Sony Bravia 9 (65XR90) review: the brightest TV on the market is simply dazzling

Image quality

The sub-pixels of the Bravia 9 (XR90) panel are aligned vertically, as on all VA panels.

At Sony, unlike most brands which include a Filmmaker mode for an image faithful to the original work, we prefer to rely on in-house processing. Here, it is the Professional mode which comes closest to the director’s vision, while the Cinema mode displays more marked deviations.

The colorimetry is precise since our measurements reveal a delta E of 2.7, slightly below the limit of 3 beyond which colorimetric differences become perceptible to the naked eye. At the same time, the white balance retains this cool tendency typical of Sony, with a temperature measured at 6980 K. Good news, we are closer to the standard 6500 K than on other models from the manufacturer, which sometimes exceed 7000 K. There is not much to criticize about the gamma which is rather stable with a perfect average of 2.4. However, grayscale is slightly overexposed in light grays and whites.

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1 – Average Delta E SDR measured at 2.8 3 – Gamma curve – average 2.4 2 – Color temperature curve – average 6977 K

Regarding viewing angles, the Mini-Led shows its limits compared to the Oled. At 45°, we measured a loss of brightness of 42%, which places this Bravia 9 behind its high-end competitors. On the other hand, Sony is still very good in managing fluidity thanks to Motionflow, ideal for following sports matches. Be careful, for films, it is better to deactivate this option (which is also done by default in Professional mode) otherwise you will suffer this effect. soap opera which many will find unpleasant.

HDR

As usual with Sony, HDR compatibility is there with support for HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision formats. Only HDR10+ is still missing, a choice which follows the brand’s strategy against Samsung and Panasonic. That said, by default, HDMI ports are limited to an 8-bit signal. To exploit the full potential of your television, it will be essential to unlock them. To do this, go to Channels & Inputs > External Inputs > HDMI Signal Format > Enhanced Format.

The TV’s brightness impressed us when watching movie scenes, and the measurements confirmed our impressions. The Bravia 9 simply boasts the brightest brightness we’ve ever seen on a TV to date. The HDR light peak amounts to 3200 cd/m², double the best Oled screens of the moment, such as the LG G4, Panasonic Z95A and Samsung S95D which peak at 1600 cd/m². We therefore see the strength of Mini-Led technology which had already proven itself on the recent C89B from TCL in particular, but the light peak amounted to “only” 2070 cd/m². on the latter. The HDR rendering is therefore unrivaled and lightsabers, explosions and other very luminous objects will appear more realistic than ever.

On the other hand, a small disappointment with this generation in HDR: the management of the EOTF curve is not perfect. The TV tends to slightly overexpose highlights, which can interfere with faithful reproduction of bright scenes. In fact, you shouldn’t really notice it with the naked eye.

The HDR delta E remains good with an average of 2.5, therefore below the limit of 3. Green tints are the most problematic and unfortunately exceed a delta E of 4, or even 5 in certain cases.

Finally, the coverage of Rec spaces. 2020 and DCI-P3 amount to 67.8% and 89.4% respectively, correct values, although Oled remains better on this point with DCI-P3 coverage which approaches 100% in rule general.

Clouding et blooming

This is once again one of the elements that impresses with the Bravia 9. The blooming (halo effect around bright objects on a dark background) is an annoying ingredient of LCD panels, but Mini-Led televisions have improved a lot recently. Sony’s processing algorithms seem very effective here since the blooming is more limited than anything we’ve seen so far. Be careful, it is still present and you should not expect the perfection of Oled panels on the subject, but it remains a great feat.

Reflectance

Mini-Led panels are generally subject to fairly significant reflections among the competition, but Sony seems to have refined its copy since we measured a reflectance of only 21%, almost at the level of the Vanta Black filter from LG Display which allows the best TVs Oled to go down to 17-18% reflectance.

Video games

The Bravia 9 offers a refresh rate of 120 Hz, a performance that is more than sufficient for the majority of current uses, although some competitors peak at 144 Hz. We also measured a input lag (display delay) of 24.2 ms, correct value, but which exceeds 16 ms. There will therefore be an image of delay between the action on the controller and its repercussion on the screen, but only the gamers Demanding players who play competitive multiplayer titles could really be affected. THE ghosting (phantom trail behind a moving object) remains a little present with an afterglow measured at 22 ms.

Game mode uses almost the same colorimetry as Professional mode, and this is good news: players will benefit from an average delta E of 2.6 in HDR, guaranteeing faithful color reproduction.

On the connectivity side, the Bravia 9 is limited to two HDMI 2.1 ports compatible with 4K at 120 Hz, ALLM (automatic low latency mode) and VRR (variable refresh rate). For comparison, many high-end models host four HDMI 2.1 ports, a configuration more suited to connecting multiple consoles, a PC and a soundbar simultaneously. On such a high-end model, we would therefore like Sony to offer what is currently best.

Ergonomics

The Bravia 9 (65XR80) has dimensions of 144 x 91 cm, 34.5 cm deep legs and a notable weight of 34 kg. Their design can potentially divide, but they are very practical, because they can be positioned narrowly in the center to adapt to narrow furniture, or spread apart according to needs. The height is also adjustable, making it easy to accommodate a soundbar. On the other hand, installation requires screws, an unfortunate step backwards compared to the Bravia 7, where a simple clip system was sufficient.

At the back, the connectivity is rich and well thought out with cable passages for careful installation. There is a CI+ port, an optical mini-jack audio output, an Ethernet port, a satellite tuner, one for the cable and one for the TNT antenna. As mentioned previously, the TV only has two HDMI 2.1 ports, which limits the options available for more console-equipped users. There is also no wired headphone jack, but cables tend to disappear these days. On the wireless side, the Bravia 9 does not disappoint with wifi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 for advanced connectivity.

On the software side, Sony is banking on Google TV which can be found on the brand’s other TVs and at TCL, in particular. Special mention for the quick access bar to settings, much more intuitive than the tedious exploration of classic Google menus, with rather clear descriptions for each option. The OS is fluid and brings together all the essential apps: YouTube, France TV, Arte, Molotov, without forgetting essentials like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ or MyCanal, for example. Chromecast and AirPlay 2 are also integrated, making it easy to stream content from a smartphone or computer.

Finally, the Sony remote control is really practical. Rechargeable via USB-C, backlit and modern, it includes shortcuts to the main streaming platforms, with Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Core as a bonus. True to form, the manufacturer also delivers a more traditional remote control, equipped with numbered buttons and powered by batteries. An attention that will please nostalgics and old school users alike.

Audio

On the audio side, the Bravia 9 integrates everything that is best from Sony, even if it does not have an integrated soundbar, unlike models like the Philips OLED909 or the Panasonic Z95A. Its configuration is based on three tweeters distributed as follows: one oriented upwards for Atmos effects, two on the sides. At the rear, two woofers take care of the bass, offering convincing spatialization and pleasant bass, although their depth clearly does not rival that of a dedicated audio system.

DTS and Dolby Atmos compatible, this television confirms Sony’s expertise in sound spatialization, with a large and immersive scene. Of course, a dedicated soundbar will always do better, but for everyday use, the Bravia 9 comes through with flying colors. As a bonus, Voice Zoom 3, introduced in 2024, is an interesting technology that improves the clarity of dialogue in two clicks in scenes where music and sound effects dominate – if sometimes your hearing is lacking.