The Sony A80J OLED is a high-end OLED TV that's part of Sony's premium BRAVIA 4k OLED lineup, sitting below the Sony A90J OLED. It replaces the Sony A8H OLED from 2020, and it mostly competes with other OLED TVs, like the LG C1 OLED, the Vizio OLED 2020, and the LG A1 OLED. It comes with the Google TV smart interface, which is pretty much a redesigned version of Android TV and has a ton of apps you can download. It has a great selection of gaming features, including HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for high-frame-rate 4k gaming, and it has variable refresh rate (VRR) support to reduce screen tearing.
The Sony A80J is excellent overall. It's fantastic for watching movies in dark rooms because it has a near-infinite contrast ratio that produces deep blacks with no distracting blooming around bright objects. HDR content looks amazing because of its incredibly high contrast, and it displays a wide color gamut. It's also excellent for watching sports due to its near-instantaneous response time, and it's fantastic for gaming as it has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for 4k @ 120Hz gaming. It's impressive to use as a PC monitor, but you risk damaging the screen with burn-in after exposure to static elements.
The Sony A80J is a fantastic TV for watching movies in a dark room. It can display perfect blacks with no distracting blooming around bright areas of the screen thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio, which is ideal for watching movies in a dark room. It also has no problems upscaling lower resolution content, and it removes 24p judder from any source. Due to its fast response time, however, low frame rate content appears to stutter.
The Sony A80J is great for watching TV shows in a bright room. It upscales lower resolution content well like shows on DVD, and it has a wide viewing angle, so the image remains consistent if you walk around with the TV on. It also has a semi-gloss finish with incredible reflection handling, meaning glare won't be an issue in a room with a few lights around, but it's not bright enough to fight intense glare, like if you place the TV opposite a window with direct sunlight.
The Sony A80J is excellent for watching sports. It has a near-instantaneous response time, so fast-moving sports look exceptionally clear. It also has a wide viewing angle, which is great for watching with a group as you don't have to fight over the best seat, and there's almost no dirty screen effect in the center. Unfortunately, its brightness is just okay, so it struggles with very intense light sources, but it still has fantastic reflection handling if you have some lights in the room.
The Sony A80J is fantastic for playing video games. It has a near-instantaneous response time for smooth motion and no distracting blur trail behind fast-moving objects, and its input lag is low enough for casual gamers. It supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for 4k @ 120Hz gaming, and it also has variable refresh rate support to reduce screen tearing. Also, its near-infinite contrast ratio can produce deep inky blacks, which is great for dark room gaming, and it has a wide viewing angle for co-op gaming.
The Sony A80J is excellent for watching movies in HDR in a dark room. While its HDR brightness is only okay, it still delivers an impressive HDR experience thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio and wide color gamut. It delivers perfect blacks with no distracting blooming around bright objects in dark scenes. Unfortunately, low frame rate content appears to stutter due to the TV's fast response time.
The Sony A80J is amazing for HDR gaming. It delivers a smooth and responsive gaming experience thanks to its near-instantaneous response time and relatively low input lag, so your actions are in-sync with what you see on the screen and there's no visible blur behind fast-moving objects. It also has a near-infinite contrast ratio for deep, uniform blacks. Although it only has okay HDR brightness, HDR content still looks amazing due to its near-infinite contrast and wide color gamut.
The Sony A80J is a great TV to use as a PC monitor. It displays chroma 4:4:4 properly, which is essential for clear text from a PC desktop. It has a wide viewing angle, so the sides of the screen remain uniform when you're sitting up close. It has incredible reflection handling, so glare won't be an issue if you're in a room with a bit of light, but it's not bright enough to overcome intense glare. Unfortunately, like all OLED displays, there's a risk of permanent burn-in with static elements like a desktop interface.
We tested the 55-inch Sony A80J (XR55A80J), which is also available in 65-inch (XR65A80J) and 77-inch (XR77A80J) sizes. These results are also valid for those models, but the 77-inch model has a slightly different screen coating. The A80J is also sold as the A80CJ at Costco, but only the 65 and 77-inch models.
Size | Panel | Model | Costco | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
55" | OLED | XR-55A80J | - | Semi-gloss finish |
65" | OLED | XR-65A80J | XR65A80CJ | Semi-gloss finish |
77" | OLED | XR-77A80J | XR77A80CJ | Glossy finish |
Our unit was manufactured in April 2021, and you can see the label here.
The Sony A80J is an excellent all-around TV with many features and stunning picture quality thanks to its OLED panel. It performs very similarly to the Sony A90J OLED, except it lacks the XR OLED Contrast Pro heatsink that allows the A90J to hit very high peaks of brightness in HDR, and it's available in a 77-inch size as opposed to an 83-inch.
For more options, see our recommendations for the best OLED TVs, the best movie TVs, and the best TVs on the market.
The Sony A80K OLED and the Sony A80J OLED are extremely similar TVs with the same features. The A80K downgrades in a few areas, like the brightness, and the built-in speakers are worse. However, the A80K also has a wider 1080p VRR range. Overall, deciding between these two TVs comes down to which you can find for cheaper because they're so similar.
The LG C2 OLED is a bit better than the Sony A80J for most users. The LG is a bit brighter, especially when displaying small, bright highlights in dark scenes. The LG also has better reflection handling, with a glossy finish that reduces the intensity of bright lights. On the other hand, the Sony has much better processing, with better gradient handling and better tone mapping, so it's a better choice if you're a movie buff and care about an accurate picture, especially in HDR.
The Sony A80J OLED and the LG B2 OLED are similar TVs. If you only watch movies and shows in dark rooms, the Sony delivers better overall picture quality as it has better gradient handling and gets brighter in HDR. However, if you want something to use in a bright room, the LG is the better choice, and it also has better overall gaming performance if you're a gamer.
The Sony A80J OLED and the Sony A90J OLED are very similar TVs overall, and both offer stunning picture quality in a premium, well-built package. That said, the A90J uses Sony's new heatsink technology, which allows it to get brighter in HDR, although the difference is relatively small. The A90J also has a better remote with motion-activated backlighting. The other big difference is that the A90J is available in 55, 65, and 83 inch sizes, while the A80J is available in 55, 65, and 77 inch sizes. If none of these are dealbreakers, the A80J is still an excellent choice that performs about the same as its more expensive sibling.
The Sony A80J OLED and the LG C1 OLED are amazing TVs capable of turning pixels off individually to produce deep inky blacks with a near-infinite contrast ratio. You can't go wrong with either, but they do have some differences. The LG offers a bit more for gamers, with two more HDMI 2.1 ports than the Sony and it has lower input lag. The Sony, however, has better out-of-the-box accuracy, although this can vary from unit to unit.
The Sony A80J OLED replaces the Sony A8H OLED in 2021, and while the two perform similarly, the A80J has a few upgrades that give it a slight edge. The biggest is the addition of two HDMI 2.1 ports, which is great for PS5 or Xbox Series X owners, and the A80J also has VRR support. If you want a bigger screen, the A80J is also available in a larger 77 inch size. That said, they both offer stunning picture quality, and the A8H gets a bit brighter overall in both SDR and HDR.
The LG G2 OLED and the Sony A80J OLED deliver very similar picture quality overall, but the LG is a bit better for most users. The LG is a bit brighter in SDR and a lot brighter in HDR, so bright highlights stand out a bit better. On the other hand, the Sony TV has better processing, with better tone mapping and smoother gradients, so it's a bit better for cinephiles. There's also a big design difference between them, as the Sony comes with a stand, whereas the LG is designed to be wall-mounted and doesn't include one.
The Sony A80J OLED is better overall than the Sony X90J, mostly because it uses an OLED panel and can produce perfect blacks with no visible blooming. It also has a faster response time and wider viewing angles, making it a better option for video games and sports. However, if you're worried about permanent burn-in, the X90J is a great all-around TV with a fantastic contrast ratio, and it gets significantly brighter.
The LG CX OLED and the Sony A80J OLED are top-of-the-class OLED TVs with near-infinite contrast ratios and premium features. That said, the LG is a better choice for gamers since it has lower input lag. The LG also gets a bit brighter overall.
The Sony A80J OLED and the Sony X95J use different panel technologies, each with strengths and weaknesses. The A80J uses an OLED panel, which delivers true inky blacks with perfect black uniformity, whereas the X95J uses an LED backlight. The X95J is a lot brighter, but the A80J has better dark room performance, better uniformity, and better viewing angles. The A80J also has a nearly instantaneous response time, so it's a better choice for gamers.
The Samsung QN90A QLED and the Sony A80J OLED use different panel types, but both offer amazing performance. The Sony is an OLED with a near-infinite contrast ratio, while the Samsung has a VA panel, so its native contrast is more limited. The Samsung uses Mini LED backlighting, and its local dimming feature allows it to produce exceptionally deep blacks. You may, however, notice a bit of blooming, especially when viewing off-angle, whereas the Sony has no visible blooming. The biggest advantage the Samsung has over the Sony is that it gets exceptionally bright, so it's better for bright rooms and can bring out more highlights in HDR.
The LG G1 OLED and the Sony A80J OLED are both excellent TVs with a few differences. The LG has more gaming features like lower input lag. The LG has the new evo panel, allowing it to get brighter in HDR, but the Sony still gets a bit brighter in SDR. They're built differently as the LG is meant to sit flush against a wall and comes with a dedicated wall mount, while the Sony is a more typical TV that comes with a stand.
The Sony A80J OLED and the Sony A9G OLED are excellent TVs capable of completely turning off individual pixels to produce perfect blacks. That said, the A80J is a newer model with improved features and performance, particularly when it comes to peak brightness, as well as having a different processor. The A80J also has two HDMI 2.1 ports, less input lag, and has VRR support.
The LG B1 OLED and the Sony A80J OLED are both excellent TVs with a few differences. The LG is better for gaming because it has lower input lag. On the other hand, the Sony is slightly better for watching HDR content because it gets brighter and has better color accuracy, but this can vary between units. Overall, the differences between them are minor as most OLEDs deliver the same exceptional picture quality.
The Sony A80J OLED and the Hisense U8G use different panel technologies, each with advantages and disadvantages. The Sony uses an OLED panel, which delivers a much better dark room experience, with perfect blacks and no blooming. The Sony also has much better viewing angles. Unfortunately, though, the Sony comes with a risk of permanent burn-in when exposed to static content. On the other hand, the Hisense is much brighter, and it supports the latest gaming features, including two HDMI 2.1 ports and support for a variable refresh rate.
The Sony A80J OLED is better overall than the Sony X950H, but they use different panel types. The X950H has a VA panel, and while its contrast ratio is excellent, it doesn't compare with the near-infinite contrast of the A80J. The A80J also has wider viewing angles and a nearly instantaneous response time for smoother motion. To top it off, it's a better option for gamers since it comes with two HDMI 2.1 ports and has VRR support after a firmware update.
The Sony A80J OLED is better than the Sony X900H, mostly thanks to its OLED panel and near-infinite contrast ratio. The X900H is still a great TV, with a high contrast ratio and higher brightness than the A80J. It's a good option if you're worried about permanent burn-in with OLEDs. That said, the A80J has a faster response time, wider viewing angles, wider color gamut, and generally outperforms the X900H.
The Sony A80J OLED and the LG GX OLED are excellent TVs with OLED panels that can individually turn off pixels and produce perfect blacks. They especially differ in design, as the LG has a unique 'gallery' design with an exceptionally thin profile intended to be wall-mounted. The LG gets a bit brighter in HDR and has a bit less input lag for gaming or PC use, but the Sony has better out-of-the-box accuracy.
The design is similar to the Sony A90J OLED, except for the back panel, which features a grid-like pattern. It's a sleek TV that should stand out in any living room.
The stand has three different setup positions. The standard position lets the TV sit closer to the table. There's a narrow position for smaller tables, and finally, a soundbar position that raises the TV to give you space for a soundbar in front.
Footprint of the 55-inch stand:
The panel and feet are made of metal, while the rest of the back is textured plastic with diagonal grooves in a grid pattern. It looks good, but aside from the cable tie included in the box, which we didn't use, there's no cable management. Some of the inputs face to the side, and they're easy to access, but most of them face down and aren't easy to reach if you wall-mount the TV.
The SDR brightness is okay and is on par with other OLEDs. It has an aggressive Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL), which causes large bright areas to be less dim, which is distracting while watching sports like hockey. Overall, it performs well in moderate lighting conditions but isn't bright enough to fight glare in really bright rooms.
These measurements are after calibration, using the โCustomโ Picture Mode, with the โExpert 1โ Color Temperature, Peak Luminance set to โHighโ, and Brightness at its max.
If you find the brightness changes with different scenes, you can set Peak Luminance to off. With it disabled, all scenes are displayed at around 130 cd/mยฒ, and there's no noticeable fluctuation in brightness with different scenes. It's a lot dimmer, so most people are better off leaving Peak Luminance enabled.
The Sony A80J OLED has decent HDR brightness. As with SDR, there's a lot of variation in brightness across different scenes, in part due to the aggressive ABL. HDR content still pops out well thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio, but extremely bright highlights and large bright scenes don't stand out as well as they should.
These measurements are in the 'Custom' Picture Mode, with Brightness set to max, Contrast at '90', Color Temperature set to 'Expert 1', Peak Luminance on 'High', and HDR Tone Mapping set to 'Gradation Preferred'.
The backlight behaves differently depending on the Brightness Preferred setting and the Peak Luminance setting:
Test Window | Brightness Preferred On | Peak Luminance Off |
Peak 2% | 874 cd/mยฒ | 144 cd/mยฒ |
Peak 10% | 733 cd/mยฒ | 147 cd/mยฒ |
Peak 25% | 494 cd/mยฒ | 146 cd/mยฒ |
Peak 50% | 295 cd/mยฒ | 146 cd/mยฒ |
Peak 100% | 157 cd/mยฒ | 145 cd/mยฒ |
Sustained 2% | 757 cd/mยฒ | 143 cd/mยฒ |
Sustained10% | 672 cd/mยฒ | 146 cd/mยฒ |
Sustained 25% | 479 cd/mยฒ | 145 cd/mยฒ |
Sustained 50% | 293 cd/mยฒ | 144 cd/mยฒ |
Sustained 100% | 153 cd/mยฒ | 144 cd/mยฒ |
EOTF | Chart | Chart |
The Brightness Preferred setting helps increase the EOTF, but it doesn't change the peak luminance. Just like in SDR, turning Peak Luminance off dims the image significantly, but stops the screen brightness from fluctuating with different scenes.
In Game Mode, the HDR brightness is about the same as outside of Game Mode. For the most part, the difference is hardly noticeable, although real scenes appear slightly dimmer.
These measurements were taken with the same settings as the HDR Brightness measurements, but in the 'Game' Picture Mode.
Like most Sony TVs, this TV has incredible PQ EOTF tracking. The vast majority of content is displayed at the exact brightness level the content creator intended. There's a very smooth roll-off near the TV's peak brightness, preserving fine details in bright areas of the screen.
Gradients look fantastic on the Sony A80J, with very little visible banding aside from a bit in the grays and greens. The Smooth Gradation feature can help even out gradients in low-quality content.
The Sony A80J has a slightly matte finish, unlike the Sony A90J OLED. The reflections are duller but more widely diffused than on a typical glossy screen. The reflection handling is still superb overall, meaning glare won't be an issue in most rooms, but placing it directly opposite a window or light source isn't a good idea because it doesn't get bright. The 77-inch version has a glossy finish, which handles light differently, resulting in less indirect reflections as bright lights aren't diffused across the screen as much.
Even before calibrating the Sony A80J OLED, it has excellent accuracy. The white balance and color inaccuracies are minor and are hard to spot with the naked eye. Gamma is great too, but it doesn't quite follow the 2.2 target well with some bright scenes, so a few scenes are either over-brightened or too dark. Also, its color temperature is on the cold side, giving the image a slightly blue tint.
The Sony A80J has fantastic accuracy after calibration. The white balance, gamma, and color temperature are all nearly perfect, and while there are some slight inaccuracies with a few colors, it's not noticeable at all. The calibration system is effective but sensitive, so it can be tricky to calibrate as changes to one setting may have a more significant impact on other measurements.
You can see our full calibration settings here.
The Sony A80J has a WRGB sub-pixel layout. All four are never on at the same time, but you can see some of the blue sub-pixels lit up in this photo.
The Sony A80J has an excellent color gamut, so HDR content looks great. It has full coverage of the DCI-P3 color space used in most HDR content and decent coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 color space. It tone maps well in both color spaces, ensuring fine details are preserved in saturated scenes.
The color volume is good. It has trouble with colors at higher luminance levels due to its limited brightness, but it displays dark saturated colors well thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio.
The Sony A80CJ has a black frame insertion feature to try to improve the appearance of motion. It can flicker at 60Hz or 120Hz; the photo above is with the 60Hz flicker, and you can see the 120Hz flicker here. Note that the BFI scoring is based on the frequencies at which it flickers and not the actual performance.
The Sony A80J has a motion interpolation feature to interpolate low frame rate content like most movies and shows to a higher frame rate, improving the appearance of motion. Like most other TVs, it works well with slow-paced content and smooths out movement, but it struggles to keep up with fast-paced scenes. There are artifacts with fast-moving objects, but there isn't much haloing, which is good.
As the TV has a near-instantaneous response time, lower-frame-rate content appears to stutter because each frame is static on the screen for a long period of time.
The Sony A80CJ removes 24p judder from any source, which helps with the appearance of motion in movies. There are different settings needed for native apps and 60p/i sources, which you can learn about here.
The Sony A80J supports variable refresh rate technology to reduce screen tearing. It works without issue on the Xbox Series X for a tear-free gaming experience. It's also G-SYNC compatible, but there are some issues with it. It's tear-free with 4k @ 120Hz signals from the NVIDIA RTX 3060 graphics card, but the screen flickered black at times like the Sony A90J OLED. Still, there wasn't any screen tearing in Destiny 2 with a 4k @ 120Hz signal, so it does its job at reducing screen tearing when it works properly.
The Sony A80J has objectively low input lag, but it's not as good as some other gaming TVs like the LG C1 OLED. You won't notice any delay, but it's not ideal for competitive gaming, especially at 60Hz.
The Sony A80CJ supports most resolutions, including proper 4k @ 120Hz. Chroma 4:4:4 is displayed properly with 1080p and 4k resolutions, which is important for clear text from a PC.
The Sony A80J supports most resolutions on the Xbox Series X. It can't do 4k @ 120Hz on the Xbox while 'Enhanced Format (Dolby Vision)' is enabled, so you either have to choose between 4k @ 120Hz games without Dolby Vision or 4k @ 60Hz with it.
The Sony A80CJ has two HDMI 2.1 ports, but HDMI 3 is also the eARC port, so if you have both an Xbox Series X and a PS5, you may have to give up one of the HDMI 2.1 bandwidth ports for audio passthrough.
This TV supports enhanced audio return, or eARC, which allows you to pass high quality, lossless audio formats from connected devices through to your home theater receiver or soundbar.
The Sony A80J has good built-in speakers, noticeably better than the Sony A90J OLED, especially concerning bass, which sounds significantly punchier. Overall, the sound profile is well balanced, so dialogue sounds clear.
Like the Sony A90J OLED and other 2021 Sony TVs, the A80J runs on Google TV, which replaces Android TV. It's a little more streamlined than Android, and it runs very smoothly.
The Sony A80J comes with a similar remote to the Sony A90J OLED, but it doesn't have backlighting and comes in a black finish instead of silver. It has shortcut keys, and you can use it as a universal remote.