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Sony A95L OLED TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.11
Reviewed Nov 08, 2023 at 12:44 pm
Latest change: Writing modified Oct 16, 2024 at 10:03 am
Sony A95L OLED Picture
9.2
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: LG G3 OLED
8.9
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: LG G3 OLED
9.1
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: LG G3 OLED
9.3
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Samsung S90C OLED
9.3
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: none
9.1
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Samsung S90C OLED
9.4
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: LG G4 OLED

The Sony A95L OLED is Sony's flagship 4k QD-OLED TV in 2023, replacing the Sony A95K OLED. It's powered by Sony's Cognitive Processor XR image processor and is the only Sony TV in 2023 to use MediaTek's latest Pentonic 1000 HDMI chipset. This, in turn, enables Dolby Vision gaming at up to 120Hz, a first for Sony TVs. It uses the popular Google TV smart interface, which is easy to use and has a huge selection of streaming apps, and the TV has an internal microphone for hands-free voice control. It also supports Sony's S-Center speaker input, which can turn the TV into a center speaker channel for a connected soundbar or home theater receiver, and an ATSC 3.0 tuner for up to 4k over-the-air broadcast support. It's available in 55, 65, and 77-inch sizes, so there's something for most viewing environments.

Our Verdict

9.2 Mixed Usage

The Sony BRAVIA A95L is a fantastic TV for any usage. It looks great in a bright room thanks to its high peak brightness and fantastic reflection handling. Like all OLED TVs, it's also superb for watching in a dark room thanks to its perfect inky blacks and nearly infinite contrast ratio. This also makes it an incredible TV for watching movies in HDR, as bright highlights stand out incredibly well, even in bright scenes. Finally, it's an exceptionally good TV for gaming thanks to its super low input lag, crystal-clear motion, and a wide array of gaming features like VRR and 4k @ 120Hz Dolby Vision gaming.

Pros
  • Perfect inky blacks.
  • No blooming around bright objects.
  • Incredibly wide viewing angle.
Cons
8.9 TV Shows

The Sony A95L is an amazing TV for watching shows in a bright room. Its high peak brightness combined with fantastic reflection handling means you don't have to worry about distracting glare in a bright room. The built-in Google TV smart interface has a massive selection of apps, and with both hands-free voice control and gesture controls with the included camera, you can quickly jump back into your favorite shows even if your kids hid the remote. Cable cutters will also appreciate its built-in ATSC 3.0 tuner, so you can watch over-the-air 4k broadcasts in supported markets.

Pros
  • Upscales low-resolution content well.
  • Great peak brightness and incredible reflection handling.
  • Incredibly wide viewing angle.
Cons
  • Some noticeable stutter in slow-panning shots.
9.1 Sports

The Sony A95L is a superb TV for watching sports. With its high peak brightness and fantastic reflection handling, glare isn't an issue in bright rooms. It also has an incredibly wide viewing angle, which is great if you have a wide seating arrangement or want to watch the big game with a large group of friends. Motion is crisp and incredibly clear thanks to its nearly instantaneous response time, so you can clearly make out all the action. Finally, thanks to Sony's industry-leading image processing, cable sports channels are upscaled incredibly well.

Pros
  • Upscales low-resolution content well.
  • Great peak brightness and incredible reflection handling.
  • Incredibly wide viewing angle.
  • Fantastic motion handling.
Cons
9.3 Video Games

The Sony A95L TV is exceptionally good for gaming. It has incredibly low input lag, so there's very little delay between your actions on the controller and what you see on-screen. It comes with a plethora of gaming features, including VRR support and 4k @ 120Hz support. It's also part of Sony's 'Perfect for PS5' lineup, which automatically sets the best gaming and HDR settings when you start gaming on a PS5, so you spend less time playing with settings and more time enjoying your favorite game.

Pros
  • Perfect inky blacks.
  • Fantastic motion handling.
  • Great gaming features including HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and VRR support.
Cons
  • Only two high-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports.
9.3 HDR Movies

The Sony A95L is a superb TV for watching movies in a dark room. Thanks to its nearly infinite contrast ratio and perfect black uniformity, dark scenes look absolutely stunning, with no blooming at all around bright highlights. Speaking of, bright highlights stand out incredibly well, even against bright backgrounds in bright scenes. HDR looks incredible thanks to its fantastic wide color gamut, and with Sony's fantastic image processing, there's very little banding in HDR. It also has fantastic accuracy even without being calibrated, ensuring your favorite movies look almost exactly how the content creator intended. Unfortunately, although it supports Dolby Vision HDR, there are some bugs that detract from the overall experience, especially in dim scenes and shadow details.

Pros
  • Perfect inky blacks.
  • No blooming around bright objects.
  • Removes 24p judder from any source.
  • Near-perfect tone mapping.
  • Incredibly bright in HDR.
Cons
  • Some noticeable stutter in slow-panning shots.
  • Buggy Dolby Vision implementation.
9.1 HDR Gaming

The Sony BRAVIA XR A95L is superb for gaming in HDR. It delivers an exceptional gaming experience thanks to its low input lag, crystal-clear motion handling, and a plethora of gaming features. As good as this TV looks in SDR, it looks even better in HDR. Thanks to its nearly infinite contrast ratio and high peak brightness in HDR, your favorite HDR games look absolutely stunning, with bright highlights that stand out even in bright scenes. In a first for Sony TVs, it also supports Dolby Vision gaming at up to 4k @ 120Hz, delivering a truly stunning HDR gaming experience in supported titles.

Pros
  • Perfect inky blacks.
  • Fantastic motion handling.
  • Great gaming features including HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and VRR support.
  • Near-perfect tone mapping.
  • Incredibly bright in HDR.
Cons
  • Only two high-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports.
9.4 PC Monitor

The Sony A95L is a great TV for use as a PC monitor, but there are a few caveats. It has an incredibly wide viewing angle, so the sides of the screen remain uniform even if you're sitting close to the screen. It also displays chroma 4:4:4 properly, which is one important factor in the TV's ability to display clear text from a PC. Unfortunately, with its unusual subpixel layout, there's noticeable color fringing around text and UI elements on the desktop.

Pros
  • Great peak brightness and incredible reflection handling.
  • Incredibly wide viewing angle.
  • Fantastic motion handling.
  • Great gaming features including HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and VRR support.
Cons
  • Text clarity issues and fringing around UI elements.
  • Only two high-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports.
  • 9.2 Mixed Usage
  • 8.9 TV Shows
  • 9.1 Sports
  • 9.3 Video Games
  • 9.3 HDR Movies
  • 9.1 HDR Gaming
  • 9.4 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Oct 16, 2024: Mentioned the newly-reviewed Panasonic Z95A OLED in the Color Volume section of the review.
  2. Updated Jun 14, 2024: Mentioned the newly-reviewed Sony BRAVIA 9 QLED in the HDR Brightness section of this review.
  3. Updated Dec 20, 2023: Mentioned the newly reviewed Samsung S89C OLED in the HDR Brightness In Game Mode section of this review.
  4. Updated Nov 08, 2023: Review published.
  5. Updated Nov 03, 2023: Early access published.
  6. Updated Oct 25, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.
  7. Updated Oct 23, 2023: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  8. Updated Oct 03, 2023: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We bought and tested the 65-inch Sony A95L, and these results also apply to the 55-inch and 77-inch models. There are no other variants of this TV, and it's the same in all regions.

Size Model Available Stand Positions
55" XR-55A95L Standard, Soundbar
65" XR-65A95L Standard, Soundbar
77" XR-77A95L Standard, Soundbar, Narrow

Our unit was manufactured in September 2023; you can see the label here.

Compared To Other TVs

The Sony A95L is one of the absolute best TVs that money can buy. Offering a perfect combination of impressive picture quality and a wide range of features for everything from streaming shows to playing games, there's not much else on the market that even comes close. It's a bit better overall than its closest competitors, the Samsung S95C OLED, the LG G4 OLED, and the Panasonic Z95A OLED, but it's also significantly more expensive and not worth the price difference for most people.

See our recommendations for the best 4k TVs, the best TVs for movies, and the best OLED TVs.

LG G4 OLED
55" 65" 77" 83" 97"

The Sony A95L OLED and the LG G4 OLED are both incredible TVs, but there are some differences. The LG gets a bit brighter overall, so highlights stand out a bit more in HDR content, and it overcomes a bit more glare when watching SDR content in a bright room. The LG also maintains its brightness better in Game Mode, so you don't have to trade in brightness for performance. The LG is better for gaming overall due to its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four ports, up to 4k @ 144Hz, and lower input lag. On the other hand, the Sony can display more vibrant, lifelike, and brighter colors due to its wider color gamut and better color volume, and there is less banding in most colors.

LG C4 OLED
42" 48" 55" 65" 77" 83"

The Sony A95L OLED is better than the LG C4 OLED. The Sony is brighter in HDR and SDR and is more colorful than the LG, so all content pops more on it. While the LG is a bit better for gaming, especially for competitive gamers, due to its 4k @ 144hz support on four HDMI ports and its lower input lag, the Sony TV's brightness and color advantage means all games will look better on it. The Sony is just as accurate as the LG, has slightly better image processing, and has a wider viewing angle, so it's the better option in almost any context.

Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED (QD-OLED)
42" (WOLED) 48" (WOLED) 55" (QD-OLED) 65" (QD-OLED) 77" (QD-OLED) 83" (WOLED)

The Sony A95L OLED and the Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED are very similar TVs. The Sony gets brighter in SDR, so it overcomes more glare in a bright room. The Sony also has better processing for low-quality and low-resolution content, so lower-quality streams or DVDs look better on it. However, the Samsung has less banding in colors. When it comes to gaming, the Samsung has lower input lag for a more responsive experience, and it supports up to 4k @ 144Hz for PC gamers with high-end graphics cards.

Sony BRAVIA 8 OLED
55" 65" 77"

The Sony A95L OLED is better than the Sony BRAVIA 8 OLED. The A95L uses a QD-OLED panel, displaying more vibrant, lifelike, and brighter colors in HDR with less banding. It's also brighter in HDR and has better PQ EOTF tracking, so highlights pop out more on it, and it displays an image that is closer to the content creator's intent. The A95L is brighter in SDR, too, so it overcomes a bit more glare in a bright room. The A95L also has much better SDR pre-calibration accuracy; it's so impressive that even the most astute observers won't feel the need to get it calibrated.

Samsung S95D OLED
55" 65" 77"

The Samsung S95D and the Sony A95L OLED are very similar TVs. The Sony model has better processing for low-quality and low-resolution content, so lower-quality streams or DVDs look better on it. The Sony also has better PQ EOTF tracking, so it's more accurate in HDR when it comes to the content creator's intent. However, the Samsung model has better color volume, so it can display colors in HDR a bit brighter. When it comes to gaming, the Samsung TV has lower input lag for a more responsive experience, and it supports up to 4k @ 144Hz for PC gamers with high-end graphics cards.

Sony BRAVIA 9 QLED
65" 75" 85"

In most ways, the Sony A95L OLED is better than the Sony BRAVIA 9 QLED. The A95L has a much wider viewing angle, so it’s better if you regularly watch TV with a group. The A95L also delivers fast motion with less blur due to its faster response time. Regarding accuracy, the A95L has the BRAVIA 9 beat due to its better SDR pre-calibration accuracy and PQ EOTF tracking. However, the BRAVIA 9 is still excellent in that regard. As impressive as the contrast is on the BRAVIA 9, the A95L's is better, so it delivers deeper blacks in a dark room with no blooming whatsoever. On the other hand, the BRAVIA 9 is the brighter TV in both SDR and HDR, so highlights pop out more in HDR content, and it overcomes more glare in a bright room.

Sony A80L/A80CL OLED
55" 65" 77" 83"

The Sony A95L OLED is significantly better than the Sony A80L/A80CL OLED. The A95L delivers a much more impactful HDR experience thanks to its much higher peak brightness and better image processing, resulting in smoother gradients in HDR and less banding. Colors are also far more vibrant and impressive on the A95L thanks to its QD-OLED panel. The A95L is also a bit better for gamers, as it supports Dolby Vision gaming at up to 4k @ 120Hz, which is a first for Sony TVs.

Sony A95K OLED
55" 65"

The Sony A95L OLED is a bit of an improvement over its predecessor, the Sony A95K OLED. The A95L is a lot brighter in both SDR and HDR, so bright highlights stand out better, even in very bright scenes. The A95L is also a bit better for gamers, as it supports Dolby Vision gaming at up to 4k @ 120Hz, which is a first for Sony TVs.

LG G3 OLED
55" 65" 77" 83"

The Sony A95L OLED is slightly better than the LG G3 OLED. The Sony has much better image processing, resulting in smoother gradients in HDR and better upscaling. The Sony also delivers much better color volume, as colors are brighter and more vibrant. The LG is a bit more versatile, especially for gamers, as it has four high-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, whereas the Sony only has two.

LG C3 OLED
42" 48" 55" 65" 77" 83"

The Sony A95L OLED is a bit better than the LG C3 OLED. The Sony has much better image processing, resulting in smoother gradients in HDR and better upscaling. The Sony is also brighter, especially when displaying bright saturated colors, resulting in much better color volume overall. The LG is a bit more versatile, especially for gamers, as it has four high-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, whereas the Sony only has two.

Samsung S90C OLED
55" 65" 77" 83"

The Sony A95L OLED is a bit better than the Samsung S90C OLED. The Sony TV has significantly better image processing when dealing with low-quality or low-resolution content, so cable TV channels and streaming movies look much better, with less macro-blocking and pixelization. The Samsung is a bit more versatile, especially for gamers, as it has four high-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, whereas the Sony only has two.

Panasonic Z95A OLED
65"

The Sony A95L OLED is slightly better than the Panasonic Z95A OLED, but you can't go wrong with either one. The Sony has better processing, resulting in smoother gradients in HDR with less banding, and it smooths out low-quality content better. The Sony also delivers better color volume, and colors aren't as washed out in bright scenes.

Samsung S95C OLED
55" 65" 77"

The Sony A95L OLED is a bit better than the Samsung S95C OLED. The Sony TV has much better image processing when dealing with low-quality or low-resolution content, so cable TV channels and streaming movies look much better, with less macro-blocking and pixelization. The Samsung is a bit more versatile, especially for gamers, as it has four high-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports for gaming up to 4k @ 144Hz, whereas the Sony only has two HDMI 2.1 ports capable of 4k @ 120Hz.

Sony X95L
65" 75" 85"

The Sony A95L OLED is much better than the Sony X95L. The A95L delivers a much better dark room experience, with perfect inky blacks and no blooming at all around bright highlights. The A95L also has a much wider viewing angle, so if you're using it in a wide room, you can move around and still enjoy a consistent image from the sides. On the other hand, the X95L is significantly brighter, so if you only ever watch TV in a very bright room, the benefits of the A95L aren't as noticeable, so you can save some money and get the X95L instead.

Sony A90J OLED
55" 65" 83"

The Sony A95L OLED is significantly better than the Sony A90J OLED. The A95L delivers a much more impactful HDR experience thanks to its significantly better color volume, as bright colors are more vibrant and realistic. There's also less banding in gradients, and it gets brighter, so bright highlights stand out better. The A95L is also a bit better for gamers, as it supports Dolby Vision gaming at up to 4k @ 120Hz, which is a first for Sony TVs.

LG C2 OLED
42" 48" 55" 65" 77" 83"

The Sony A95L OLED is a bit better than the LG C2 OLED. The Sony has much better image processing, resulting in smoother gradients in HDR and better upscaling. The Sony is also brighter, especially when displaying bright saturated colors, resulting in much better color volume overall. The LG is a bit more versatile, especially for gamers, as it has four high-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, whereas the Sony only has two.

Samsung S89C OLED
77"

The Sony A95L OLED is better than the Samsung S89C OLED. The Sony TV has significantly better image processing when dealing with low-quality or low-resolution content, so cable TV channels and streaming movies look much better, with less macro-blocking and pixelization. The Samsung is more versatile, especially for gamers, as it has four high-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, whereas the Sony only has two.

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Video

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Curved No

The overall design of the Sony A95L is very impressive. With incredibly thin bezels and a nearly frameless design, it looks great in any room.

Design
Accelerated Longevity Test
Uniformity Pictures N/A
Design
Stand

Sony has abandoned the odd stand design on the Sony A95K OLED, instead opting for a more traditional design, with two feet set at opposite ends of the TV. The 55-inch and 65-inch models support either Standard or Soundbar positions, both of which require a large cabinet if you're not planning on wall-mounting it. The 77-inch model also offers a Narrow position, which requires about 23" of space.

Footprint of the 65-inch TV:

  • Standard position: 56.8" x 13.3" x 0.4"
  • Soundbar Position: 56.8" x 13.3" x 3.0"

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 300x300

The back of the TV features textured plastic with a checkerboard pattern that's typical of Sony TVs. The inputs are close to the side of the TV and easy to reach if you wall-mount it. The back includes covers for cable management, giving you a very clean setup overall.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.28" (0.7 cm)
Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 1.22" (3.1 cm)

The TV leans back about 1.5°, but this isn't at all noticeable when watching TV.

9.0
Design
Build Quality

The Sony A95L has fantastic build quality. It feels very premium and is built with solid materials. The stand supports the TV well, with minimal wobble. There's some flex to the back panel, but this is very common on any TV and doesn't cause any issues.

Picture Quality
10
Picture Quality
Contrast
Contrast
Inf : 1
Native Contrast
Inf : 1

The Sony A95L has a QD-OLED panel, which is a type of OLED panel, and it has a near-infinite contrast ratio. This allows it to display perfect blacks even immediately next to the brightest highlights.

10
Picture Quality
Blooming

Since pixels can be completely turned off next to pixels that are lit up to their maximum brightness, the blacks surrounding bright elements are perfect and don't have any blooming.

10
Picture Quality
Lighting Zone Transitions
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
No Backlight
Dimming Zones Count Of Tested TV
8,294,400

As with other OLED TVs, this TV doesn't have a backlight, but its self-emissive pixels give it the equivalent of a perfect local dimming feature with no zone transitions. We still film the zone transition video on the TV so you can see how the screen performs and compare it with a TV that has local dimming.

9.5
Picture Quality
Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode

There's no difference in dark scene behavior between the calibrated picture modes and Game Mode.

8.6
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
1,084 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
715 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
300 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
1,440 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,146 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
562 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
324 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
221 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
1,419 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,090 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
526 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
314 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
215 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.112

The Sony A95L has excellent peak brightness in HDR. It's bright enough to bring out very bright specular highlights, even in very bright scenes. Overall, it delivers a very impactful HDR experience.

These measurements are after calibrating the HDR white point with the following settings:

  • HDR Picture Mode: Professional
  • Brightness: 100
  • Contrast: 90
  • HDR Tone Mapping: Gradation Preferred
  • Peak Luminance: High

For even better HDR brightness, check out Sony's 2024 flagship model, the Sony BRAVIA 9 QLED.

8.1
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness In Game Mode
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
797 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
536 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
215 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
1,430 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,147 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
564 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
325 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
222 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
1,408 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,089 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
531 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
316 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
216 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.111

The Sony A95L is dimmer in the Standard (Game) mode than the calibrated picture modes. It's still bright enough to deliver a great HDR experience overall. For a better overall Game Mode performance, see the cheaper Samsung S89C OLED.

These measurements are after calibrating the HDR white point with the following settings:

  • HDR Picture Mode: Standard (Game)
  • Brightness: 100
  • Contrast: 90
  • HDR Tone Mapping: Gradation Preferred
  • Peak Luminance: High

9.7
Picture Quality
PQ EOTF Tracking
600 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0022
1000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0019
4000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0023

The PQ EOTF tracking of this TV with HDR10 content is nearly flawless. There are a few minor bumps along the way, but most scenes are displayed at exactly the brightness level the content creator intended. There's an extremely sharp cutoff at the TV's peak brightness, causing a loss of bright details in extremely bright scenes.

Unfortunately, there are some issues with low-level tone mapping on this TV when watching Dolby Vision content. Some shadow details are raised and brighter than they should be, and there's a very slight greenish tint in some content. This varies between content and even between individual units, as some owners and other reviews have reported a pink tint instead of green. This is even noticeable as a full-screen flash during the initial handshake when Dolby Vision content starts playing.

8.1
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene Peak Brightness
508 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
510 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
507 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
506 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
370 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
232 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
506 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
500 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
494 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
362 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
214 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.054

The Sony A95L has great peak brightness in SDR. It's bright enough to easily handle glare in most rooms, even if you have a lot of windows or bright lights. Like all OLEDs, it struggles with extremely bright scenes, but this isn't very noticeable in real-world usage.

These measurements are after calibration with the following settings:

  • Picture Mode: Professional
  • Brightness: 100
  • Contrast: 90
  • Color Temperature: Expert 2
  • Peak Luminance: High
  • Gamma: 0

9.4
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
99.97%
DCI P3 uv
99.97%
Rec 2020 xy
85.78%
Rec 2020 uv
91.09%

This TV has a superb color gamut in HDR. It can display the entire DCI-P3 color space used by most HDR content, and color accuracy in that color space is nearly perfect. It also has excellent coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 color space, and again, the tone mapping is fantastic. Pure blues and greens are slightly off, but it's very minor and not noticeable in most content.

9.2
Picture Quality
Color Volume
1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
96.1%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
55.5%
White Luminance
1,408 cd/m²
Red Luminance
221 cd/m²
Green Luminance
679 cd/m²
Blue Luminance
60 cd/m²
Cyan Luminance
741 cd/m²
Magenta Luminance
275 cd/m²
Yellow Luminance
882 cd/m²

The color volume of this TV is fantastic. Thanks to its nearly infinite contrast ratio, it displays dark saturated colors perfectly, and the QD-OLED panel delivers much brighter color details than WOLED TVs, even with MLA technology like the LG G4 OLED or the Panasonic Z95A OLED.

9.3
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
1.17
Color dE
0.72
Gamma
2.23
Color Temperature
6,326 K
Picture Mode
Professional
Color Temp Setting
Expert 1
Gamma Setting
0

With just a few quick settings changes out-of-the-box, the Sony A95L has exceptional SDR accuracy. There are no noticeable issues in the white balance or overall color accuracy, and the color temperature is very close to the ideal target. Gamma is nearly perfect, but bright scenes are slightly darker than they should be.

9.6
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.19
Color dE
0.75
Gamma
2.20
Color Temperature
6,493 K
White Balance Calibration
10 point
Color Calibration
Yes

Although this TV doesn't need to be calibrated, the calibration system is easy to use if you choose to do so. On our specific unit, we had to adjust the 2-point white balance and then the 10-point, at which point colors didn't need any further tuning.

You can see the full calibration settings used here

8.6
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
0.796%
50% DSE
0.124%
5% Std. Dev.
0.432%
5% DSE
0.118%

The gray uniformity of this TV is amazing. Bright scenes with uniform colors look incredible, with very little dirty screen effect in the center. Dim scenes look great, but in near-black scenes, there's noticeable vertical banding. Although faint vertical bands are a common issue with all OLED displays, it's worse on the Sony A95L, and other owners have reported the exact same issue.

10
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Std. Dev.
N/A
Native Std. Dev.
0.210%

The Sony A95L has perfect black uniformity, with no cloudiness at all.

10
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
Color Washout
70°
Color Shift
70°
Brightness Loss
70°
Black Level Raise
70°
Gamma Shift
70°

The Sony A95L has an outstanding viewing angle. Although it isn't perfect, you won't have any issues using it in a wide seating area as people viewing it from the side see the same image as in front.

9.5
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Glossy
Total Reflections
1.0%
Indirect Reflections
0.6%
Calculated Direct Reflections
0.3%

The Sony A95L has fantastic reflection handling. The intensity of bright lights is significantly reduced, and with the TV on, they're hardly noticeable. Like the Sony A95K OLED, there's a slight purple haze to the screen when there's ambient light, but it's significantly less noticeable.

9.5
Picture Quality
HDR Native Gradient
100% Black to 50% Gray
8.0
50% Gray to 100% White
8.0
100% Black to 50% Red
10
50% Red to 100% Red
10
100% Black to 50% Green
10
50% Green to 100% Green
10
100% Black to 50% Blue
10
50% Blue to 100% Blue
10

The gradient handling in HDR is nearly perfect, with almost no noticeable banding in any color. There's some very slight banding in shades of gray, but it's hardly noticeable.

8.3
Picture Quality
Low-Quality Content Smoothing
Smoothing
8.0
Detail Preservation
9.0

The Sony A95L has great low-quality content processing. It's very effective at smoothing out macro-blocking and pixelization when streaming content, with almost no loss of fine details.

9.0
Picture Quality
Upscaling: Sharpness Processing

The Sony A95L has superb sharpness processing and upscaling overall. Fine details in low-resolution content are upscaled well, and text is clear and easy to read.

These results are with the following processing settings:

  • Sharpness: 60
  • Reality Creation: Auto

Picture Quality
Pixels
Subpixel Layout
Triangular RGB
Type OLED
Sub-Type
QD-OLED

The QD-OLED panel on the Sony A95L uses a unique subpixel structure. Unlike most TVs, the pixels aren't in a row; instead, they form a triangular shape, with the green pixel on top and the red and blue pixels on the bottom. It results in some color fringing when displaying content with black bars on the top and bottom, as you'll see a thin green line at the top and a thin red line at the bottom. The subpixel structure isn't ideal for PC use as it causes some issues with the text clarity, which you can learn more about in the Dell Alienware AW3423DW review. Windows ClearType can't correct it, but there are workarounds like using third-party software to improve text clarity or increase the scaling.

Motion
9.8
Motion
Response Time
80% Response Time
0.3 ms
100% Response Time
2.5 ms

Like all OLED displays, the Sony A95L has a nearly instantaneous response time, resulting in incredibly clear motion with minimal ghosting behind fast-moving objects. There's some overshoot in shadow details, but it's minor and not really noticeable.

10
Motion
Flicker-Free
Flicker-Free
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz

The Sony A95L isn't technically flicker-free because there's a slight dip in brightness every 8 ms, which coincides with the refresh rate. However, it isn't the same as pulse width modulation on LED TVs because it isn't a full on and off, and it's not noticeable.

Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Optional BFI
Yes
Min Flicker For 60 fps
60 Hz
60Hz For 60 fps
Yes
120Hz For 120 fps
No
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
60 Hz

The Sony A95L has an optional black frame insertion feature to reduce persistence blur. It only flickers at 60Hz, which isn't ideal for 120 fps games.

Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
Yes

This TV offers an optional motion interpolation feature to improve the appearance of motion. Like most TVs, it struggles with fast-paced content with everything at max, resulting in noticeable artifacts and loss of details. These issues are noticeable even with lower settings, but it's not as bad.

5.1
Motion
Stutter
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
39.2 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
14.2 ms

Due to the near-instantaneous response time, there's noticeable stutter as each frame is held on longer with low-frame-rate content.

10
Motion
24p Judder
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes

This TV removes 24p judder from any source, including those that output content in 60Hz. It helps with the appearance of motion in movies. When you enable the BFI feature, it removes judder from 24p sources, but not with 60p/i sources, like a cable box.

9.4
Motion
Variable Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
HDMI Forum VRR
Yes
FreeSync
No
G-SYNC Compatible
Yes
4k VRR Maximum
120 Hz
4k VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
1080p VRR Maximum
120 Hz
1080p VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
1440p VRR Maximum
N/A
1440p VRR Minimum
N/A
VRR + Local Dimming No Local Dimming

The Sony A95L supports variable refresh rate (VRR) to reduce screen tearing from consoles and PCs. Unfortunately, it doesn't support FreeSync, which limits its compatibility with older AMD graphics cards.

Inputs
9.3
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
16.7 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
232.4 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
8.2 ms
1080p @ 144Hz
N/A
1440p @ 60Hz
N/A
1440p @ 120Hz
N/A
1440p @ 144Hz
N/A
4k @ 60Hz
16.7 ms
4k @ 60Hz + 10-Bit HDR
16.7 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
16.7 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
215.7 ms
4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
224.1 ms
4k @ 120Hz
8.2 ms
4k @ 144Hz
N/A
8k @ 60Hz
N/A

The Sony A95L has incredibly low input lag, ensuring a smooth and responsive gaming experience. It's a bit higher than most other high-end TVs, like the LG G3 OLED and the Samsung S95C OLED, but it's still low.

8.6
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 4k
480p @ 59.94Hz (Widescreen)
Yes
720p @ 59.94Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 144Hz
No
1440p @ 60Hz
No
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 144Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 144Hz
No
8k @ 30Hz or 24Hz
No
8k @ 60Hz
No

The Sony A95L supports most common resolutions up to 4k @ 120Hz. While there are some text clarity issues due to its subpixel layout (see the Pixels section for more information), it still displays chroma 4:4:4 properly with all supported resolutions. Only HDMI ports 3 and 4 support full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and the full range of supported modes. HDMI ports 1 and 2 are limited to HDMI 2.0 bandwidth and don't support certain signals like 4k @ 120Hz 4:4:4.

Inputs
PS5 Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes

The Sony A95L is nearly fully compatible with the PS5 as long as you have it connected to HDMI 3 or 4. As it's part of Sony's 'Perfect for PS5' lineup, it also has a few proprietary features made for the PS5, like Auto HDR Tone Mapping, which automatically adjusts certain settings to get the best HDR experience.

Inputs
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes

The Sony A95L is nearly fully compatible with the Xbox Series S|X as long as you have it connected to HDMI 3 or 4. In a first for Sony TVs, it even supports Dolby Vision gaming at up to 4k @ 120Hz.

Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
Yes
HDR10+
No
Dolby Vision
Yes
HLG
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 3,4)
CEC Yes
HDCP 2.2 Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
ATSC Tuner
3.0 (NEXTGEN TV)
USB 3.0
Yes (1)
Variable Analog Audio Out No
Wi-Fi Support Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)

This TV supports HDR10 and the more advanced Dolby Vision HDR format. There are some issues with Dolby Vision content, though. The user interface slows down considerably when anything starts playing in Dolby Vision, but it goes back to normal after around 10-15 seconds. There are also some issues with low-level tone mapping; you can read more about those issues in the PQ EOTF section.

Inputs
Input Photos
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 4
USB 2
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 0
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 0
Composite In 0
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 1
Inputs
Audio Passthrough
ARC/eARC Port
eARC
eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus
Yes
eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Yes
eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT
Yes
eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Yes
eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA
Yes
eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
Yes
eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream)
7.1
ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
ARC: DTS 5.1
Yes
Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
Optical: DTS 5.1
Yes

This TV supports eARC, allowing you to pass high-quality, uncompressed audio to a compatible receiver through an HDMI cable. However, because the eARC port is also one of the HDMI 2.1 ports, you can only connect one other HDMI 2.1 device if you connect a soundbar or receiver that doesn't support HDMI 2.1 passthrough. You can also connect a compatible Sony soundbar to the S-Center speaker input and use the TV's speakers as a center channel or use the speaker terminals to achieve the same thing with any home theater receiver.

Sound Quality
7.1
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
84.76 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
2.45 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
2.39 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
6.38 dB
Max
90.1 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
4.57 dB

The frequency response is just decent. Like most TVs, there's no thump or rumble and very little bass response overall. Above the low-frequency extension (LFE), the frequency response at moderate volume levels is very well-balanced, and dialogue is clear and easy to understand. Unfortunately, there's a moderate amount of compression, and the treble range falls off sharply at max volume.

7.7
Sound Quality
Distortion
Weighted THD @ 80
0.139
Weighted THD @ Max
0.627
IMD @ 80
0.70%
IMD @ Max
1.07%

This TV has very little distortion, especially when listening at low volume levels. It's a bit worse at max volume, but isn't noticeable.

Smart Features
8.0
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Google TV
Version 12
Ease of Use
Average
Smoothness
Average
Time Taken to Select YouTube
2 s
Time Taken to Change Backlight
2 s
Advanced Options
Many

The Google TV interface is user-friendly and feature-packed, but there are a few bugs. The menu is very slow when the TV is first powered on, and it slows down for a little while after changing inputs or changing settings from a connected device. There are also some audio sync issues.

0
Smart Features
Ad-Free
Ads
Yes
Opt-out
No
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
No

Unfortunately, like most TVs, there are ads throughout the interface. You can opt out of personalized ads; however, you'll get non-targeted ads instead.

9.0
Smart Features
Apps and Features
App Selection
Great
App Smoothness
Very Smooth
Cast Capable
Yes
USB Drive Playback
Yes
USB Drive HDR Playback
Yes
HDR in Netflix
Yes
HDR in YouTube
Yes

The Google Play Store has tons of apps available to download, and they run very smoothly. It has Google Chromecast built-in, meaning you can cast content from your phone.

8.5
Smart Features
Remote
Size
Small
Voice Control
Many Features
CEC Menu Control
Yes
Other Smart Features
No
Remote App Android TV

The Sony A95L has a premium remote with a brushed silver finish. The buttons are backlit and turn on automatically when you pick up the remote. A mic's also built into the TV for hands-free voice control or to help find your remote.

The TV comes with the BRAVIA webcam, which you can attach on top. It provides a few extra features like Auto Power Saving Mode that darkens the screen when you walk away. It also supports Gesture Control and Proximity Alert.

Smart Features
TV Controls

There's a single button above the side inputs to turn the TV on/off, change channels, adjust the volume, switch inputs, or use the Find Remote feature. There's a switch to turn the built-in mic in the TV off if you're concerned about privacy, and you can also shut the camera when you aren't actively using it.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Remote control
  • 2x AAA batteries
  • Cable tie
  • User guides

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 112 W
Power Consumption (Max) 335 W
Firmware 112.604.070.1NAA