Review: Sony Bravia XR A80J

For about more than a year now, we’ve been more or less confined in our own homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has then resulted into us utilizing various things, objects and gadgets at home now more than ever. Whether for entertainment, leisure, education or business purposes, it is through these means where the majority of our days now revolve around.

Personally, the use of my home Smart TV has drastically increased over these past few months; not only have I realized the many purposes such devices can fulfill, but also how a versatile and good quality one can enhance such aspects. Fortunately, I was given the opportunity to test the BRAVIA XR A80J Smart TV, one of Sony’s latest additions to its Smart TV lineup, that boasts an excellent fusion of performance and purpose.

Sony’s Cognitive Processor XR is what headlines the XR A80J, as it optimizes both vision and sound quality in order to take the entire experience onto a whole new level. By having an understanding of the way us humans both see and hear, the processor is designed to replicate the way we think and respond, ultimately setting an incredibly immersive experience. 

How exactly does the Cognitive Processor XR work its magic, you might ask? Instead of conventional AI that detects elements such as color and contrast individually, this processor has the ability to cross-analyze every element at once, similar to that of human minds, in order to enhance pictures the same manner human eyes focus for both color and depth. The outcome is a near-real world picture and a feeling that is closer to reality.

Display

Of course, a processor as such would be for naught if not partnered with an equally capable display. Its OLED contrast, vast color palette and 4K resolution facilitate pictures that are beaming with vibrance and detail.

I was able to appreciate this the most while watching nature documentaries on Netflix. It’s in these types of shows where observance is key, and the XR A80J brings out even the finer, more subtle details and textures. By being paired with an excellent display such as this one, this Smart TV definitely does legendary David Attenborough’s narration justice.

The XR A80J also possesses XR Motion Clarity designed for fast-paced, high-intensive pictures to ensure the action retains its smoothness. As a sports junkie (to put it lightly), catching NBA games, football matches, the PGA Tour or F1 races are made that much more immersive and, hence, more enjoyable. What more can you ask as a sports fan?

As previously mentioned, its display is beaming with vibrance. However, as someone with rather sensitive eyes, displays that are too bright can at times be bothersome, especially after watching for an extended period of time and/or in a very dim setting. Thankfully, the Smart TV’s Light Sensor automatically adjusts to its current setting to optimize picture brightness, so the eye strains I occasionally experience are lessened.

Audio

For many TVs, its built-in audio quality is usually subpar as some manufacturers expect these products to be paired with an external sound system. This isn’t the case with the XR A80J, though, as its audio has both quality and depth.

Its XR Surround creates a surround sound atmosphere by distributing its audio both side-to-side and vertically. One aspect that intrigued me is its Acoustic Surface Audio+, wherein its sound actually comes from the center of screen with the subwoofer located at the front for a more “in-your-face” audio experience.

As someone who loves blasting his music, I liked how the TV’s volume can reach relatively high levels without having to compromise sound quality. (Sorry, neighbors!)

Overall, its audio quality might not quite be at the same level of its impressive display, but can more than hold its own, nonetheless.

Design

Sony released three different sizes for their Smart TV: 55” (P133,399), 65” (P155,599) and 77” (P277,799).

The XR A80J has a minimalist One Slate design that allows you to set your focus on the display and the display alone, as its screen is surrounded in a Metal Flush Surface with very slim bezels. Its two Aluminum Layer Stands are both very flat and thin, making the TV look as if it were levitating slightly above the tabletop. 

What shocked me the most was how incredibly slim the actual screen’s depth is. For comparison, my pinky fingernail’s width is still wider than the depth of the screen. I can only imagine how amazingly seamless the XR A80J would look wall-mounted.

To conveniently suit different types of scenarios, there are three different means of attaching the TV’s legs: the standard position where its legs are closest to the edges, the narrow position for shorter tabletops, and the soundbar position that slightly increases the TV’s height to make room for a soundbar below it.

On its left side are 2 USB, 1 HDMI and video/audio ports, while at its rear iswhere you’d find all the additional ports, such as LAN, optical, 3 more HDMIs and 1 more USB port. However, given the inward position of the rear ports, I can imagine it to be slightly challenging to access if it were mounted to the wall.

Features

Topping all of these off would be a number of features that make the XR A80J all the more versatile. Aside from being Apple AirPlay/Chromecast compatible, the Smart TV has many other apps such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Google Play Movies & TV to perfectly compliment the XR A80J’s entertainment capabilities.

The only problem I encountered was that the AirPlay would occasionally fail to display what I was trying to show despite already inputting the code. Fortunately, the Chromecast option is available and essentially works in the same way.

Moreover, syncing other smart devices to the TV would allow it to be controlled by the Smart remote, whether a soundbar, PlayStation or a media player, allowing user experience to be all the more simple and convenient.

Verdict:

As we spend more and more time indoors, it’s been made all the more reasonable to invest in a very capable home entertainment system. For Sony’s XR A80J, not only does it boast exceptional display and great audio, but it further possesses a plethora of features that make it all the more versatile, perfect as an all-around family TV. Though it may have a relatively high price tag (especially its 77” variant), the XR A80J is sure to enhance the very enjoyable aspect of our daily lives.