The Sony X90J is almost everything a mid-range 4K LED-LCD TV must be. Few TVs can equal it in terms of image quality and feature set for the money, placing it at the top of its class for mid-range models.
But, to be honest, we are expecting this. For all of the same reasons, Sony’s X900H/XH90 was one of the top TVs of last year, and now Sony has upgraded it even more with its new Cognitive Processor XR, which offers incredible upscaling and contrast adjustment.
It’s a native 120Hz TV with two full-spec HDMI 2.1 connections for the Xbox Series X and PS5, Variable Refresh Rate, and Auto Low Latency Mode, as well as a full array panel with local dimming for improved black levels. It’s simple to set up, and the TV operates on Google’s new TV platform, which prefers recommended content.
What you will see here?
Price and release date
The Sony X90J is part of Sony’s TV 2021 range, which also includes the A90J and A80J OLED TVs, as well as the X95J and X80J 4K LED-LCD TVs. The X90J is the lineup’s middle child, with several of the high-end TVs’ best features but without the color sensor of the Z9J or the X-Contrast Pro of the A90J OLED. What’s the good news? It’s a lot less expensive than either of those two options.
So, how does the Sony X90J stack up against the competition? I’m right square in the middle. It’s obviously not as cheap as the TCL 6-Series QLED. Which starts at $649 for a 55-inch screen, but it’s also not as costly as other of the 8K TVs that have been released this year. Such as the new Samsung QN900A. It’s therefore in the middle of the pack, among the Samsung QN90A and LG C1 OLED. Which have higher peak brightness and black levels, but only the Sony X90J comes with Google TV’s content-first option.
- Sony XR-50X90J: AU$1,895/$1,299/£1,149
- XR-55X90J: AU$2,195/$1,499 / £1,249
- Sony XR-65X90J: AU$2,695/$1,799 / £1,499
- XR-75X90J: AU$4,299/$2,499 / £2,599
The new Sony X95J, on the other hand, is a wild card. It’s a step up from the X90J, with X-Anti-Glare technology, improved brightness, and better contrast. It’s expected to be extremely more expensive than the X90J, which is why we’d suggest it to friends and family over the X95J, but sensitive cinephiles may want to wait till they can pay up for the X95J instead.
Design
The Sony X90J’s screen isn’t the smallest on the market, but it makes good use of the extra space. A full array screen with local dimming and a rock-solid sound system with two sound position tweeters on the sides of the TV and down-firing woofers are also included inside the TV.
While we wish all four ports were HDMI 2.1 compatible, having two ports allows you to connect both a PS5 and an Xbox Series X for dual 4K/120Hz playing games. However, simply plugging it into HDMI port 4 isn’t enough; you’ll need to go into the settings -> Channel & Inputs -> External Inputs -> HDMI signal format -> HDMI 4 -> Enhanced format. There’s a second choice that states Enhanced format (Dolby Vision) but can’t choose it. Since it prevents the TV from outputting at 120Hz, there doesn’t appear to be a method to allow the TV to take all 4K/120Hz and Dolby Vision signals at the same time right now.
Finally, the Sony X90J comes with some of the most recent voice remotes, which have a built-in microphone as well as four shortcut buttons for Netflix,
Smart TV (Google TV)
Normally, at this point in a Sony TV review, we’d be discussing Android TV, but this year we’ll be discussing Google TV instead. That’s because, after almost a decade of Android TV as Google’s smart TV platform, Google TV has arrived to take over – and we’re happy it has.
Google TV is more bright, colorful, and active than Android TV, which is why we appreciate it so much. It takes content suggestions from every service you use and puts them up and center on the home screen if you check in with your Google account while setting up the TV.
You’ll find
In terms of app choices, you have a lot of options here, including all of the key services. As well as a service called Bravia Core that no one else has. Simply by purchasing an X90J before February 23, 2024, you will receive 10 movie credits valid against a selection of at least 300 films. The whole of Sony Picture Entertainment’s history is represented, including Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. It’s something no other TV offers at this moment, and because it’s practically free to trial, you should take advantage of it while you still can.
In all, we think Google TV is a great addition to this year’s Sony TV sets, and it helps the X90J compete with the competition.
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The picture quality of SonyX90J
The colors and highlights are extremely beautiful here, as you’d expect. The TV performs an excellent job of upscaling HD material to 4K, and native 4K HDR content. Particularly those filmed in Dolby Vision – look stunning. That’s not surprising, given we felt the same way about the Sony X900H, the X90J’s predecessor.
The processor’s connection with the complete array screen and an integrated light sensor is responsible for better contrast control.
The good news is that, when seen directly on, the TV looks great and has no major flaws. Even though when the image mode is set to Standard. The picture is beautifully saturated right out of the box. There are no picture defects or motion artifacts. Switching to a different mode gives you a new color tone and/or motion processing option. This is nice if you want even smoother control for watching sports. But most of the time Standard or Custom with a few adjusted settings will suffice.
Audio about sony X90J
The Sony X90J is surprisingly powerful in the sound area for a mid-range TV without an attached speaker. The X90J uses only two 10W full-range drivers and two side tweeters to provide convincing and clear music that, for the most part, sounds excellent.
The X90J, like other Sony TVs, uses Sony’s new X-Balanced Speaker to produce cleaner sound with less distortion at high levels, and the tweeters assist to extend the TV’s soundstage. Although it does make some bass response sacrifices. The shows, movies, and sports we watched on TV were all sharp and clear, with clear language and good simulated 3D sound. While the simulated 3D audio is never nearly as fantastic as a complete Dolby Atmos system — it’s not even close – it’s a step in the right direction.
- The sound is solid, with a strong mid-range but an unimpressive bottom.
- 10W speakers and two side tweeters are to be used.
- Audio upscaling is supported with the Cognitive Processor XR.
- Passthrough for Dolby Atmos
Overall, there’s certainly space for development, mainly in terms of greater bass and better-simulated surround sound. But it’s one of the most powerful TV speaker systems we’ve heard on a mid-range 4K TV
Conclusion
Overall, the sonyX90J is a great mid-range TV for its price, offering mind-blowing picture quality. The X90J is sony’s most affordable tv with full local dimming, a feature that illuminates different areas for the screen. The best-in-class image quality. The tv is the best choice for those who watch lots of tv shows and films.
