Sony A80L OLED review and opinion: Unmatched image processing

In this new review, we will look at the Sony A80L TV, the new OLED model that the company has launched for this 2023 and that comes to replace the previous A80K. This is the most affordable model based on OLED technology from the brand for this year. Despite this, as we will now see, it presents features that make it one of the best televisions to buy in 2023.

We had the chance to test the 65-inch model, but everything we are going to explain here applies equally to the 55, 77 and 83-inch versions. Note that there are two versions that really have the same features: the A80L and the A84L. The former is the global series, but some stores carry the A84L series as an exclusive version.

This TV employs an OLED “EX” panel, which uses new materials in the OLED layers such as deuterium to stabilize the organic diodes and an additional green layer that conventional OLED TVs do not have. This provides several advantages including better color reproduction, increased durability and resistance to possible screen marks, and ultimately reduced power consumption.

If you want to find out what we think of the Sony A80L OLED and what its advantages and disadvantages are, read on.

Sony A80L OLED review
9.5
Price on Amazon
Sony A80L OLED

Sony A80L / A84L OLED review

POSITIVES
  • XR image processor creates a stunning 3D experience even on SDR content
  • Great artifact reduction and posterization in compressed content
  • Excellent moving image handling
  • HDR tone mapping is very good
  • Low input lag for gaming
  • Features a new Gamebar that makes it easy to access your favorite game settings
  • Integrated sound achieves a great immersive feel
  • Smart TV runs fast and smoothly
NEGATIVES
  • In the recommended picture mode the maximum brightness in HDR falls a little short for use in brightly lit rooms.
  • Brightness in SDR lower than expected.
  • Dolby Vision 4K at 120 Hz is not supported.
  • Only 2 ports are HDMI 2.1

Sony A80L / A84L OLED TV Features

Sony OLED A80L / A84L
PanelWOLED EX
Maximum brightness HDR790 nits (Live mode) / 695 nits (Custom mode)
Image ProcessorXR Cognitive
Refresh rate120 Hz
HDMI 2.1Yes, two 48 Gbps ports
VRRYes
SoundAcoustic Surface+
Sound System– 55 and 65″: 3.2 channels and 50W power (3 x 10W Actuators + 2 x 10W Subwoofers).
– 77″ and 83″: 3.2 channels and 60W power (2 10W Actuators + 1 20W Actuator + 2 10W Subwoofers).
Dolby AtmosYes
BluetoothYes
Operating systemGoogle TV
Connections4 x HDMI (2 x HDMI 2.1), 1 x optical output, 2 USB, Ethernet, Antenna, Satellite.
ReferencesXR-55A80L, XR-65A80L, XR-77A80L and XR-83A80L
Price
Features table Sony A80L / A84L OLED TV

Design

We begin, as usual, with the look. In this particular case, the Sony A80L presents a very similar look to last year’s model, with a stand with two metal legs that fit into the lower supports of the TV chassis.

A80L Series OLED TV DesignDesign OLED TV A80L series

As we have seen in some of the brand’s TVs, we can choose between different positions. Specifically, in this A80L series, we can choose between three positions: a narrow position, ideal for small tables, a wide position, which brings the TV closer to the edge of the table for a minimalist and clean look, and a high position, which allows us to place a soundbar in front of the TV without obstructing the view of the screen. If you have a soundbar, as we did with the HT-A7000, the high position comes in handy so it doesn’t block any of the picture.

Adjustable support in three positionsThree-position adjustable stand

The following are the dimensions of the 65-inch TV (width x depth x height to the bottom of the screen):

  • Wide Position: 118.364″ 33.02 ” x 4.572″
  • Narrow position: 33″ x 33.02″ x 4.572″
  • Sound bar position: 46.6″ x 33.02″ x 8.636″

With edges of only 0.8 cm and a thickness of 5.2 cm at the widest point, virtually the entire surface is screen.

The back of the TV is made up entirely of plastic. Although it has a cable management cover, it has no clips to guide the cables, which means that the cables exit directly from the right side of the TV.

The TV comes with two remote controls, one with a more modern and one with a more classic design. The main remote has a slightly different design. Last year, Sony made a drastic change to its remote control, which was already looking a bit old-fashioned. With this change, many unnecessary buttons were removed and the size was reduced. Two new buttons were included, Cruchyroll and Bravia Core. It has a built-in microphone to use the Google Assistant, and you don’t need to point directly at the TV to get it to work properly via Bluetooth.

You can configure the remote to control other devices such as Blu-Ray players, soundbars, etc. Of course, it may not be compatible with some devices, but with devices of recognized brands you should be able to configure it as a universal remote. It is worth mentioning that this model does not come with a backlit remote. This is something that is usually found on the more premium Master Series remotes, such as the A95L.

As for the secondary button, it has the same classic design from years ago. This remote may be of interest to older people or those who are used to the remote of older Sony BRAVIA TVs.

Connectivity

On the connectivity side, there’s a total of four HDMI ports, including two HDMI 2.1 ports for 4K playback at 120Hz with variable refresh rates for a better experience.

Sony A80L ConnectionsSony A80L Connections

The two HDMI 2.1 inputs have full 48 Gbps bandwidth, ideal for connecting your PS5 or Xbox X series. Most users will be happy with two HDMI 2.1 ports, as they allow you to connect two next-generation consoles at the same time. The downside is that one of those ports is also the eARC port, so if you plug in a soundbar, one of those HDMI 2.1 ports is already taken. You could connect the soundbar via optical, but you would lose the ability to have Dolby Atmos audio. Or you could connect one of the consoles to another of the HDMI 2.0 ports, but you would still lose features.

There are several competitor models that also have only two HDMI 2.1 ports, like the Philips OLED 808 or LG B3, but other options like the Samsung S90C or LG C3 have all four HDMI 2.1 ports. So we don’t think it’s a big deal for most, but it would have been nice to match the connectivity of some of its rivals.

There are also two USB 3.0 and two 2.0 ports, an optical digital audio output, an Ethernet connection, satellite and antenna connections and a connection to use the center channel function if you connect a compatible Sony sound bar.

Smart TV

As expected, this model integrates the Google TV operating system, which is the usual one in the brand’s TVs. This system is the successor to the previous Android TV and is a fast operating system without intrusive advertising, which provides an excellent user experience. Google TV focuses mainly on on-demand content and offers a more personalized experience, so you will automatically see related content from applications such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc.

Navigating between the different categories is very easy with the floating menu, which allows you to pin the categories that you use the most so that you can access them quickly. For example, if we often like to switch between picture modes, we can pin the “Picture Mode” category to the floating menu and switch modes without having to enter the general menu.

Sony has improved the integration of the picture settings in the Google TV interface, categorizing the options to make them easier to access and more intuitive. In addition, new options have been added and a brief explanation of each setting has been included for less experienced users.

In terms of application availability, it is certainly the most open platform and you have the possibility to access more than 7000 applications.

On the hardware level, the TV uses a powerful Mediatek MT5895 ARM A73 quad processor with 1500Mhz, 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory. The storage capacity of 16 GB, is something very positive, since televisions of other brands, have much less storage available.

Sound

When it comes to sound, the Sony A80L offers incredible quality for sound built into a TV. The speaker system uses three 10W actuators and two small subwoofers for bass. These actuators vibrate the TV panel so that the sound comes directly from it without affecting the picture quality.

Sony A80L OLED Acoustic Surface+ sound system.Sony A80L OLED Acoustic Surface+ sound system

The resulting sound is surprisingly good, with low distortion and great spatiality and definition. In addition, the A80L has options to enhance dialog and bass, which is always welcome. We enjoyed crisp vocals thanks to the new actuators, which provide a noticeably wider soundstage. And then the two down-firing subwoofers add more than adequate bass, allowing for more immersion, enhanced highs and a crisper vocal position.

As delivered, we found the treble a bit shrill and the bass lacking in presence. However, after making some adjustments in the equalizer, we got the good quality we told you about. Before adjusting the equalizer, we recommend that you first run the automatic equalizer, which uses the microphone on the remote control to adapt the sound to the acoustic characteristics of your room. Then you can adjust it to your taste. In our particular case, we selected the Cinema mode and the following equalization in the Sound Settings menu.

You can use the BRAVIA XR TV as a center speaker by connecting it to a Sony soundbar, AV receiver and amplifier to boost the center channel and match the sound precisely to the action on screen for a fully immersive experience.

In our case, we tested it with the HT-A7000 soundbar, subwoofer, and rear speaker set. Activating the option for the TV speakers to act as the center channel gives a greater sense of the sound coming directly from the screen and adds to the realism.

Finally, let’s not forget that it supports a wide range of advanced audio formats, including Dolby Vision, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS:X.

Picture quality

Picture Quality Sony A80L TV with OLED EX PanelPicture Quality Sony A80L TV with OLED EX PanelSee price on Amazon

Let us now analyze the picture quality offered by this Sony A80L OLED. As we have already seen, we are talking about a TV with an OLED EX panel. To the already perfect black of the self-emissive OLED technology, we add a better color reproduction thanks to the deuterium added to the red and blue layers and a new green OLED layer. This EX panel can also be found in other OLED series from Philips, such as the 808 series, and from LG in the C3 series under the name Evo.

Before we look in detail at how it behaves in the main areas, we recommend that you follow the picture settings that we leave you with below. The Sony A80L already offers great picture quality out of the box, but you’ll notice a big improvement if you set it up as follows:

Sony A80L picture settings for SDR
  • Picture mode: Custom
  • Brightness: Max
  • Contrast: 90
  • Gamma: -2
  • Black Level: 50
  • Black Setting: No
  • Advanced Contrast Enhancement: No
  • Maximum Luminosity: Medium / High
  • Color: 50
  • Tonality: 0
  • Color Temperature: Expert1 Expert1
  • Live Color: Low / Medium
  • Sharpness: 60
  • Realistic recreation: Manual
  • Resolution: 25
  • Random noise reduction: Under
  • Digital noise reduction: Under
  • Soft gradation: Under
  • Motionflow: Staff
  • Homogeneity: 2
  • Clarity: Min
  • HDMI video range: Auto
  • Color space: Auto
Sony A80L picture settings for HDR
  • Picture mode: Custom / Dolby Vision Brightness
  • Brightness: Max
  • Contrast: 90
  • Gamma: -2
  • Black Level: 50
  • HDR tone assignment: Preferred Gradation
  • Black Adjustment: No
  • Advanced Contrast Enhancement: No
  • Maximum Luminosity: High
  • Color: 50
  • Tonality: 0
  • Color Temperature: Expert1 Expert1
  • Live Color: Low / Medium
  • Sharpness: 60
  • Realistic recreation: Manual
  • Resolution: 25
  • Random noise reduction: No
  • Digital noise reduction: No
  • Smooth gradation: Under
  • Motionflow: Staff
  • Homogeneity: 2
  • Clarity: Min
  • HDMI video range: Auto
  • Color space: Auto
Sony A80L picture settings for gaming
  • Picture mode: Game Mode
  • Brightness: Max
  • Contrast: 90
  • Gamma: -2
  • Black Level: 50
  • HDR tone assignment: Preferred Gradation
  • Black Adjustment: No
  • Advanced Contrast Enhancement: No
  • Maximum Luminosity: High
  • Color: 50
  • Tonality: 0
  • Color Temperature: Expert1 Expert1
  • Live Color: Low / Medium
  • Sharpness: 60
  • Realistic recreation: Manual
  • Resolution: 25
  • Random noise reduction: No
  • Digital noise reduction: No
  • Smooth gradation: Under
  • Motionflow: Staff
  • Homogeneity: 2
  • Clarity: Min
  • HDMI video range: Auto
  • Color space: Auto

Black level

The Sony Bravia A80L TV offers exceptional picture quality thanks to its OLED panel, which provides an almost infinite contrast ratio. This feature allows for perfect blacks in dark environments, resulting in incredible viewing in dark rooms. Contrast and dark details in game mode are also impressive, providing an amazing experience for gamers and movie lovers alike.

Sony A80L OLED TV black level.Sony A80L OLED TV black level

The OLED’s self-emissive pixels allow each pixel to turn off completely when next to pixels that are at their maximum brightness. This eliminates blooming, which means perfect blacks around bright lights without unwanted halos. This is one of the great things about OLED technology, the ability to turn off sub-pixels when not in use, allowing extremely bright elements to be displayed next to darker areas without losing detail.

Unlike LED TVs, OLED TVs have no backlighting, which means they have no zone transitions. However, self-emissive pixels provide seamless local dimming with no transitions. The result is impressive contrast and definition in every scene, no matter how dark the details.

Shadow detail is superb, allowing you to see information in the darkest parts of the image. The XR image processor treats contrast separately and ensures that black levels are not cut off, so that important information is not lost in night scenes or dark interiors.

Brightness

The Sony A80L has good HDR peak brightness that looks great in dark rooms. However, it’s not bright enough to provide an optimal HDR experience in brightly lit rooms. Bright colors pop alongside perfect blacks in dark environments. However, it’s important to note that the TV’s Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL) can reduce the brightness in scenes with a lot of bright reflections.

Brightness in HDR Sony A80L OLEDBrightness in HDR Sony A80L OLED

The Sony OLED A80L’s brightness may seem a bit limited compared to other models on the market. With around 695 nits at 2% of the screen and around 170 nits at full screen in calibrated mode, it is slightly less bright than its newer competitors from LG and Samsung, which achieve higher figures. Although it is true that the XR chip maximizes the brightness potential of the TV, it pushes it to the maximum and, thanks to the excellent tonal mapping that the TV incorporates, it manages to obtain impressive HDR effects. It can reach around 800 nits in Vivo mode, which is the brightest mode, but produces a much more artificial image.

In our case, testing it in a moderately lit room, we did not miss too much more brightness, but it is true that it is noticeable that the brightness is not as high as in the C2 series y S95B that we tested a few months ago and with the new top of the line Sony A95L series with QD OLED panel.

Where it excels is in its real-time tone mapping, which compresses the video signal when there are elements brighter than the TV’s maximum brightness.

If you have the PS5, the HDR auto-tone mapper will immediately optimize the HDR settings when you first set up the PS5 console. The PS5 automatically detects which model it is and selects the best HDR setting.

The Sony A80L’s PQ EOTF curve tracking is near perfect, following the target curve until peak brightness is reached, at which point some fine detail may be lost in bright scenes. You can choose from three options in the Image menu to control tone mapping: Off, Perfect Grade, or

In Personal mode, as it comes out of the factory, there is a slight cyan tint to the whites, but fortunately this is corrected with our image settings.

The Sony OLED A80L supports several HDR formats, including HLG and Dolby Vision. Dolby Vision’s full implementation provides a truer image, avoiding problems with brightness and noise in compressed sources. However, it is important to note that Dolby Vision and 4K at 120Hz cannot be enabled at the same time.

In conclusion, the Sony A80L is an excellent choice when it comes to watching HDR movies. Its high contrast and perfect blacks make for an incredible viewing experience in dark rooms. With SDR content, however, we found the brightness to be lacking, which is a drawback for viewing in brightly lit rooms.

The A80L / A84L series offers exceptional HDR brightness. While not bright enough for a truly satisfying HDR experience in a moderately lit room, it looks amazing in a dark room thanks to OLED technology that delivers perfect blacks and vibrant colors. It’s important to note, however, that the TV has an Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL) feature that significantly reduces brightness when large reflections appear on the screen.

HDR brightness in Gaming mode is slightly lower than in other modes. Although there is no significant difference in most scenes, complex scenes with many bright reflections may cause a slight decrease in brightness in Game mode.

The Sony OLED A80L TV has an impressive PQ EOTF curve tracking, which follows the target curve almost perfectly. However, there is a sharp drop in peak brightness, which can result in a loss of fine detail in bright scenes.

Sony A80L HDR peak brightness in Custom Mode
  • Window 2%: 695 nits
  • Window 10%: 660 nits
  • Window 25%: 525 nits
  • Window 50%: 315 nits
  • Window 100%: 170 nits
Sony A80L HDR peak brightness in Game Mode
  • Window 2%: 698 nits
  • Window 10%: 590 nits
  • Window 25%: 430 nits
  • Window 50%: 274 nits
  • Window 100%: 166 nits
Sony A80L SDR peak brightness in Custom Mode
  • Window 2%: 387 nits
  • Window 10%: 385 nits
  • Window 25%: 382 nits
  • Window 50%: 314 nits
  • Window 100%: 157 nits

Color

The TV offers an excellent HDR color gamut with vibrant and realistic colors. It has near-perfect coverage of the DCI-P3 color space and good coverage of the Rec. 2020 color space.

Triluminos Pro Color - Sony A80L OLED TV ReviewsTriluminos Pro Color – Sony A80L OLED TV reviews

The TV has a good color volume. Like all OLEDs, it displays dark colors very well thanks to perfect blacks and an almost infinite contrast ratio. By default, the colors are too muted, so it is advisable to activate the Color Mapping function, as we suggest in our picture settings, to increase saturation while maintaining naturalness.

The Sony OLED A80L guarantees excellent HDR image quality due to its high-quality native gradation. The Smooth Gradation function improves image quality by applying a progressive smoothing filter to color gradations by analyzing adjacent pixels. It is very effective with highly compressed signals and makes it possible to see the difference in the different gradations of a blue sky, for example.

With a smooth transition between different shades, this TV reproduces colors accurately and avoids banding. There is a slight banding in dark gray tones, but overall the HDR picture quality is impressive. We recommend turning on the soft gradation function at the low setting, as turning it up to medium or high may result in a loss of fine detail.

Sharpness

Low-resolution programs look great, as well as low-bitrate streaming content, thanks to Sony’s powerful XR processing. This is the third year that the brand has been using its processor with cognitive intelligence in its products. According to the brand, this processor goes a step further by emulating the way the human brain works.

By understanding how people see and hear, it creates more precise, realistic and natural images and audio. Traditional AI only recognizes and analyzes color, contrast, and detail separately. The Cognitive XR processor analyzes everything at once, like a brain.

Beyond the marketing that brands always use, honestly, without being a real revolution, the truth is that the image processing of this TV is outstanding. In our opinion, the sharpness and naturalness that the images have is a step ahead of other brands. And is that with 4K content there is no doubt that looks spectacular, but it is with HD content, the feeling is equally extraordinary.

Cognitive XR image processor rescalingCognitive XR image processor rescaling.

But what caught our attention the most is that a small depth is achieved when there is a close-up of a person on the background plane, for example. In many televisions, the images are completely flat, but in this case a very nice depth effect is achieved and brings much more realism.

Do not expect a real 3D effect or even noticeable with very low quality content, but with Full HD movies through antenna and Movistar+ deco, if we have been able to appreciate it, something that with other TVs we have not noticed it. And without a doubt, although it is somewhat subtle, it seems to us that it makes a difference in terms of image processing.

Rescaling with Sony A80L - A84L DTT seriesSony A80L – A84L series DTT rescaling

And as we said, the Sony OLED A80L excels in scaling thanks to the power of its image engine. The XR Cognitive Processor uses a dual object database system that reproduces the finest textures and brings out the maximum detail possible, even from sources where it is difficult to achieve.

Sony's XR Cognitive Processor in new TVs in 2021.Sony BRAVIA XR Cognitive Processor

Although this is the third generation of the XR Cognitive Processor, this depth effect and increased realism may be due in part to the new XR Clear Image feature. This new feature reduces noise by zoning and dynamic image analysis to minimize blur. This improves image clarity and produces crisp images even with low-quality content.

We recommend that you set the noise reduction to low so that no detail is lost, but it does remove a lot of noise. Turning it up to medium or high eliminates the noise completely, but there is a noticeable reduction in sharpness. With the value set to low, it seems to us that it makes a great noise reduction.

We also recommend activating the Reality Creation function, as it improves the quality of the images by restoring lost details. Activate the manual mode and leave it at the default setting of 20 or even 25.

In conclusion, the Sony OLED A80L is an impressive TV that offers exceptional picture quality thanks to its powerful Sony XR Cognitive processor, which stands out in the market for its image processing capabilities, including scaling, colorimetry and motion, as we will see now.

Motion

Just as we talked about the sharpness and depth of the picture, the motion management seems to be a step ahead of other competing models.

Sony calls its motion system MotionFlow, and it is considered by many to be the best on the market, and we agree. And that is that it offers a viewing experience without artifacts or blur problems. In addition, the MotionFlow mode allows you to easily adjust the smoothness of the movement according to your preferences.

You can either turn it off, leave it on automatic, or adjust it yourself in up to three steps. We strongly recommend that you turn it on and leave it at 2. This gives a smooth effect without the annoying soap opera effect. OLED motion is already better than LED TVs, but the Sony A80L takes it to the next level of perfection.

The XR OLED Motion technology of the XR Cognitive Processor prevents blur by detecting and cross-analyzing the most relevant visual elements in successive frames. It creates and inserts additional frames between the originals for smooth, crisp action.

Black Frame Insertion (BFI) helps reduce persistent blur. However, it is important to note that this feature is only available for 60 fps content and cannot be used with 120 fps video games.

The Sony A80L has also optimized vibration in 24 fps content. This TV eliminates 24 fps stuttering from any source, including 60 fps sources that do not have the frame rate adaptation feature.

If you’re a sports fan, the Sony A80L won’t disappoint. Its gray uniformity ensures that there are no extraneous speckles when watching sports, and its near-instantaneous response time minimizes the blurriness of fast-moving objects.

Gaming

For video game enthusiasts, the Sony A80L is a fantastic choice. Its low input latency provides an exceptionally fast response, ensuring that your actions are immediately reflected on the screen. The TV boasts an input lag of only 17-18 ms, which is perfect for experienced gamers.

The near-instantaneous response time ensures that even the most intense games look crisp and clear. As we said in the connections section, this Sony TV has two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, so you can enjoy high-definition games up to 4K at 120 Hz.

However, it is worth mentioning that the chipset does not support 4K games at 120 Hz with Dolby Vision. This is something we found in its closest competitor, the LG OLED C3, although there is not much content supporting it at the moment.

It does have Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology to prevent the screen from tearing. It has support for HDMI Forum VRR and G-SYNC support for a smoother gaming experience. It also supports FreeSync, although this has not been officially announced.

It is important to note that the HDR brightness of the TV is reduced in gaming mode, so it is recommended to play in a dark room to fully enjoy HDR gaming.

Compared to the previous A80L model, this new 2023 series includes a new game bar. This new feature makes it easier for you to access game-specific settings.

The Sony OLED A80L supports a wide range of resolutions, including 4k at 120Hz, 1080p at 144Hz, and 1440p at 120Hz. As mentioned, it doesn’t support 4K at 120Hz with Dolby Vision, but it does support HDR10. And given the excellent tone mapping that this TV does, we don’t think it’s too much of a sacrifice to be able to play in HDR10 at 120Hz.

Viewing Angle

One of the outstanding features of the Sony OLED A80L is its viewing angle. You’ll enjoy a clear and consistent picture from anywhere in the room. That’s why it’s the perfect TV for rooms with plenty of seating and for everyone in the family to see well.

Sony A80L OLED TV Viewing AngleSony A80L OLED TV Viewing Angle

This model lacks the filter that comes in the flagship A95L, further improving angles, but as we said, it looks perfect from any position.

Reflections

With a semi-glossy screen finish, the Sony OLED A80L reduces direct and indirect reflections very well. Although there is a slight purple tint in some cases, it is not distracting and allows you to enjoy a clear, distraction-free image even in brightly lit rooms.

Reflections on the Sony A80LReflections on the Sony A80L

Although its SDR brightness is not overly high, the TV compensates for this limitation with fantastic glare management, ensuring excellent picture quality when watching TV programs and sports in a bright room.

Sony A80L OLED review: is it worth it?

Sony A80L OLED reviewSony A80L OLED review

The Sony OLED A80L is undoubtedly an excellent choice in the OLED sector, differentiating itself with its image processing, motion management and integrated sound system. Images are extremely natural with accurate colors and excellent sharpness.

One of the outstanding features of the A80L is the XR image engine with the new XR Clear Image enhancement that, as we have seen, performs impressive scaling with HD sources and allows you to enjoy very detailed images in both 4K and lower resolutions. In addition, it is easy to see how its powerful XR processor creates a subtle but pleasing three-dimensional effect even in SDR content. This is one of the big advantages and what we liked most about the A80L.

The HDR tone mapping is also very effective, ensuring accurate color and detail in bright scenes.

Another aspect that does not disappoint is the handling of moving images. Sony has always excelled in this area, and with the A80L series we have been able to prove it once again. Thanks to the MotionFlow system, there are no annoying vibrations. The image is completely fluid. The movement is very natural and despite activating the interpolation of frames, there is no soap opera effect that is so annoying on other televisions.

The TV’s built-in sound is also commendable, providing an immersive audio experience during movies and series. In addition, the A80L’s input lag of only 17-18 ms makes it ideal for gaming, providing a smooth and lag-free gaming experience.

While the TV has many advantages, there are a few things to consider before making a purchase. The maximum brightness in HDR is 690 nits in recommended picture mode, which may be a bit limited in brightly lit rooms compared to other high-end OLED models. Additionally, the A80L only has two HDMI 2.1 ports, which may be insufficient for some users who need to simultaneously connect two next-generation consoles and a soundbar.

All in all, though it has some limitations, the benefits far outweigh the few drawbacks. In our opinion, the Sony A80L OLED offers an exceptional viewing experience. Its image processing and color accuracy, as well as its integrated sound system, are outstanding.

See Sony A80L OLED price

Sony OLED 55 inch BRAVIA XR A80L Series

XR cognitive processor, Dolby Vision Google TV
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Sony OLED 65 inch BRAVIA XR A80L Series

XR cognitive processor, Dolby Vision Google TV
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Sony OLED 83 inch BRAVIA XR A80L Series

XR cognitive processor, Dolby Vision Google TV
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Sony OLED 77 inch BRAVIA XR A80L Series

XR cognitive processor, Dolby Vision Google TV
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Sony A80L Alternatives

We always like to give other alternatives because there is no perfect product for all users and it will depend on what you’re looking for and what you’ll use most.

Compared to other TVs on the market, the Sony A80L offers exceptional performance, winning the battle in terms of image processing and also beating other options in terms of sound. However, there is stiff competition in OLED TVs and there are other alternatives on the market to consider. Therefore, depending on your application, you may want to take a look at the following models. Below, we present the best alternatives to the Sony A80L.

LG OLED C3

LG OLED evo C3 vs Sony A80LLG OLED evo C3 vs Sony A80L

LG’s OLED C3 series is another great alternative to this Sony A80L, and both offer excellent picture quality. Although both TVs use WOLED EX panels, the LG offers higher brightness for both HDR and SDR content and comes with some more advanced gaming features such as support for 4K gaming at 120 Hz with Dolby Vision, the four HDMI 2.1 ports and slightly less input lag.

The Sony A80L’s strengths lie first and foremost in its image processing, which is class-leading in terms of increasing resolution and improving the quality of low-quality content. However, it must be said that the LG is not far behind in this respect, although the Sony manages to give the image more depth and a more natural look.

On the other hand, the Sony’s built-in sound quality is superior. The Acoustic Surface system provides a more realistic sound that comes directly from the screen. Also, with Dolby Atmos content, you can hear a wider positioning of the sound for a more immersive experience.

Each has its own set of advantages, but whichever one you choose, we are sure you will be completely satisfied. In summary, the LG has a higher maximum brightness in SDR and HDR content, which makes it superior in brightly lit rooms and offers a slightly better gaming experience by having less input lag, support for Dolby Vision at 120 Hz and 4K and that all its ports are HDMI 2.1. The Sony excels in image processing and moving image and for its Acoustic Surface sound system.

See LG OLED C3 price

Samsung S90C / S93C

Another alternative is the Samsung S90C, which features a QD OLED panel instead of WOLED. Like the C3, this S90C can deliver higher brightness in both HDR and SDR, making it perfect for viewing in brightly lit rooms. In addition to higher brightness, this panel can better maintain color saturation in very bright areas.

It also comes with a coating on the screen that reduces reflections a bit better and improves the viewing angle a bit.

However, it falls a little short in terms of image processing, as it doesn’t provide the same sense of depth and the image is a little less natural. The sound is also inferior, not achieving the same immersive effect as the A80L.

All in all, the Samsung S90C is a highly recommended choice if you want high brightness and vivid colors, and it performs better in brightly lit rooms.

See price Samsung S90C / S93C
SAMSUNG 55-Inch Class OLED 4K S90C Series

Dolby Atmos Object Tracking Sound Lite
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SAMSUNG 65-Inch Class OLED 4K S90C Series

Dolby Atmos Object Tracking Sound Lite
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SAMSUNG 77-Inch Class OLED 4K S90C Series

Dolby Atmos Object Tracking Sound Lite
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SAMSUNG 83-Inch Class OLED 4K S90C Series

Dolby Atmos Object Tracking Sound Lite
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Sony A95L QD-OLED

Finally, if you’re on a budget, you might want to look at Sony’s top-of-the-line A95L series. You’ll get all the goodness of the A80L, but improve on its weaknesses.

The A95L series features a QD OLED panel that achieves spectacular brightness in both HDR and SDR and more vibrant colors. This is possible not only because of the quantum dot technology, but also because of the integrated heat sink, which allows it to achieve a maximum brightness of up to 2000 nits (live mode) / 1400 nits (recommended picture mode) without reducing the panel’s lifetime. It also comes with a coating to improve the viewing angle and further reduce reflections.

See price Sony A95L
Sony BRAVIA XR-77A95L QD-OLED

Google TV, BRAVIA CORE HDMI 2.1
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Sony OLED TVs comparison

Sony A80L / A84LSony A95L
Panel technologyWOLED EXQD-OLED
Maximum brightnessUp to 790 nits (live mode)Up to 2000 nits (live mode)
Image processorXR CognitiveXR Cognitive
Refresh rate120 Hz120 Hz
HDMI 2.1YesYes
VRRYesYes
Sound3.2 channels2.2 channels
Acoustic SurfaceYesYes
Smart TVGoogle TVGoogle TV
Bravia CoreYesYes
Connections4 HDMI, 1 optical, 2 USB4 HDMI, 1 optical, 2 USB
Available inches55, 65, 77 y 8355, 65 y 77
Price
Sony A80L / A84L vs A95L comparison table
9.5 Total Score
Sony A80L OLED review

The new Sony A80L is an OLED TV designed for those who want a cinematic picture and a good integrated sound system. One of the outstanding features of the A80L is its motion interpolator and scaling, which provides the best possible picture quality. This means that even low-resolution content looks sharp and detailed on the screen.

Another highlight is that it creates an impressive three-dimensional effect on SDR content, providing a unique viewing experience. In addition, HDR tone mapping is very effective, ensuring accurate color and detail in bright scenes. The Acoustic Surface audio system provides a more immersive and direct experience by delivering sound directly from the screen thanks to its actuators that vibrate the display. Brightness may be a bit limited compared to other OLED models this year. Also, the A80L only has two HDMI 2.1 ports, which may not be enough for some gamers. Overall, the Sony OLED A80L is an impressive TV that offers exceptional picture quality, amazing sound, a sleek design, and a streamlined user experience thanks to Google TV.

Design (5%)
9.8
Smart TV (22.5%)
10
Sound (22.5%)
9.3
Picture quality (45%)
9.4
Price-performance ratio (5%)
9
PROS
  • XR image processor creates a stunning 3D experience even on SDR content.
  • Great artifact reduction and posterization in compressed content.
  • Excellent moving image handling
  • HDR tone mapping is very good.
  • Low input lag for gaming
  • Features a new Gamebar that makes it easy to access your favorite game settings
  • Integrated sound achieves a great immersive feel
  • Smart TV runs fast and smoothly
CONS
  • In the recommended picture mode the maximum brightness in HDR falls a bit short for use in brightly lit rooms.
  • Brightness in SDR lower than expected.
  • Dolby Vision 4K at 120 Hz is not supported.
  • Only 2 ports are HDMI 2.1
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