Welcome to the vibrant world of Sony's X85 series TVs, where exceptional picture quality meets wallet-friendly prices. With their high-contrast VA LCD panels and direct LED lighting, these TVs have set a new standard for visual excellence without breaking the bank. And now, the latest addition to this illustrious line, the 55-inch KD-55X85L, elevates your viewing experience even further with the inclusion of local dimming technology. This advanced feature promises to enhance contrast and HDR performance, ensuring that every scene is depicted with stunning clarity and depth. Thanks to Sony's renowned expertise, even with a modest number of local dimming zones, the result is nothing short of spectacular. Dive into the details on the brand's TV range and discover the difference high-quality components make, from the VA LCD panels to the direct LED lighting and now, the game-changing local dimming. Get ready for an unparalleled viewing experience with Sony's X85 series.

Exciting Value: Discover the Sony KD-55X85L

Positioned at an attractive price point of £999 in the UK and $1695 in Australia, the Sony KD-55X85L strikes a harmonious balance as a mid-range marvel within Sony's 2023 collection. This model stands out in the crowded market with its persuasive blend of local dimming, direct LED lighting, VA panel, and Sony's acclaimed video processing prowess. This finesse helps the KD-55X85L stand tall among its competitors, ensuring you get exceptional value without the premium price tag.

For those aiming for an even larger viewing experience, the 65-inch variant, the X85L, demands £1299 / AU$1995, marking a seamless step-up option. Alternatively, the 55-inch X90L awaits with its enhanced local dimming zones, superior video processing, and robust audio system, also priced at £1299 / AU$1995. These options ensure that Sony meets diverse preferences and needs without compromise.

Challenging the X85L's reign is the TCL’s C845K, a formidable rival boasting Mini LED technology, dazzling brightness, and numerous dimming zones, all for just £849. This comparison highlights the X85L's competitive position, emphasizing its distinct advantages in the face of aggressive competition.

As of this update, the X85L series is not available in the US market, making its unique offerings an exclusive gem for UK and Australian consumers.

Design Highlights

Sony's design ethos for their TV range emphasizes sleek minimalism, and the X85L model embodies this philosophy perfectly. The design features an ultra-thin black bezel that seamlessly merges with the 55-inch screen, creating a unified, elegant appearance that commands attention.

The innovative blade-style stands are virtually invisible when viewed head-on, enhancing the illusion of a floating display. This minimalistic approach not only elevates the aesthetic appeal of the television but also places the spotlight firmly on the vibrant, life-like images it produces.

In a nod to versatility and user convenience, Sony offers adjustable stand placements for the X85L. This thoughtful design allows for either a wide or narrow stance, accommodating different surface sizes and making room for additional accessories like a soundbar, ensuring a perfect fit in any home entertainment setup.

Unveiling the Sony X85L: A Masterpiece in Visual Quality

Meet the Sony X85L, a marvel in the world of ultra-high-definition television that checks all the boxes for those with a keen eye for quality, without breaking the bank. It boasts an impressive VA panel known for its contrast-rich visuals, albeit with a narrower viewing angle. What sets it apart is its innovative direct LED backlighting coupled with local dimming technology, ensuring exceptional light control and a mesmerizing viewing experience.

While the dimming zones on our 55-inch model might seem modest at 24, especially compared to some competitors, Sony's knack for maximizing performance with what might seem like less, really shines here. Through cutting-edge picture processing, the X85L demonstrates that it's not just about the numbers but how you use them, delivering stunning visuals that often outshine its rivals.

The heart of the Sony X85L is its acclaimed X1 processor. While it might not be the newest kid on the block compared to the Cognitive XR processor, it still stands tall with its exceptional handling of color, backlighting, detailing, and motion, crafting images that are rich, lifelike, and incredibly detailed.

Connectivity is robust with a suite comprising four HDMIs, two USBs, and more, ensuring you're well-equipped for any setup. Gamers will delight in two of the HDMI ports offering HDMI 2.1 features like 4K/120Hz inputs, VRR, and ALLM, along with specific PlayStation 5 enhancements that adjust HDR output for optimal gaming immersion. Dolby Atmos support over eARC rounds out an exceptional auditory experience, matching the breathtaking visuals with equally impressive sound.

While the X85L might reserve its HDMI 2.1 features to only two ports, this balance strikes a perfect chord for a mid-range TV, offering cutting-edge gaming support with some limitations to ensure the best gaming experience or movie night. Enjoy seamless integration of Dolby Vision for video sources, ensuring your content looks as good as it gets, alongside the support for the essential HDR10 and HLG formats.

Powered by Google TV, the smart features of the X85L are a gateway to a world of content, enhanced by the convenience of Chromecast, Google Assistant, Apple Airplay, and Homekit support. While the optional Bravia Cam brings innovative features like proximity alerts and video calling, the choice remains yours on this additional accessory.

Rounding out the features is the Sony's audio prowess, with a 2 x 10W system employing the unique X-Balanced Speaker design for rich, full-bodied sound. Complemented by an automatic calibration system, the X85L ensures your audio is perfectly tailored to your space, along with built-in Dolby Atmos decoding for an enveloping sound experience.

Enhancing Your Viewing Experience: Sony X85L TV Review

Welcome to the era where the Sony X85 TVs, known for their respectable picture quality, have been upgraded. The introduction of local dimming in the X85L model has elevated the viewing experience to a whole new level.

With the addition of local dimming across 24 zones, the TV's contrast performance in darker scenes receives a significant boost. This addition enhances the overall HDR experience, allowing for a more dynamic range between the darkest and brightest areas of the picture.

Scenes that blend both bright and dark elements, like the eerie atmosphere of the It movie's slaughterhouse scene, viewed on 4K Blu-ray, appear more three-dimensional. The screen's prowess in handling dark colors brings out the subtleties with remarkable accuracy.

Thanks to local dimming, the highlights in HDR images pack more punch, standing out with greater intensity against deep black levels, enhancing the overall visual impact without the common issue of light blooms or halos around bright objects.

The X85L model also boasts superior reflection handling, ensuring that dark scenes remain visible even in well-lit environments, and excels at managing sudden shifts in brightness without the distracting jumps often seen in lesser systems.

This TV's remarkable strength lies in its processing capabilities, which meticulously balance and refine all elements of image quality. As a result, viewers are treated to visuals that feel more premium than its mid-range classification would suggest, especially in color performance. Dark scenes retain vibrant saturations avoiding the flat, cool look common in other TVs, and even in brighter scenes, colors remain lively.

The subtlety in color transitions and blends lends a natural quality to skin tones and detailed textures, enriching the viewing experience with finesse.

An intriguing observation is that the Standard picture preset often yields superior results compared to the Cinema mode, which is typically favored for its refined balance. However, in the case of the X85L, Standard mode tends to preserve more detail in shadows while minimizing backlight blooming effects.

Despite a few challenges, such as less pronounced bright highlights and a mild softness in ultra-bright HDR scenes, the X85L impressively maintains its performance with detailed dark scenes and exemplary motion handling.

In summary, the Sony X85L stands out for its balanced, refined, and cinematic picture quality, establishing a clear advantage over its brighter counterparts. This TV not only excels in handling complex lighting and motion with finesse but also in delivering a visually stunning experience that rivals high-end models.

Unleashing the Symphony

When it comes to blending the harmonics, the X85L's audio prowess is more about finesse than brute force. This approach, while seemingly reserved, meticulously maintains a balance, ensuring every sound, from the faintest whisper to the most robust note, is delivered with clear precision and a perfect mix. The result? A listening experience that's as smooth as silk.

The thoughtful engineering behind the X85L's sound system gracefully navigates its physical constraints, unveiling a bouquet of auditory delights. From the delicate treble that dances without ever stepping into harshness, to the controlled yet immersive bass that complements without overwhelming - every detail is curated with care. This meticulous balance ensures that even in the most dynamic scenes, the audio never loses its poise.

It’s true, the X85L might shy away from the earth-shaking volume some crave, but what it lacks in raw power, it more than makes up for in sophistication and clarity. While its bass might tread lightly, avoiding the pitfalls of distortion that plague punchier setups, it adds just the right depth to the ensemble, ensuring a well-rounded performance.

Granted, the inherent limitations of the X85L's built-in speakers mean that the soundscapes it crafts, though impressive for a television, especially in its price range, won't outclass a dedicated soundbar. Yet, for those seeking an auditory experience that enriches without overpowering, the X85L hits all the right notes.

Discover the Sony X85L: A Hidden Gem in Mid-Range TVs

Amidst the bustling market of mid-range TVs, the Sony X85L might not grab the headlines like its contemporary, the TCL C845K, known for its stunning visuals and sound. However, the Sony X85L quietly champions the art of refined picture quality, setting a benchmark for what we can expect in terms of a visually rich and cinematically accurate viewing experience without breaking the bank.

With its 55-inch display, the X85L delivers images that are not only gorgeous but also imbued with a natural finish. This TV accentuates the nuances of color and contrast with such finesse that it mirrors the meticulous effort professional content creators pour into their high-end productions. It’s this level of subtlety and sophistication in picture quality that makes the Sony X85L an attractive option for AV enthusiasts who value excellence in visual representation, yet are mindful of their spending.