Sony X85K 4K HDR TV Review

KD85X85K 120Hz Google TV Smart LED TV

Intro

The Sony X85K is part of their mid-range standard lineup of 4K LED TVs. There is one other model in this lineup – the X80K.

The X85K is available in 43” ($599.99), 50” ($699.99), 55” ($799.00), 65” ($899.99), 75” ($1,199.99) and 85” ($1,699.99) screen sizes.

Design & Features

The X85 offers a typical flat panel design which consists of slim borders (bezel) that surround its semi-gloss screen. The rear panel is made of plastic and is solidly constructed and doesn’t appear or feel cheaply made.

The bottom of the panel contains two X-Balanced Speakers, and according to Sony, deliver high-quality sound when watching movies and listening to music.

The panel is supported by two wide-set feet and gives the massive 85” screen good support with minimal wobble.

The X85K contains a VA panel and is illuminated with direct-lit LED backlighting. The X85K does not have a local dimming feature which would have increased its already excellent contrast and black-level performance.

Feature highlights

• 4K HDR Processor X1 – Intelligent TV processing that delivers picture quality full of rich colors and detailed contrast.
• 4K X-Reality Pro – Bring back lost texture and detail and see content upscaled to near-4K resolution
• TRILUMINOS Pro Display technology for a wider, more natural color palette
• Direct LED backlighting with frame dimming (no local dimming feature)
• Motionflow XR 960 motion blur reduction
• Native refresh rate -120Hz
• Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG HDR support
• Object-based HDR remaster dynamic contrast enhancer
• Google TV with Google Assistant
• Compatible with Amazon Alexa
• Compatible with Apple AirPlay 2 for wireless streaming from your Apple device
• Chromecast built-in
• X-Balanced speaker system
• Dolby Atmos audio support
• Game Mode – A dedicated Game Mode lets you enjoy ultra-smooth gaming on this TV with reduced input lag and support for 4K@120Hz, ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), plus VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) G-SYNC support (no FreeSync support)
• NextGen ATSC 3.0 tuner for over-the-air 4K broadcast

Smart TV features:

• Google TV interface lets you browse live TV, movies, and TV shows from across many streaming services all in one place
• The remote has built-in Google Assistant — control basic TV functions and compatible smart home gear, search TV’s streaming services, set timers, and more | use wake word to access Google Assistant hands-free
• Compatible with Apple AirPlay 2 for wireless streaming from your Apple device
• Works with Amazon Alexa devices

The Google TV interface is user-friendly and easy to navigate. It provides fast and smooth functionality.

Connectivity

• 4 HDMI (two 2.0b & two 2.1) all inputs are HDCP 2.3 compatible
• HDMI 3 and HDMI 4 inputs support 4K/120Hz, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
• eARC support (HDMI input 3)
• 1 Composite video input (3.5mm A/V minijack
• 1 Digital optical output
• 1 RF input for antenna and cable signals
• 1 Ethernet input
• 2 USB inputs (one 3.0)

Performance

Note: For more accurate picture quality use the “Custom” picture mode and the “Warm” or “Expert 1” color temperature settings.

I must admit right from the jump the X85K delivered satisfying overall picture quality. This was readily apparent when viewing high-quality 4K and 1080p content. However, with certain HDR content, it didn’t deliver that extra pop/brilliance when producing spectral highlights that I’m accustomed to seeing with higher-end models such as Sony’s X95K. This shortcoming was primarily due to the X85K’s peak brightness output and its lack of LED local dimming. The X85K’s peak brightness output is slightly below optimal levels for ideal HDR performance. That being said, the X85K still delivered satisfying HDR picture quality.

*SDR peak brightness: 10% window 514 nits

*HDR peak brightness: 10% window 538 nits

As I’ve mentioned in past reviews, Sony TVs have been well-known for their excellent color accuracy, and the X85K was no exception. I was very satisfied with how natural and realistic the colors appeared on this display. And with the display’s wide color gamut capabilities, colors with HDR content were well-saturated and vibrant without appearing unnatural.

The X85K produced outstanding native contrast which allowed for very deep black levels and made for a good viewing experience when watching dark content in a dark room. Shadow detail was also good on this TV when viewing dark movie scenes with low levels of ambient lighting.

Detail and clarity were good on the X85K. High-quality HD images were clear and well-defined. Close-up shots of landscape foliage revealed very good fine detail that was crystal clear. Image depth and transparency were very good on this 85” screen and rendered a three-dimensional quality when viewing certain images such as a group of people standing together which gave these images a more life-like “you are there” visual experience.

Even though the X85K doesn’t have local dimming, blooming was still kept to a minimum when viewing white objects or text against a black background. This level of performance was due to its excellent contrast ratio.

Black screen uniformity was also excellent on this TV which allowed for a consistent deep black across the entire screen.

Gray screen uniformity was good on the TV I used for testing. Screen uniformity remained consistent across the entire screen with only some slight DSE in a few spots on the screen. I was surprised not to see any vignetting or darkening in the four corners of the screen.

The X85K was susceptible to narrow viewing angles and suffered some contrast and color saturation loss when viewed at wide angles.

The X85K picture brightness offers good viewing performance in a brightly lit room; it does, however, suffer from obvious screen reflections so it’s best to avoid placing this TV opposite a bright window with direct sunlight entering the room because the reflections will interfere with picture quality.

Motion handling: The X85K did a good job preventing motion blur and judder with the sources I used for motion handling. Sporting events were produced without any motion artifacts.

The sound quality from the X85K was decent and was what I typically experience from flat panel TVs, The high and midrange frequencies were nicely defined on this TV and dialog was easy to discern. However, bass output was virtually nonexistent from the TV speaker which is usually the case with flat panel designs.

Conclusion

Sony’s X85K is a good 4K TV. I found its overall picture quality to be quite satisfying and delivered solid performance in most key picture quality characteristics including color accuracy, contrast and black levels and detail and clarity.

Although it doesn’t have a local dimming feature, it still delivered deep black levels which was due to its outstanding contrast ratio.

It did, however, fall a bit short in its ability to display top-notch HDR images due to HDR peak brightness output limitations.

Other than that the X85K will make a good choice for a mid-range 4K HDR TV that will get the job done for anyone looking for a decent 4K TV and you don’t mind giving up a few bells and whistles, yet still get solid performance – then check out Sony’s X85K.

All image credit Sony

*Source: Rtings.com