K review: Gaming
As we predicted with the A95K QD-OLED, we believe the X95K will be a superb gaming monitor. Variable refresh rate is a welcome addition, and when we evaluate input latency, we anticipate finding it to be competitive, if not the very lowest you can achieve. Will it be the market’s most cutting-edge gaming TV option? Without a doubt, no. But because of its excellent picture and sound quality, it will provide a fantastic experience for the vast majority of people who play video games on consoles.
Interface
The Sony X95Bravia K’s Core XR CPU is operating in double-time. It not only drives the inbuilt smart interface but also regulates the image. It’s a pleasure to use Google TV on Sony’s X95K right out of the box. In addition to having quick access to all the main streaming services, you can utilize the integrated remote and the Google Assistant to ask for content. Additionally, it loads quickly here, and we had no hiccups in our experience.
Price and availability
The Sony Bravia X95K Mini LED TV that we tested has a 65-inch screen, but it also comes in 75- and 85-inch sizes, making it a viable option for converting your living room into a complete entertainment Centre. If you’re unsure about which choice is best for you. The specifications are the same regardless of the size you choose, therefore we anticipate that using the 65-inch setup will be identical to using the larger models. The Sony Bravia X95K Mini LED TV is one of the more expensive models this year. It is priced between the 65-inch LG G2 OLED TV ($2,999) and the 65-inch Samsung QN90B ($2,599). Having said that, the best TV deals typically come with sizable discounts.
Sony Bravia X95K review: Performance
We were particularly interested in how Sony’s Cognitive Processor XR collaborates with the XR Backlight Master Drive to deliver controlled, yet well-rounded HDR performance because it is a Mini LED TV. This involved watching hours of anecdotes and conducting our battery of lab tests. X-Rite i1 Pro spectrophotometer, SpectraCal VideoForge Pro pattern generator, and Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays were used to test the set. The Sony Bravia X95K Mini LED TV covers 99.89% of the Rec 709 color space in standard mode right out of the box, giving the average LED TV viewer a practically flawless viewing experience. The Delta E score in this mode, which rates picture accuracy at 6.36, is less than ideal. For reference, closer to 0 is preferable. Sony has long emphasized maintaining the filmmaker’s intent in image processing, so it’s not surprising that the X95K’s best Delta E score in Filmmaker Mode came in at an excellent 1.88. Pretty in line with the brand for a TV producer that also doubles as a studio. James Bond: No Time to Die is put on to see how the film does when it is actually being watched. Without losing reality, HDR gave the colors an especially vibrant appearance. It was almost impossible to notice the slight blooming at the edges of the fires because of how vibrantly the flames engulfing the sinking trawler flowed. However, Bond’s emergency yellow raft floating in the middle of the morning-lit ocean provided excellent, artistic contrast without making the dingy look like a cartoon rubber duck after surviving the trawler explosion. Only when we viewed from an angle did the color skewed, which is noteworthy but not unusual for a Mini LED TV in our experience. The Sony Bravia X95K Mini LED TV’s adeptness at handling motion is something else that caught our attention. There were many potential for artifacting or over-processing action in No Time to Die, but whether it was a helicopter, motorcycle, or automobile chase, the blades and wheels whirled with magnificent intent. Let’s talk about brightness after going back to the data. The Sony Bravia X95K Mini LED TV’s maximum brightness in SDR was 485 nits. That’s pretty standard; in fact, given the limited brightness capabilities of OLED TVs, we’re more accustomed to seeing results like that from their best models. The X95K achieved roughly 1,600 nits at a 10% window size and 735 at a 100% window, which is why we run HDR tests.
Conclusion
For most purposes, the Sony X95K works perfectly. It displays deep blacks with an excellent local dimming feature, and it gets bright enough to combat a tone of glare, so it looks amazing both in dark rooms for watching movies and bright rooms for watching sports or TV programming. With darker environments, there is evident blooming around bright objects, though. HDR content also has an impressive appearance because it displays a wide range of colors and makes highlights pop. Last but not least, it has great motion handling for a fluid gaming experience, HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and support for variable refresh rate (VRR).
