Sony X90j Tv Review

The Sony X90J 4K and 120Hz TV with VA panel and powerful speakers are all the same as some of the best TVs in the world; But can it compete with them in practice? Check out the Sony X90J TV with Wironal.

As one of the largest TV manufacturers in the world, Sony has been marketing its premium and high-end products under the name BRAVIA for many years. The BRAVIA 2021 models have a relatively good variety and are satisfying for almost all tastes and needs. The Sony X90J TV is a top-of-the-line mid-range device in the BRAVIA 2021 family, giving us almost everything we expect from a 4K TV.

Sony X90J TV with VA display, support for 120Hz refresh rate, ability to scale non-4K content to 4K resolution, low input latency, and very good response speed can have something for everyone. By comparison, the Samsung Q80 and Q80A TVs and the LG C1 OLED TVs can be considered a direct competitors to the Sony X90J. Check out the X90J TV with Wironal to talk more about the features and capabilities of the Sony product.

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Design and ports of Sony X90J TV

Since the X90J replaces last year’s Sony X900H, it has design similarities to its predecessors. On the front, there’s a VA-type LCD panel that sees very narrow bezels about a centimeter thick around it for a more integrated visual experience. The X90J’s body is all black and made of plastic, and the edges around the display are glossy. Despite the minimalist and modern design, the build quality and materials of Sony TV are not so good at first glance.

Sony X90J TVs are available in 50, 55, 65, and 75-inch models. The 55-inch model that was given to us for review, regardless of the base, has dimensions of 338,784,1233 mm and weighs 17.4 kg. In addition to placing the TV on the table, it can also be attached to the wall with a 300 ۰۰ 300 VESA mount.

The X90J mounts are mounted almost at the transverse end of the TV, and their octagonal design allows for a relatively large amount of space perpendicular to the TV screen; Therefore, in order to consider a suitable TV table, you must consider the width of the TV and the dimensions of the bases. The bases are also made of plastic like the body and although they look relatively strong. An interesting point about the bases goes back to the mechanism of their installation without the need for any tools to fasten the screws.

The X90J TV speakers are located at the bottom and side of the panel to produce a more immersive sound. The Sony logo is located at the bottom of the frame. The only button on the TV body is in the direction of the Sony logo and under the body, which can be used to turn off, turn on and restart the TV, change the signal source, change the channel or adjust the volume.

The back panel of the X90J does not have a solid thickness; Fortunately, there are no weird protrusions, and despite the maximum thickness of about 7 cm, it will not take up much space when attached to the wall. The Japanese have used a variety of designs for the back panel. Most of the back cover of the X90J is covered with a checkered design, and in the middle, there is a rectangular section with the BRAVIA logo.

All Sony X90J ports are located on the right side of the back panel in a vertical direction, which is installed parallel to the TV for better access; This means that if the TV is connected to the wall, the cables can be easily connected to or disconnected from the TV. To arrange the cables, two clamps are supplied with the TV, which you can attach to the back of the legs and pass the cables through.

The Sony X90J has four HDMI ports, two USB ports, a digital optical audio output port, a 3.5mm audio output port, an antenna cable port, an Ethernet port, an IR Blaster port, and a composite port. The X90J‌ TV also supports Wi-Fi 5 in the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands.

HDMI 3 and HDMI 4 ports are HDMI 2.1 and support variable refresh rate (VRR); But the other two ports are HDMI 2.0. In addition to displaying a 4K video at a 120Hz refresh rate, the HDMI 3 port also supports the ARC / eARC standard, which, in addition to Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision 5.1, provides DTS: X audio for external audio systems. HDMI 4 port can also display 4K content at 120Hz refresh rate, but with standardARC / eARC is not compatible. For comparison, the Samsung Q80A TV may offer only one HDMI 2.1 port.

Sony X90J picture quality

The Sony X90J TV uses a 10-bit LCD VA panel that can provide 4K resolution or 2160 x 3840 pixels with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. VA panels are technically different from IPS panels and can display deeper blacks to provide a higher contrast ratio. VA panels, on the other hand, outperform IPS in terms of viewing angles and are therefore a second priority for use in spaces such as conference rooms. Apart from these two, in other technical specifications such as maximum brightness, color space and color accuracy, VA and IPS panels are not very different from each other.

Sony claims that the BRAVIA XR series TVs are equipped with a proprietary processing technology called Cognitive Processor XR and are the first TVs to use cognitive intelligence. Sony says that this technology, by understanding the human visual and auditory process, can bring the best image contrast to users with deep blacks, high brightness, and natural colors. Sony TV is compatible with HDR standards including HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision; But it does not support HDR10 + standards.

As we would expect from LCD TVs in this price range, the Local Dimming feature is also included for the X90J. With 24 large local dimming areas, the X90J TV can dim the dark areas of the image well enough to have a better visual experience when using the TV in low light; Of course, the presence of Local Dimming areas with much less number of pixels in the image causes a halo around the white parts of the image on a dark background (such as subtitles), which is known as Blooming.

With its ambient light sensor, the Sony X90J TV can deliver the best audio and video based on ambient conditions. Sony TV offers six and four different image profiles for SDR and HDR images, respectively. If you want to browse your photos on TV, all image profiles will be disabled and only Photo Mode will be available.

SDR image display modes

• Vivid
• Standard
• Cinema
• Game
• Graphics
• Photo

HDR image display modes

• Vivid
• Standard
• Cinema
• IMAX Enhanced

To check the brightness of the X90J TV panel, we measured the brightness of the different image modes at the default brightness level of each. As usual, we measured the screen brightness when displaying HDR content with only a 10% pattern.

As you can see in the results table, the Vivid profile with its default settings provides the highest brightness among all other image modes. A notable positive point is that in all profiles, as the white area of ​​the image increases, the screen brightness does not decrease much and remains above 300 nits; While one of the main weaknesses of the LG C1 TV is the significant decrease in image brightness when displaying these images.

When displaying HDR content, the brightness level in X90J image profiles is not significant. Although we got ‌ better performance from the Samsung Cold Q80A TV when playing HDR content; for displaying SDR content, the Sony X90J can outperform its Korean rival by a wide margin. Since the Vivid mode produces the most brightness, we get the image contrast for this mode of 464.7, which is in the range of other LCD TVs.

X90J image profiles cover smaller sRGB color space well, But they have a great tendency to be cold. Vivid mode produces the coolest colors and IMAX Enhanced mode produces the warmest colors. DCI-P3 color space coverage is between 70 and 90% and in the wide Rec 2020 color space is between 50 and 67%, which is poorer than the OLED panel of the LG C1 TV; But it is considered in the limits and sizes of Samsung Q80A cold panel.

According to the figures we got for the color error produced on the Sony X90J TV, the colors are produced in the sRGB color space with better accuracy and you will receive the most accurate colors in Cinema mode.

Although Sony mentions a variable refresh rate or VRR among the features of the Sony X90J TV; this feature was not available for the Japanese company until the release of the recent firmware update. Low input latency and good response speed make the X90J a great choice for video game enthusiasts. According to studies, the input latency when using Game Mode is achieved with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and 4K resolution of about 11.1 milliseconds, although it is worse than competitors such as the LG C1‌ and Samsung Q80A; But it still does not seriously damage the gaming experience.

As mentioned earlier, VA panels have a narrower viewing angle than IPS panels. For this reason, the X90J TV has a viewing angle of around 50 degrees, and at a wider viewing angle, it does not offer a very pleasant experience. On the other hand, thanks to the LCD panel, the burn-in problem that occurs in OLED panels with long-term use of still images does not threaten the Sony X90J TV.

Audio and audio experience of Sony X90J TV

To make the X90J TV experience more immersive, in addition to the main speakers located on the bottom of the TV body, it has also placed two Tweeter or Treble side speakers on either side of the body, which are responsible for producing higher audio frequencies. In our experience, the volume and volume produced by the X90J speakers are incredible and can be responsive even for large halls.

The Japanese claim that with Cognitive Processor XR technology, audio and video are delivered in perfect harmony with each other, so you can have a unique audio experience depending on the content you are watching. In addition, Sony says that the X90J TV with Voice Zoom 2 technology amplifies people’s speech so that the dialogues can be heard more clearly while watching movies and series.

Various audio profiles are also commonly used for the Sony X90J, including Standard, Dialog, Cinema, Music, Sports, and Dolby Audio modes. Despite the balance of Sony TV speakers, the basses are not very shocking, which is, of course, a common point between most TVs on the market.

Sony X90J TV software and controls

All of Sony’s 2021 models use version 10 of the Google TV operating system, and the X90J‌ is no exception. We did not experience any lag or lag when working with the Sony TV interface and navigating the menus. Compared to Samsung’s webOS TVs and Samsung Tizen, it can be said that Google TV is not very user-friendly and it takes a while to get used to its icon and design.

The lack of automatic clock adjustment was a strange thing we encountered while making the initial settings of the TV. To connect to the Internet (via a Wi-Fi connection or network cable) you will need to fine-tune the time and place, which is why we spend so many minutes trying to connect the TV to the Internet.

One of the great benefits of the Google TV interface is direct access to the Google Play Store to access a large library of different applications. The home page also offers suggested content based on your user history and Google Account. Sony TV is also compatible with the Apple AirPlay service, which can be good news for users of Apple devices.

The large X90J remote control is almost the same as the previous Sony TVs. Smart TV controls feature shortcut buttons for popular streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime on Sony remote; Unfortunately, there is no similar feature to Magic Mouse LG or Scrolling for easy navigation between menus or scrolling in the browser.

Sony controller is made entirely of plastic and the main panel has a texture similar to brushed metal. Unfortunately, the build quality of the X90J controller is not as good as the TV itself, and it does not convey a good feeling during use. Fortunately, the control keys are of good quality and soft and quiet. The X90J‌ remote control is powered by two AAA batteries.

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Conclusion

The Sony X90J can live up to the expectations of a 4K smart TV. The VA panel provides a limited viewing angle, But it can show black colors with relatively good depth. Perhaps the X90J could be called one of the best on the market, especially if the brightness was a bit higher, especially when displaying HDR content as well as the color accuracy produced.

From a comparison point of view, the LG C1 offers much better performance in terms of brightness, contrast, viewing angle, and wide color space coverage of the DCI P3, and perhaps the only advantage of the Sony X90J‌ is that the Japanese TV is immune to the phenomenon. Burn-in knows.