FIRST TESTS
Sony XR-55A90J
It’s rather expensive, but Sony’s flagship 2021 OLED TV turns out to be a cut above its rivals
Television | £2699 | View offers whf.cm/XR-55A90J
While Sony’s OLEDs are highly regarded, it has been difficult to justify buying one over a rival LG. Historically, the Sony has a more authentic picture and better sound, but is also a step behind on features and usability – and often more expensive too. But what if Sony could produce a TV with most of those missing features, a more satisfying user experience, and a unique highquality movie streaming app, all while raising the picture and sound quality to even greater heights? Would we be able to justify buying that over a rival LG? We’re about to find out, because Sony has produced that TV, the XR-55A90J.
Thin, black, flush bezels are the norm for modern OLED TVs, which means most look alike when wall-mounted. The A90J has a brand logo, something that’s increasingly rare, but it’s positioned on the bottom-left and far from ostentatious.
In the default position, the TV’s feet extend beyond the left and right edges of the set, leaving almost no gap between the bottom of the TV and the furniture upon which it’s standing. It’s a highly unusual, low-profile look, but means your rack needs to be at least 128cm wide. Alternatively, you can swap the feet over and set the TV in its soundbar position. This gives the set a footprint of 115cm in width and creates a gap of about 7cm between its bottom edge and the surface below – an ideal gap in which to place an average-sized soundbar.
Panel discussion
Viewed in profile, most OLEDs are a combination of a thin panel section and thicker enclosure for the sound system, processing hardware and connections; the Sony A90J doesn’t deviate from that template. Its panel section is around 6mm thick but around 10cm from the top edge, that enclosure juts out, covering the rest of the panel’s rear. This section is 41mm thick. The LG C1 is 47mm at its thickest point, while the picture frame-like LG G1 is a uniform 20mm.