Professionals
- Crowd-pleasing picture high quality with uniform backlighting
- 4 HDCP 2.2 HDMI inputs
- Surprisingly satisfying audio
- YouView roll-back EPG with built-in catch-up
Cons
- HDR not as shiny as top-tier LED TVs
- Low cost rubbery distant management
- Separate energy brick
Key Specs
- Evaluate Value: £1700.00
- Direct LED backlight with native dimming
- Android TV working system
- HDR10 and HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) appropriate
- Huge color gamut Triluminos panel
What’s the Sony KD-55XE9005?
It could appear to be simply one other cookie-cutter UHD TV, all ultra-slim bezel and tricked out HDMI inputs, however Sony’s XE90 line provides consumers one thing a bit of particular: direct LED backlighting with native dimming.
Not like extra frequent edge-LED screens, direct LED backlighting helps with HDR (excessive dynamic vary) content material, bettering distinction by extra exact backlight management. We’ve usually seen it used on enormous high-end screens, however that is the primary complete vary of mid-range TVs from Sony to supply the know-how.
Our overview pattern is a 55-incher, however the XE90 additionally is available in 49 inches (KD-49XE9005), 65 inches (KD-65XE9005) and 75 inches (KD-75XE9005).
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Watch: What’s HDR and Hybrid Log-Gamma?
Sony KD-55XE9005 – Design and Options
Cosmetically, there’s a lot to love concerning the XE90. The TV makes use of an eminently sensible pedestal stand with built-in cable administration. The bezel is extremely skinny with a premium-looking aluminium trim.
The set is fairly slim, provided that it has to accommodate the backlight – however annoyingly, it nonetheless has an outboard energy brick that you just’ll have to squirrel away. You’ll want a bit of bit greater than W122.8 x H77.2 x D25.9 cm. The set weighs 16.9kg.
Connectivity is sweet. There are 4 HDMI inputs, all of that are 4K HDCP 2.2 appropriate. There’s additionally a part AV enter for legacy equipment, Ethernet, an optical digital audio output plus three USBs – certainly one of which is appropriate for onerous drive time-shifting. The CI slot is hidden behind a plastic flap, and Wi-Fi is twin band.
Whereas the set seems to be upmarket, it’s accompanied by a rubbery distant management that feels a bit of low cost.
The good platform is Android, albeit augmented with a YouView EPG app. This ousts the Freeview EPG throughout setup, and provides a full complement of important channel catch-up TV companies.
Apps embrace Amazon Video, Netflix and YouTube. Amazon Video streams 4K with HDR in case your broadband is quick sufficient, and YouTube is 4K pleasant. Nonetheless, the Netflix shopper is HD solely. Hopefully it is a non permanent state of affairs – we’d count on a Netflix 4K replace sooner slightly than later. Different OTT companies offered embrace Google Play, Wuaki and PlayStation Video.
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Sony KD-55XE9005 – Arrange and efficiency
Image high quality doesn’t disappoint. The direct LED backlight makes a right away impression in the case of picture high quality. Black-level uniformity is much better than on edge-lit units, with not one of the ugly splotching usually seen on the fringe of the display.
Picture presets comprise Commonplace, Vivid, Customized, Cinema Professional, Cinema Residence, Sports activities, Animation and Sport.
The standard top-level changes can be found, plus deeper tweaks for Native Dimming, X-tended Dynamic Vary and Superior Distinction Enhancer management.
The panel is native 100Hz, and this helps movement dealing with. Sony’s Motionflow processor comes with a wide range of settings. Follow Commonplace or Customized (with Smoothness set to three and Clear to Min). Keep away from Clear, which is simply too darkish to be palatable, and Clean, which show extra artefacts than the British Museum.
The XE90 introduces a brand new image processor to the Sony UHD fleet, the X1 HDR. This borrows a lot of the tech seen within the X1 Excessive processor used additional up the Sony chain – particularly, Tremendous Bit Mapping 4K HDR and object-based HDR remastering.
The previous is used to cut back picture banding with low bit-rate sources, whereas the latter intelligently upscales on a regular basis customary dynamic vary distinction to create an HDR-like picture. That is on by default, and works brilliantly effectively. Any fears that photographs will look overly processed are unfounded – it simply provides a practical vibrancy to footage. To see materials with out HDR remapping, it’s important to use the Cinema Professional preset. However you’ll quickly need it again.
Extra processing pixie mud may be discovered within the type of 4K X-Actuality Professional. This can be a artful means of including obvious element and texture. Ostensibly, it provides an additional carry to element and texture.
Nonetheless, shut scrutiny does reveal further artefacts created by the method. In order for you pure high-frequency 4K element, it must be turned off. That mentioned, I slightly just like the post-processed picture. So ought to or not it’s used or not? This can be a ethical quandary that maybe solely you possibly can reply.
Distinction is excessive. Utilizing X-tended Dynamic Vary Professional with XDR, Sony says the set has 5 occasions the distinction of a traditional LED TV. This compares to 16x on the top-end ZD9.
HDR efficiency is rewarding. Whereas some could advocate the brightest doable peak luminance for HDR, this may be visually fatiguing. The XE90 finds a pleasant middle-ground: photographs are enjoyably HDR-ish, however don’t frazzle your retinas.
The set doesn’t have sufficient LED clusters to totally get rid of bloom. This could nonetheless be seen when you might have a shiny spotlight on a black background, nevertheless it isn’t overly intrusive. When highlights fade, the set delivers a particularly convincing deep black.
A firmware replace for HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) broadcast HDR will probably be obtainable in the end.
After all, it’s all too straightforward to fixate on parts of HDR efficiency, however that basically doesn’t let you know every part a few TV’s total image deserves. The overwhelming majority of content material you’ll watch is unlikely to be HDR-encoded, so the set’s dealing with of normal HD and 4K is essential. And right here the XE90 warrants two thumbs up.
Color copy is energetic. The vast color gamut Triluminos panel is wealthy and fruity, whereas darkish tonality is dealt with effectively.
There’s an inevitable lack of color and distinction when considered off-angle – however that’s the worth you pay for not bagging the most effective seat in the home.
Maybe, one of many greatest surprises concerning the XE90 is its audio efficiency. With no seen audio system, we absolutely anticipated it to sound skinny and monophonic. Nonetheless, Sony has executed a exceptional job given the shape issue.
The display goes loud, due to a 2 x 10W energy plant, and has a well-rounded mid-range. It’s positive for informal viewing, and perhaps even an evening of crash-bang Arrow and Flash heroics.
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Ought to I purchase the Sony KD-55XE9005?
In order for you a 4K UHD set that provides good background uniformity, seems to be wonderful with on a regular basis HD and 4K, and might ship HDR highlights with out jarring backlight results, then this direct LED backlight mannequin can have appreciable enchantment.
It combines efficient native dimming with crisp, shiny photographs, and top-notch movement dealing with.
Nonetheless, if you’d like an excessive hit of HDR (1,000-nits plus) then this isn’t the set for you. It isn’t as skinny as an edge-lit set, both.
Verdict
Extremely-crisp imagery with uniform black-level efficiency and watchable HDR, make this an unquestionably superior Sony TV providing.
How we check televisions
We check each TV we overview completely over an prolonged time period. We use business customary checks to check options correctly. We’ll all the time let you know what we discover. We by no means, ever, settle for cash to overview a product.
Discover out extra about how we check in our ethics coverage.
Used as the principle TV for the overview interval
Examined for greater than per week
Examined utilizing business calibrated instruments, discs and with actual world use
Examined with broadcast content material (HD/SD), video streams and demo discs
