Sony X95J 4K HDR TV Review

XR75X95J 120Hz Google Smart LED TV

Intro

Sony’s X95J is their flagship 4K LED TV for 2021. It’s available in 65”, 75” and 85” models. Current pricing is $1,998.00 (65”), $2,998.00 (75”) and $3,498.00 (85”). This review is for the 75” model. Essentially the results in this review can be applied to the 65” and 85” models with a couple of exceptions which include the “X-Anti Reflection” technology and the “Narrow” stand position options not available on the 65” model.

Design & Features

The X95J has a simple yet attractive design. When facing the front of the display you are presented with a seemingly bezeless design that allows you to focus on the screen images. This is made possible due to the ultra-thin borders (bezel) that surround the TV’s screen. The X95J has a semi-gloss screen surface and is illuminated with full-array LED backlighting with local dimming.

The back panel features a nice textured design that adds to the overall aesthetic beauty of this TV, unfortunately, this classy rear panel design will go unnoticed by most owners due to typical setup positions in homes that will have the back of the TV up against a solid surface. Another nice touch is plastic covers that hide the inputs and attachment points for the feet.

And speaking of feet, the 75” and 85” models have three different mounting positions. These mounting locations include a “narrow position”, “wide position” and a “soundbar position” that elevates the TV high enough for a soundbar to be placed in front of the TV without blocking the picture. The “wide position” and “soundbar position” provide the best support for the display panel with a minimal amount of wobble.

The overall build quality of the X95J is very good and exudes a premium quality which one would expect for a flagship design.

Feature Highlights

• Cognitive Processor XR uses powerful real-time processing based on a human perspective for true-to-life picture images. The Cognitive Processor XR features: XR Contrast Booster 10 that balances light output across the screen for improved contrast. Object-based XR Super Resolution identifies up to hundreds of on-screen objects and enhances their resolution individually for exceptional picture accuracy and detail. Object-based XR HDR Remaster improves color and contrast for SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) content and XR 4K Upscaling intelligently re-creates lost textures and detail in lower-res content.
• High Dynamic Range extends picture contrast and brightness when viewing HDR content. The X95J will process HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG HDR formats.
• Full-array LED backlight with local dimming
• X-Wide Angle technology maintains accurate color and contrast when viewing from the sides
• X-Anti Reflection technology ensures a clearer screen with reduced glare and light reflection
• XR TRILUMINOS Pro Display technology for a wider, more natural color palette
• XR Motion Clarity blur reduction
• IMAX Enhanced certification for improved performance with IMAX Enhanced 4K/HDR content
• Netflix Calibrated Mode mimics the settings on Netflix’s mastering monitors to ensure an accurate picture
• NextGen TV ATSC 3.0 tuner for receiving over-the-air 4K broadcasts
• Acoustic Multi-Audio system uses sound-positioning tweeters at the back of the TV, so the sound follows the action (2.1-channel system with 50 watts total power)
• 3D Surround Upscaling uses XR signal processing to upscale even two-channel sources to simulated surround sound
• Acoustic Auto Calibration optimizes sound for your room
• Game Mode reduces input lag and offers support for 4K@120Hz, ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), plus VRR (Variable Refresh Rate).

Smart TV features:

• Google TV interface lets you browse live TV, movies, and TV shows from across many streaming services
• Chromecast built-in lets you cast your favorite entertainment apps and video content from your phone or laptop
• Remote control has built-in Google Assistant which controls basic TV functions and compatible smart home gear, search TV’s streaming services, set timers, and more
• Voice remote with a built-in microphone
• TV is also compatible with other Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa devices
• TV is compatible with Apple AirPlay 2 for wireless streaming from your Apple device
• Includes access to exclusive content on BRAVIA CORE

Connectivity

• • 4 HDMI inputs (two 2.0b, two 2.1) – all inputs are HDCP 2.3 compatible | HDMI 3 and HDMI 4 inputs support 4K/120Hz and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and will support Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) after firmware update | HDMI 3 input supports enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)
  • 1 Composite video input (3.5mm A/V minijack – adapter required)
  • 1 RF input for antenna, cable, satellite
  • 1 Digital optical audio output
  • 1 Ethernet input
  • 3 USB inputs
  • 1 3.5mm stereo minijack headphone output — can also be connected to a soundbar or other audio system
  • Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • Bluetooth wireless audio streaming to a compatible speaker or set of headphones

Performance

As with last year’s X950H, I was delighted with the X95J’s overall picture quality. 4K images were crystal clear with excellent detail and clarity with deep image transparency that produced picture images that were worthy of its flagship status. 4K upscaling of 1080p content on this display was excellent and produced upscaled images that could easily pass as 4K.

As expected 4 HDR content delivered the best picture quality on this display. HDR images were very dynamic with great bright highlights. Scenes that contained both bright and dark images simultaneously showed excellent picture quality. Furthermore, I was impressed with how well this TV separated and blended the varying contrast differences of the picture into one superbly produced composite image.

Rtings.com has posted “real scene” SDR (standard dynamic range) peak brightness at 662 nits, and HDR (high dynamic range) “real scene highlight” at 1257 nits.

Contrast and black levels were very good on the X95J. Blacks were deep and well saturated and enhanced the image quality while watching scenes with dark content in a dark room. So if you typically watch TV in a dark room, the X95J would be a good choice. Additionally, Black levels didn’t appear crushed which made for very good shadow detail which was very apparent while viewing dark movie scenes.

The local dimming feature on the X95J appears to be somewhat better than the local dimming on the X950H. For example, depending on the content being viewed, the X95J had more precise control over the dimming zones which exhibited less blooming into the letterbox black bars while showing bright content that was close to the black bars.

As with last year’s X950H, the X95J had excellent peak brightness; for example, while viewing normal content of white text against a solid black background, the white text was a bright white which contrasted well against the black background giving the text a dynamic punch. I did, however, notice some slight blooming around the white text; this will vary depending on your picture settings. One thing I’d like to point out however when viewing white text against a black background, the white text was not as bright and punchy as what I saw when reviewing the X950H.

With local dimming set to “Medium or “High”, black screen uniformity was very good on this TV. The screen was a uniform even shade of black across the entire screen. And during this observation, I did not detect light bleed. However, with local dimming turned off the screen emitted a fair amount of clouding.

In the “Custom” picture mode setting the X95J had very good color accuracy. And with real content, color reproduction was very good on this display delivering a rich and vibrant color palette without appearing oversaturated. In addition, the naturalness of the color palette made images appear very realistic.

I‘d like to note that Rtings.com’s measurements claim the X95J falls short of displaying a wide color gamut. However, during my evaluation with real content, the color rendering appeared every bit as good as what I saw on the X950H.

Side angle viewing on the X95J was very good, especially for an LED TV. This performance was made possible by Sony’s X-Wide Angle technology. This technology performed as advertised and allowed for very wide viewing angles from the TV screen with minimal amounts of picture quality loss, namely color saturation and contrast. There is, however, one drawback to this technology; it causes a decrease in picture brightness. Nevertheless, its effect on perceived picture brightness is very minimal.

Motion handling – The X95J 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 X95J’s sound quality was decent thanks in part to Sony’s Acoustic Multi-Audio technology. The audio output was spacious with decent imaging and stereo separation. The sound was more enveloping and is optimized to the location of the images on screen thanks to the additional speakers located on the top backside of the panel.

The TV’s frequency response has respectable high and midrange sound output but is lacking in bass extension which comes as no surprise since this is a flat panel design. Dialogue was clear and discernible, so you won’t have trouble hearing and understanding spoken words in the content you are watching.

Conclusion

The Sony XR75X95J is a great 4K HDR TV that certainly delivers on performance and has a great feature suite as well. I was very satisfied with its overall picture quality which is certainly worthy of its flagship status and I rank it as one of the better premium class 4K LED TVs currently available.

Are there other LED TVs that offer comparable performance? Yes, these models include the Samsung QN90A, LG QNED90A and Hisense U8G, to name a few.

That being said, if you’re in the market for a very good LED TV, then put the X95J on your shortlist. Especially if you’re a fan of Sony

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