Sony A80J OLED TV Review 2024: Great OLED 4K TV

Furthermore, shopping around may result in a much lower price than at launch as retailers stock up for new arrivals in the coming months. While the LG C1 is a better bet for gaming and HDMI 2.1 flexibility, the Sony A80J provides highly detailed image quality as well as excellent video processing and motion.

While the new models for 2022 were just announced at CES, Sony’s A80J offers superb image accuracy for movie viewing in low-light conditions, as well as excellent sound quality for those without an external sound system.

In addition, the image quality is incredible for critical movie viewing, with stunning colour accuracy and superb tone mapping, bringing movies to life with excellent cinematic flair. Today’s OLED market is competitive, with many great TVs offering their own set of advantages and disadvantages, but for moviegoers, the Sony truly does offer great calibrated image quality and features, and it comes highly recommended for that purpose.

Sony A80J OLED TV specifications

Sony A80J OLED TV review: Design

The A80J has the same aesthetic that Sony has been pursuing with its OLEDs in recent years. Its design is minimalist, and aside from the Sony logo in the bottom bezel, there are few identifiers as to what brand this TV could be from. The A80J content is designed to not distract from the images drawn on screen.

The bezel is thin and barely visible from a distance, and the screen is encased within a metal frame that adds to the overall elegance. The back is less elegant, with a large slab of packaging housing the TV’s speakers, processors, and connections. But who is concerned about this? After all, you won’t be staring at the back of the TV. You can buy this gaming monitor from its official website.

Sony A80J OLED TV review: Display

Overall, the Sony A80J is a very good camera. Because it has a contrast ratio that is nearly infinite, meaning it produces deep blacks, and there is no blooming around bright objects, it is an excellent choice for watching movies in rooms that are dimly lit. The HDR content looks incredible thanks to its deep blacks, and it displays a wide colour gamut; however, the HDR brightness is only adequate.

Because of its nearly instantaneous response time, it is also fantastic for watching sporting events, and because it has HDMI 2.1 inputs, it is wonderful for playing video games. It is impressive when used as a monitor for a personal computer, but there is a risk of the screen becoming damaged due to burn-in after being exposed to static elements.

Sony A80J OLED TV review: Ports

The A80J does not provide complete support for a number of gaming features that are typically associated with the most recent HDMI 2.1 specification. This is the only area in which the A80J falls short in terms of features. Even though it has two HDMI 2.1 ports and the ability to support up to 4K resolution at 120Hz with HDR, the A80J does not yet support variable refresh rate (VRR) or auto low latency mode (ALLM). Even though support for these features in the future might be added via an update at some point in the future, I’m not optimistic that it will happen anytime soon, if it will happen at all.

Sony A80J OLED TV review: Features

Sony’s A80J has a stylish design with an incredibly thin profile. However, the TV protrudes slightly more (about two inches) in the back, where it houses the processors and ports. The A80J’s stand is one of my favourite design features. The left and right feet simply click into place on the bottom of the display, eliminating the need for screws. This makes it simple to assemble while remaining sturdy. Buyers can also select from three different orientations: standard, narrow, and soundbar.

The feet are typically placed nearly flush with the bottom of the display towards the sides of the TV. If you have a large entertainment console, this is a good fit. To accommodate smaller consoles, narrow the feet closer to the centre of the TV. Soundbar raises the display so that a speaker or soundbar can be placed in front of it without blocking the screen.

Sony A80J OLED TV review: Video Performance

The A80J has a plethora of connectivity options. WiFi, Apple Airplay 2, Bluetooth, and Chromecast are all supported digitally. It has a composite video input, a digital audio input, and an ethernet port on the outside. It also has four HDMI ports in total, two of which are the latest 2.1 standard and one of which is for eARC (which is the port I used to connect my HDMI audio device). There are two USB ports as well.

The HDMI 2.1 ports support up to 120Hz in 4K HDR and are compatible with variable refresh rate (VRR), but there is a catch: VRR is only promised for an unspecified “future” firmware update and is not currently enabled, as with all Sony displays. If you intend to play with a PlayStation 5, this isn’t a big deal because the PS5 doesn’t yet support VRR. However, if you’re using an Xbox, it’s worth considering.

Sony A80J OLED TV review: Sound Quality

Although the audio quality of this television is superior to that of many other thin displays on the market, it is still not one I would recommend for those who prefer high-quality sound. Sony employs a technology that plays sound through the display itself, so audio appears to be coming directly from the screen. The display can even be used as a canter channel in a multi-speaker system with certain Sony soundbar systems.

However, the A80J’s sound is severely lacking in the low end, making a lot of audio sound hollow and lack depth. So, while it’s better than many other competitive options, I don’t think it’s something you should rely on. Purchase a sound bar, or even better, a true sound system. A great display like this deserves that level of audio quality.

Sony A80J OLED TV review: Price

The Sony A80J OLED is our choice for the best high-end television available. Though its smart TV interface isn’t the best, Sony’s advanced processing results in incredible picture quality. Although Sony’s more expensive A90J produces a brighter image, I don’t believe the slight improvement is worth the significant price increase. If image quality is your top priority when purchasing a new television, the Sony A80J is the model to choose.

Conclusion

The Sony A80J is a stunning 4K television. The OLED panel and advanced processing on the display work together to produce some of the most impressive images I’ve seen on a consumer smart TV.

The step-up A90J has a slightly brighter picture, but the huge price difference doesn’t justify the minor upgrade. When considering smart TV performance, gaming features, and typical selling price, we believe LG’s C1 is a better overall buy — but the A80J is the OLED champ for picture performance.

FAQs

Is the A80J worth the money?

The Sony A80J is great all around. It’s great for watching movies in dark rooms because it has a near-infinite contrast ratio that makes deep blacks without distracting blooming around bright objects. HDR content looks great because it has very high contrast and shows a wide range of colours.

What TV is better than the A80J?

The majority of people will find that the LG C2 OLED is a step or two above the Sony A80J. The LG has a slightly higher maximum brightness, notably when displaying brighter details in darker environments such as tiny highlights.

Is there a better TV than OLED?

We’ll start with how good the picture is. When we compare OLED and QLED side by side, OLED always comes out on top. We looked at the LG C1 series, which was last year’s Editors’ Choice for an OLED TV, and the Samsung QN90B series, which is the best Samsung 4K QLED TV for 2022. The LG OLED and the Samsung QLED were closer than ever, but the LG still won.