Sony A80K/A80CK OLED  TV Review

Review updated Jul 21, 2023 at 02:00pm
Writing modified Jul 27, 2023 at 11:27am
Tested using Methodology v1.10 
Sony A80K/A80CK OLED
8.9
Mixed Usage 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

9.3
Movies 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

8.4
TV Shows 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

8.7
Sports 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

9.1
Video Games 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

8.7
HDR Movies 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

8.9
HDR Gaming 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

9.3
PC Monitor 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

 4
 TV Settings
Notice: This TVs was replaced by Sony A80L/A80CL OLED

The Sony A80K/A80CK OLED is one of two entry-level OLEDs in Sony's 2022 lineup. It sits behind the Sony A90K OLED and the QD-OLED Sony A95K OLED; in Europe, it sits ahead of the Sony A75K. It replaces the Sony A80J OLED from 2021 and is largely unchanged from its predecessor. It uses the same Cognitive Processor XR and has many of the same features like HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, variable refresh rate (VRR) support, and the S-Center speaker input to use the TV's speakers as a center channel when connecting a compatible Sony soundbar. It also uses the same Google TV smart platform, and like its predecessor, it's available in 55-inch, 65-inch, and 77-inch models.

Our Verdict

8.9
Mixed Usage 

The Sony A80K is excellent for most uses. It performs best in dark rooms while watching movies because it displays deep blacks without any blooming in dark scenes. It's excellent for HDR because of that dark room performance and the fact that it displays a wide range of colors, but its HDR brightness isn't high enough for the best HDR experience. It's great for watching TV shows and excellent for sports in well-lit rooms thanks to its wide viewing angle and incredible reflection handling, but it doesn't get bright enough to fight a ton of glare. Lastly, it's fantastic for gaming as it has variable refresh rate (VRR) support with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, a quick response time, and low input lag.

Pros
  • Near-infinite contrast ratio for deep blacks.
  • No issues upscaling lower-resolution content.
  • Incredible reflection handling.
  • Wide viewing angle.
Cons
  • Low peak brightness, especially before calibration.
  • Limited HDR peak brightness.
9.3
Movies 

The Sony BRAVIA XR A80K is incredible for watching movies in dark rooms. It displays deep blacks without any blooming, meaning it looks amazing in dark rooms. It also removes 24p judder from any source and doesn't have trouble upscaling lower-resolution content. Sadly though, low-frame-rate content like movies stutter because of the TV's quick response time.

Pros
  • Perfect black uniformity.
  • Near-infinite contrast ratio for deep blacks.
  • Removes 24p judder from any source.
  • No issues upscaling lower-resolution content.
Cons
  • Stutter due to near-instantaneous response time.
8.4
TV Shows 

The Sony A80K is great for watching TV shows in well-lit rooms. It has incredible reflection handling that reduces the amount of glare from some light sources, but it doesn't get very bright, so it isn't ideal for placing it opposite a bright window. Luckily, it has a wide viewing angle so that the image remains consistent from the sides, which is great if you watch shows with the entire family. It also has no trouble upscaling content from cable boxes and has a great smart system, so watching streaming content is easy on this TV.

Pros
  • No issues upscaling lower-resolution content.
  • Incredible reflection handling.
  • Wide viewing angle.
Cons
  • Low peak brightness, especially before calibration.
8.7
Sports 

The Sony BRAVIA XR A80K is excellent for watching sports. Fast-moving balls and players look excellent thanks to the near-instantaneous response time, so there isn't any motion blur. It also has incredible reflection handling, so the TV still looks good if you have a few lights around, although it doesn't get bright enough to fight a ton of glare. Lastly, it has a wide viewing angle, which is great if you want to watch the game with a few friends, as everyone sees the same image from the sides.

Pros
  • No issues upscaling lower-resolution content.
  • Incredible reflection handling.
  • Wide viewing angle.
  • Fast-moving objects look smooth.
Cons
  • Low peak brightness, especially before calibration.
9.1
Video Games 

The Sony A80K is fantastic for gaming. It has features most gamers would expect, like HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on two ports and HDMI Forum VRR and G-SYNC support, but it doesn't support FreeSync, which is disappointing if you have a PC with an AMD graphics card. It has a near-instantaneous response time for smooth motion, and it has low enough input lag for a responsive feel. It's also incredible for dark room gaming as it displays deep blacks without blooming.

Pros
  • Near-infinite contrast ratio for deep blacks.
  • Fast-moving objects look smooth.
  • VRR support and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.
  • Low input lag.
Cons
  • No FreeSync support.
8.7
HDR Movies 

The Sony A80K is excellent for watching HDR movies. It performs very well in dark rooms as it has a near-infinite contrast ratio, resulting in perfect black levels and no blooming around bright objects. It also displays a wide range of colors in HDR. Its HDR peak brightness is okay, and it's enough to make some bright highlights stand out in a dark room, but the TV is not bright enough to look vibrant and colorful if you have a few lights on.

Pros
  • Perfect black uniformity.
  • Near-infinite contrast ratio for deep blacks.
  • Removes 24p judder from any source.
  • Displays wide range of colors.
Cons
  • Stutter due to near-instantaneous response time.
  • Limited HDR peak brightness.
8.9
HDR Gaming 

The Sony A80K is fantastic for HDR gaming. It has fantastic gaming performance thanks to its fast response time, low input lag, HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and VRR support. HDR also looks excellent in a dark room as it displays deep and inky blacks and a wide range of colors, but it doesn't get bright enough for an HDR image that pops and looks vivid when a few lights are on.

Pros
  • Perfect black uniformity.
  • VRR support and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.
  • Low input lag.
  • Displays wide range of colors.
Cons
  • No FreeSync support.
  • Limited HDR peak brightness.
9.3
PC Monitor 

The Sony A80K is excellent for use as a PC monitor. It has low input lag for a responsive desktop feel, and the wide viewing angle ensures the edges of the screen aren't washed out if you sit close to it. It has incredible reflection handling if you use it in a room with a few lights, but its peak brightness is limited. Sadly, OLEDs risk permanent burn-in, and this TV shows signs of temporary image retention with exposure to static elements.

Pros
  • Incredible reflection handling.
  • Wide viewing angle.
  • Fast-moving objects look smooth.
  • Low input lag.
Cons
  • Low peak brightness, especially before calibration.
  • No FreeSync support.
  • 8.9
    Mixed Usage
  • 9.3
    Movies
  • 8.4
    TV Shows
  • 8.7
    Sports
  • 9.1
    Video Games
  • 8.7
    HDR Movies
  • 8.9
    HDR Gaming
  • 9.3
    PC Monitor
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Jul 27, 2023: Added mention of the newly reviewed Sony A80L OLED in this review's Compared To Other TVs section.
    2.  Updated Jul 21, 2023: Refreshed the text for accuracy and consistency.
    3.  Updated Jul 10, 2023: Unfortunately, our TV failed completely during the longevity test. We've updated the Accelerated Longevity Test section with details of the failure.
    4.  Updated Jun 07, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.

    Check Price

    55"XR-55A80K
    SEE PRICE
    Amazon.com
    65"XR-65A80K
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    Amazon.com
    77"XR-77A80K
    SEE PRICE
    Amazon.com

    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    We tested the 65-inch Sony A80K, and the results are also valid for the 55 and 75-inch models. It's also known as the A80CK at Costco, and it's the same TV, but the only difference is that it comes with a backlit remote, a three-year warranty, and a two-year subscription to the Bravia Core Streaming Service. In Europe, there's both the Sony A80K and the Sony A84K, and while both TVs perform like the North American A80K, the European A84K is the closest equivalent because it has a built-in mic like the North American version.

    Size Model Costco
    55" Sony XR55A80K Sony XR55A80CK
    65" Sony XR65A80K Sony XR65A80CK
    77" Sony XR77A80K Sony XR77A80CK

    Our unit was manufactured in May 2022, and you can see the label here.

    Popular TV Comparisons

    The Sony A80K is an excellent TV with deep blacks, perfect black uniformity, and great gaming features. It's very similar to the Sony A80J OLED overall, so it's not worth an upgrade if you already own that panel. It's also nearly identical to its successor, the Sony A80L/A80CL OLED, so don't worry about upgrading if you own the A80K. It doesn't match up to the brighter OLEDs that came out in 2022, and if you want the best OLED for picture quality, you can find other options, like the LG C2 OLED or Samsung S95B OLED.

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

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

    The Sony A80L OLED and Sony A80K/A80CK OLED are basically identical; they look identical, and while the A80L is slightly brighter, you'd be hard-pressed to notice even if both TVs were side by side. The A80L is available in a bigger 83-inch size, but aside from that, get the one you can find for cheaper, as they're effectively the same TV.

    Sony A80J OLED
    55" 65" 77"

    The Sony A80K/A80CK OLED and the Sony A80J OLED are extremely similar TVs with the same features. They're so similar that deciding between these two TVs comes down to which you can find for cheaper.

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

    The LG C2 OLED is better overall than the Sony A80K/A80CK OLED. The main difference is that the LG has a brighter panel, so highlights pop more in HDR. The LG also has better gaming performance with lower input lag and FreeSync support, which is great if you're a PC gamer.

    Sony A90J OLED
    55" 65" 83"

    The Sony A90J OLED is a higher-end TV than the Sony A80K/A80CK OLED, so it performs a bit better overall. The A90J gets slightly brighter in HDR, delivering a more impactful HDR experience. That's the main difference between the TVs, so if you're after the best picture quality, stick with the Sony A90J OLED.

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

    The LG C3 OLED is a bit better than the Sony A80K/A80CK OLED, but they're extremely similar because both use WOLED panels. The LG is slightly, but noticeably, brighter than the Sony in HDR and SDR, making for a more impactful visual impact. It also has better reflection handling and a wider viewing angle. Furthermore, the LG C3 has lower input lag, which can matter for competitive gamers. The Sony TV does have an ATSC 3.0 tuner, which lets it play 4k content over-the-air, while LG has a 1.0 tuner, which is limited to 1080p.

    Sony X90K/X90CK
    55" 65" 75" 85"

    The Sony A80K/A80CK OLED and the Sony X90K/X90CK are different types of TVs, each with strengths and weaknesses. The A80K is better for dark-room viewing as it delivers deeper blacks, and it's also the better choice for wide seating arrangements because it offers a wider viewing angle. If you prefer something for bright-room viewing, the X90K gets much brighter to counteract glare.

    Sony A90K OLED
    42" 48"

    Although the Sony A90K OLED is positioned as a higher-end model than the Sony A80K/A80CK OLED, they offer nearly identical performance, but they're available in different sizes. The A80K is available in a 55", 65", and 77" size, while the A90K is only available in 42" and 48" sizes.

    LG C1 OLED
    48" 55" 65" 77" 83"

    The LG C1 OLED and the Sony A80K/A80CK OLED are very similar TVs. They each have similar peak brightness and overall picture quality. The main advantage the LG has is that it has lower input lag for gaming, and if you're a PC gamer, it has FreeSync VRR support.

    Sony A95K OLED
    55" 65"

    The Sony A95K OLED is a much better TV than the Sony A80K/A80CK OLED. The A95K uses QD-OLED technology, which is a type of OLED that allows it to display more colors and get brighter than WOLED-equipped TVs like the A80K, so it's much better for watching HDR content. However, the A80K performs better in well-lit rooms because the black levels go up on the A95K when there's any ambient light, so you don't get the same perfect black levels that OLEDs are known for.

    Samsung S95B OLED
    55" 65"

    The Samsung S95B OLED is much better than the Sony A80K/A80CK OLED. The Samsung has a QD-OLED panel, allowing it to get brighter and display a wider range of colors than the Sony. The Samsung TV also has better gaming performance with its lower input lag. However, if you use your TV in a bright room, the Sony performs better because blacks still look black in a bright room, whereas ambient lighting causes the black levels to raise on the Samsung.

    Sony X95K
    65" 75" 85"

    The Sony A80K/A80CK OLED and the Sony X95K are different types of TVs due to their different panel types. If you often watch content in a dark room, the A80K is the better choice as its OLED panel delivers deeper blacks. However, if you want to use it in a well-lit room, the LED panel of the X95K gets much brighter, so it fights glare better.

    LG G1 OLED
    55" 65" 77"

    The LG G1 OLED and the Sony A80K/A80CK OLED are similar OLED TVs, but the LG is just a bit better overall. The main difference is that the LG gets brighter in HDR, so highlights pop more. If you're a gamer, the LG is also the better choice as it has lower input lag and supports FreeSync VRR, which the Sony TV doesn't.

    LG B2 OLED
    55" 65" 77"

    The LG B2 OLED and the Sony A80K/A80CK OLED are both excellent TVs, with a few minor differences. While they each have OLED panels with the same near-infinite contrast, the LG is the better choice for well-lit rooms as it gets brighter in SDR. The LG is also better for gaming thanks to its lower input lag and FreeSync VRR support. However, the Sony TV has a few advantages with image processing as the motion interpolation feature looks better, which is great for watching movies.

    LG G2 OLED
    55" 65" 77" 83" 97"

    The LG G2 OLED is better overall than the Sony A80K/A80CK OLED. While they both deliver the same fantastic dark room performance, the LG gets much brighter, allowing highlights to pop more in HDR. If you're a gamer, you'll also be happy to know the LG has lower input lag for a more responsive feel.

    Samsung S95C OLED
    55" 65" 77"

    The Samsung S95C OLED is better than the Sony A80K/A80CK OLED. The Samsung is a bit better for gamers because of its lower input lag and support for gaming up to 4k @ 144Hz. The Samsung also has better SDR brightness, so it’s better suited for a bright room, and its better HDR brightness allows highlights to stand out in HDR content better than they do on the Sony. Colors also look better on the Samsung due to its wider color gamut and better color volume, and there is less banding.

    LG A2 OLED
    48" 55" 65" 77"

    The Sony A80K/A80CK OLED and the LG A2 OLED are both excellent TVs, but the Sony model has the advantage in a few areas. Although their SDR peak brightness is similar, the Sony gets much brighter in HDR, so highlights pop more. It also has better image processing features like improved tone mapping and gradient handling. Lastly, if you're a gamer, the Sony TV can take full advantage of gaming consoles thanks to its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and VRR support.

    How We Test TVs

    We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests are done with specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.

    Test Results

    perceptual testing image
    Sort:
    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    Style
    CurvedNo

    The TV looks very similar to the Sony A80J OLED. It has a premium design with metal feet and an all-black plastic body. It also has thin bezels that aren't distracting while watching TV.

    Accelerated Longevity Test
    Uniformity Pictures
    50-gray-04
    Month 04
    50% Gray
    See details on graph tool

    Unfortunately, our Sony A80K has developed a column of dead green subpixels. It's mainly noticeable in cyan, green, and yellow uniformity slides, all of which use the green subpixel. Even after running a pixel refresh cycle, the line remains. You can see pictures before and after running the pixel refresher below.

    Color Before Pixel Refresh After Pixel Refresh
    50% Gray
    Red
    Green
    Blue
    Cyan
    Magenta
    Yellow

    Unfortunately, about two weeks after the green line appeared, the A80K failed completely. It's now stuck in a boot loop, and Google TV fails to load. Since it's no longer possible to display an external source on the TV, we can't continue testing it, and we've removed it from the longevity test.

    Stand

    The TV has metal feet that support the screen very well, with minimal wobble. Like some other Sony TVs, it has three different stand positions: a narrow position perfect for small tables, a wide position with minimal space between the table and screen for a clean look, and a high position that is high enough to fit a soundbar in front without blocking the screen. You can see the dimensions of the 65-inch TV below (W x D x H to the bottom of the screen):

    Back
    Wall MountVESA 300x300

    The back of the TV is entirely plastic, and there's a cover for cable management, but otherwise, it doesn't have clips to route your cables to the inputs. As the inputs are side-facing, they're hard to reach with the TV wall-mounted and nearly impossible to get to if you mount it with the cover on.

    Borders
    Borders0.31" (0.8 cm)
    Thickness
    Max Thickness2.09" (5.3 cm)
    9.0
    Build Quality

    The TV has fantastic build quality. The stand supports the TV very well, and there aren't any quality control issues as the panel is attached to the back properly, and the cable management cover also stays in place well. There's a bit of flex on the back panel, but it isn't a major concern.

    Unfortunately, our unit sustained some damage during shipping with a scratch on the back and a bent bottom bezel. However, we don't suspect it's a common problem, and it doesn't affect the TV's performance. Because of this, the damage doesn't impact the build quality score.

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

    The TV has a near-infinite contrast ratio with perfect black levels in dark rooms. It means it's a fantastic choice for watching content in dark environments.

    10
    Blooming

    Due to OLED technology's self-emissive pixels, each pixel can be completely turned off next to pixels that are lit up to their maximum brightness. This leads to perfect blacks around bright highlights, as there's no blooming whatsoever.

    6.5
    Black Crush

    This TV's black crush performance is okay. While blacks look great and inky, shadow detail is lost.

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

    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
    Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode

    The TV's contrast and dark details in Game Mode is fantastic, and is just as good as it is in other picture modes.

    6.8
    SDR Brightness
    Real Scene Peak Brightness
    302 cd/m²
    Peak 2% Window
    456 cd/m²
    Peak 10% Window
    454 cd/m²
    Peak 25% Window
    451 cd/m²
    Peak 50% Window
    288 cd/m²
    Peak 100% Window
    155 cd/m²
    Sustained 2% Window
    430 cd/m²
    Sustained 10% Window
    435 cd/m²
    Sustained 25% Window
    436 cd/m²
    Sustained 50% Window
    286 cd/m²
    Sustained 100% Window
    152 cd/m²
    Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
    0.069

    The TV's SDR peak brightness is just okay, as it doesn't get bright enough to fight a ton of glare. It also has an aggressive Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL) that makes large bright areas dimmer, which isn't ideal if you use it as a PC monitor or watch sports like hockey.

    We tested it again in an air-conditioned room at about 73 F (23 C). It didn't change the brightness results in the individual windows compared to our original testing. However, we measured the Real Scene brightness after letting the TV cool down enough following the peak brightness, and this resulted in an increased brightness of nearly 20 nits, which isn't a significant difference, but cooling the display down a bit lets it get brighter.

    These measurements are after calibration with the following settings:

    • Picture Mode: Custom
    • Brightness: Max
    • Contrast: 90 (default)
    • Color Temperature: Expert 1
    • Peak Luminance: High
    • Gamma: 0

    Disabling Peak Luminance results in a much dimmer overall image but with no brightness variation between different scenes, as you can see below:

    • Peak 2% Window: 116 cd/m²
    • Peak 10% Window: 128 cd/m²
    • Peak 25% Window: 126 cd/m²
    • Peak 50% Window: 126 cd/m²
    • Peak 100% Window: 119 cd/m²
    • Sustained 2% Window: 114 cd/m²
    • Sustained 10% Window: 125 cd/m²
    • Sustained 25% Window: 122 cd/m²
    • Sustained 50% Window: 122 cd/m²
    • Sustained 100% Window: 118 cd/m²

    If you want the brightest image possible and you don't care about accuracy, then use the 'Vivid' Picture Mode with the Brightness and Contrast at their max, Live Color, Advanced Contrast Enhancer, and Peak Luminance on 'High', and the Color Temperature on 'Cool'. It results in a peak brightness of 766 cd/m² in the 2% window.

    7.4
    HDR Brightness
    Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
    660 cd/m²
    Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
    402 cd/m²
    Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
    228 cd/m²
    Peak 2% Window
    708 cd/m²
    Peak 10% Window
    638 cd/m²
    Peak 25% Window
    493 cd/m²
    Peak 50% Window
    288 cd/m²
    Peak 100% Window
    137 cd/m²
    Sustained 2% Window
    688 cd/m²
    Sustained 10% Window
    630 cd/m²
    Sustained 25% Window
    488 cd/m²
    Sustained 50% Window
    286 cd/m²
    Sustained 100% Window
    134 cd/m²
    Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
    0.099

    The TV has decent HDR peak brightness. Due to the TV being an OLED, highlights still stand out in dark rooms when they are next to the TV's perfect blacks. However, the TV isn't bright enough for a truly satisfying HDR experience if watching in a moderately lit room. Its Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL) is aggressive and significantly dims the TV's peak brightness when large bright highlights are present. If you care about HDR peak brightness on an OLED, then look into the Sony A95K OLED.

    These measurements are after calibration with the following settings:

    • HDR Picture Mode: Custom
    • Brightness: Max
    • Contrast: 90 (default)
    • Color Temperature: Expert 2
    • HDR Tone Mapping: Gradation Preferred

    If you find the image too dim, set the Contrast to its max, Advanced Contrast Enhancer and Peak Luminance to 'High', and HDR Tone Mapping to 'Brightness Preferred'. This results in a brighter image, but it doesn't change the peak luminance.

    6.8
    HDR Brightness In Game Mode
    Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
    421 cd/m²
    Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
    399 cd/m²
    Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
    190 cd/m²
    Peak 2% Window
    705 cd/m²
    Peak 10% Window
    607 cd/m²
    Peak 25% Window
    440 cd/m²
    Peak 50% Window
    272 cd/m²
    Peak 100% Window
    159 cd/m²
    Sustained 2% Window
    687 cd/m²
    Sustained 10% Window
    600 cd/m²
    Sustained 25% Window
    437 cd/m²
    Sustained 50% Window
    272 cd/m²
    Sustained 100% Window
    158 cd/m²
    Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
    0.089

    The HDR brightness in Game Mode is nearly the same as in other picture modes, and the difference isn't noticeable.

    These measurements are after calibration with the following settings:

    • HDR Picture Mode: Game
    • Brightness: Max
    • Contrast: 90 (default)
    • Color Temperature: Expert 2
    • HDR Tone Mapping: Gradation Preferred
    9.4
    PQ EOTF Tracking
    See details on graph tool
    600 Nit Tracking Delta
    0.0031
    1000 Nit Tracking Delta
    0.0040
    4000 Nit Tracking Delta
    0.0044

    The TV's PQ EOTF tracking is superb; it follows the target PQ curve almost perfectly until there's a sharp roll-off at the peak brightness, causing a loss of fine details in bright scenes.

    The EOTF changes according to the settings you use for HDR Tone Mapping, and you can see the differences below:

    7.8
    HDR Native Gradient
    100% Black to 50% Gray
    6.0
    50% Gray to 100% White
    8.0
    100% Black to 50% Red
    8.0
    50% Red to 100% Red
    10
    100% Black to 50% Green
    8.0
    50% Green to 100% Green
    6.0
    100% Black to 50% Blue
    10
    50% Blue to 100% Blue
    6.0

    The TV's HDR gradient handling is very good. However, there's noticeable banding in dark grays, bright greens, and blues. Setting Smooth Gradation to 'Medium' or 'High' smooths out gradients with real content but also causes a loss of fine details with high-quality content.

    8.7
    Color Gamut
    Wide Color Gamut
    Yes
    DCI P3 xy
    99.05%
    DCI P3 uv
    99.72%
    Rec 2020 xy
    72.69%
    Rec 2020 uv
    76.85%

    The TV has an excellent color gamut. It displays a wide range of colors in the commonly-used DCI-P3 color space, and it has decent Rec. 2020 coverage, so it's future-proof as more content will start coming out with that color space. The tone mapping with the tested 75% stimulus is good, but some brighter colors are a bit off in Rec. 2020.

    These results are with the same settings used for the HDR Brightness tests, including with HDR Tone Mapping set to 'Gradation Preferred'. However, the gamut coverage changes depending on which HDR Tone Mapping setting you use, as you can see below:

    Brightness Preferred DCI-P3 Rec. 2020
    Gradation Preferred
    (Judd White Point)
    DCI-P3 Rec. 2020
    Off DCI-P3 Rec. 2020

    7.7
    Color Volume
    1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
    73.5%
    10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
    32.1%
    White Luminance
    493 cd/m²
    Red Luminance
    65 cd/m²
    Green Luminance
    216 cd/m²
    Blue Luminance
    23 cd/m²
    Cyan Luminance
    229 cd/m²
    Magenta Luminance
    78 cd/m²
    Yellow Luminance
    254 cd/m²

    The TV has a decent color volume. It displays dark colors well because of its near-infinite contrast ratio, but it isn't as good as the Samsung S95B OLED at displaying bright colors because it doesn't get nearly as bright.

    8.3
    Pre Calibration
    White Balance dE
    2.52
    Color dE
    1.71
    Gamma
    2.16
    Color Temperature
    6,910 K
    Picture Mode
    Custom
    Color Temp Setting
    Expert 1
    Gamma Setting
    0

    The TV has great pre-calibration accuracy in SDR. Most colors are accurate, and even if the white balance is a bit off, it's still great. The color temperature is slightly on the cold side, giving the image a blue tint, but it's still close to the 6500K target. Gamma follows the 2.2 target for moderately-lit rooms fairly well, except some brighter scenes are too bright.

    9.6
    Post Calibration
    White Balance dE
    0.21
    Color dE
    0.91
    Gamma
    2.20
    Color Temperature
    6,502 K
    White Balance Calibration
    10 point
    Color Calibration
    Yes

    The TV has incredible accuracy after calibration to the D65 white point. It's easy to calibrate the white balance, but calibrating any colors worsens the image. The color temperature and gamma are both spot-on with their targets, too.

    You can see our full calibration settings here.

    8.5
    Gray Uniformity
    50% Std. Dev.
    1.094%
    50% DSE
    0.134%
    5% Std. Dev.
    0.563%
    5% DSE
    0.104%

    The TV's gray uniformity is excellent. The screen is uniform throughout, and there isn't much dirty screen effect that could distract during sports. Like any OLED, there are thin vertical lines in near-black scenes, but they're hard to spot unless you sit close.

    10
    Black Uniformity
    Std. Dev.
    N/A
    Native Std. Dev.
    0.246%

    Like any OLED TV, it has perfect black uniformity, as there isn't any blooming around bright objects.

    9.0
    Viewing Angle
    Color Washout
    63°
    Color Shift
    26°
    Brightness Loss
    66°
    Black Level Raise
    70°
    Gamma Shift
    67°

    The TV has a fantastic viewing angle. The image remains consistent when viewed from the sides. Even if colors start to shift at a moderate viewing angle, it's still a great choice for wide seating areas.

    9.1
    Reflections
    Screen Finish
    Semi-gloss
    Total Reflections
    1.8%
    Indirect Reflections
    0.4%
    Calculated Direct Reflections
    1.4%

    The TV has incredible reflection handling. Reflections from bright light sources aren't too distracting, and even if there's a bit of a purple tint, it isn't distracting or too noticeable like on the Samsung S95B OLED.

    8.7
    Low-Quality Content Smoothing
    Smoothing
    9.0
    Detail Preservation
    8.0

    The TV has excellent low-quality content smoothing. There's no noticeable macro-blocking in dark scenes, and fine details are preserved very well.

    Pixels
    Subpixel Layout
    RWBG
    TypeOLED
    Sub-Type
    WOLED

    The Sony BRAVIA XR A80K uses an RWBG panel, known as WOLED, with four subpixels. Because all four pixels are never all on at the same time, you can see different pixel configurations here and here. You can also see the spectral power distribution of the panel.

    8.0
    480p Input

    The TV upscales lower-resolution content from DVDs without issue.

    8.0
    720p Input

    720p content, like from HD cable channels, looks great.

    9.0
    1080p Input

    The Sony BRAVIA A80K displays 1080p content almost as good as native 4k content.

    10
    4k Input

    There aren't any issues with native 4k content on this TV.

    0.0
    8k Input

    The TV is a 4k TV that can't display an 8k signal.

    Motion
    9.8
    Response Time
    80% Response Time
    0.2 ms
    100% Response Time
    3.1 ms

    The TV has a near-instantaneous response time that results in almost no motion blur behind fast-moving objects. It has a bit of overshoot in dark transitions, but it isn't visible. However, due to the sample-and-hold nature of OLEDs, there's still some persistence blur.

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

    The TV isn't technically flicker-free because there's a slight dip in brightness every 8 ms, which corresponds to the refresh rate of the TV. However, it isn't noticeable and isn't the same as pulse width modulation (PWM) on LED-backlit TVs because it isn't a full-screen on-and-off cycle.

    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 TV has an optional black frame insertion feature to reduce persistence blur. It only works with 60 fps content, which is disappointing if you want to use it with 120 fps games.

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

    The TV has a motion interpolation feature to bring 30 and 60 fps content up to 120 fps. Strangely, it looks bad with the test pattern at 30 fps, as seen in the image above, but it doesn't look like that with real content. With regular content, it looks great, especially in slow scenes, and even if there are a few more artifacts with fast-moving scenes, it isn't as bad as on some other TVs.

    5.2
    Stutter
    Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
    38.6 ms
    Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
    13.6 ms

    Due to the near-instantaneous response time, there's stutter with lower-frame-rate content as each frame is held on longer. Enabling motion interpolation can help reduce this, but that comes with its own caveats, such as the soap opera effect or motion artifacting, so it isn't a perfect solution.

    10
    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

    The TV removes 24p judder from any source, including 60p/i sources that don't have a Match Frame Rate feature, which helps with the appearance of motion in movies. However, if you enable the BFI feature, it can't remove judder from 60p/i sources.

    9.4
    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 Minimum
    Unknown
    VRR + Local DimmingNo Local Dimming

    The TV supports variable refresh rate technology to reduce screen tearing. HDMI Forum VRR and G-SYNC compatibility work over the entire refresh rate range, and it supports Low Framerate Compensation (LFC) with compatible sources to enable nearly-tear free gaming with very low frame rates. Sadly, the lack of FreeSync support is disappointing if you have a PC with an AMD graphics card.

    VRR works with 1440p @ 60Hz signals, but the TV is upscaling 1440p to 4k, so it isn't a real 1440p signal, which is why we left the 1440p VRR range as Unknown.

    Inputs
    9.2
    Input Lag
    1080p @ 60Hz
    17.8 ms
    1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
    169.0 ms
    1080p @ 120Hz
    9.3 ms
    1080p @ 144Hz
    N/A
    1440p @ 60Hz
    17.8 ms
    1440p @ 120Hz
    N/A
    1440p @ 144Hz
    N/A
    4k @ 60Hz
    17.6 ms
    4k @ 60Hz + 10-Bit HDR
    17.6 ms
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    17.6 ms
    4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
    152.2 ms
    4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
    144.1 ms
    4k @ 120Hz
    9.6 ms
    4k @ 144Hz
    N/A
    8k @ 60Hz
    N/A

    The TV has low input lag as long as you're in Game Mode. Although it's a bit higher than most other OLEDs, like the LG A2 OLED, it's still good enough for a responsive gaming feel. The input lag is very high outside of Game Mode, so if you feel the delay while navigating through menus or using the on-screen keyboard, switch to Game Mode for a more responsive feel.

    9.3
    Supported Resolutions
    Resolution4k
    1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    Yes
    1080p @ 120Hz
    Yes
    1080p @ 144Hz
    No
    1440p @ 60Hz
    Yes (forced resolution required)
    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 TV supports most common resolutions up to 4k @ 120Hz with HDMI ports 3 and 4, and there aren't any resolution-halving issues with 4k @ 120Hz signals, which is great. It displays proper chroma 4:4:4 with all of its supported resolutions, which is important for clear text while using it with a PC, except you need to send an RGB signal for it to work with 1440p @ 60Hz. Sadly, it doesn't support 1440p @ 120Hz at all.

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

    The Sony BRAVIA XR A80K works well with the PS5 as long as it's connected to ports 3 or 4, which are the TV's two full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth ports. It has a few PS5-oriented features like Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), with the latter working automatically on the PS5 without needing to enable it first.

    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 BRAVIA XR A80K works well with the Xbox Series X|S as long as you have it connected to ports 3 or 4, which are the TV's two full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth ports. It has Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) support, although you need to set it to 'On' before it can work with the Xbox, and then it only switches into Game Mode when a game is launched. The TV only supports Dolby Vision up to 4k @ 60Hz from the Xbox, as this TV doesn't support Dolby Vision with 4k @ 120Hz signals.

    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)
    CECYes
    HDCP 2.2Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
    ATSC Tuner
    3.0 (NEXTGEN TV)
    USB 3.0
    Yes (1)
    Variable Analog Audio OutNo
    Wi-Fi SupportYes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)

    The TV supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on HDMI ports 3 and 4, while HDMI ports 1 and 2 are limited to HDMI 2.0 bandwidth. As HDMI 3 is an HDMI 2.1 and eARC port, you lose an HDMI 2.1 slot if you connect a receiver, so you can't use HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on multiple devices simultaneously unless the receiver also supports it. The tuner supports ATSC 3.0, allowing you to stream over-the-air 4k channels.

    Input Photos
    Total Inputs
    HDMI4
    USB2
    Digital Optical Audio Out1
    Analog Audio Out 3.5mm0
    Analog Audio Out RCA0
    Component In0
    Composite In1 (adapter required, not incl.)
    Tuner (Cable/Ant)1
    Ethernet1
    DisplayPort0
    IR In1

    The Sony A80CK has one less USB port than the Sony A80J OLED and doesn't have an analog audio output, so you can't connect speakers that require this connection or headphones.

    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

    The TV supports eARC, allowing you to pass high-quality, uncompressed audio to a compatible receiver through an HDMI cable. You can also connect a compatible Sony soundbar to the S-Center speaker input and use the TV's speakers as a center channel.

    Sound Quality
    7.1
    Frequency Response
    See details on graph tool
    Low-Frequency Extension
    80.00 Hz
    Std. Dev. @ 70
    3.90 dB
    Std. Dev. @ 80
    4.33 dB
    Std. Dev. @ Max
    5.99 dB
    Max
    95.2 dB SPL
    Dynamic Range Compression
    3.93 dB

    The TV has decent frequency response. It sounds best for dialogue in the mid-range, but it struggles to output much bass. These tests were done with the TV in the wide stand position using the digital room correction feature.

    7.1
    Distortion
    See details on graph tool
    Weighted THD @ 80
    0.226
    Weighted THD @ Max
    0.878
    IMD @ 80
    1.70%
    IMD @ Max
    4.75%

    The Sony A80K has decent distortion handling. It's good at moderate listening levels but gets more noticeable at its max volume.

    Smart Features
    8.0
    Interface
    Smart OSGoogle TV
    Version10
    Ease of Use
    Average
    Smoothness
    Very Smooth
    Time Taken to Select YouTube
    2 s
    Time Taken to Change Backlight
    2 s
    Advanced Options
    Many

    The Sony A80K has the same Google TV smart platform as other Sony TVs. It's user-friendly with smooth menu navigation.

    0.0
    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.

    9.0
    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. You can also connect the BRAVIA webcam for video calls.

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

    The Sony A80CK has an updated remote compared to the Sony A80J OLED. It's smaller as there's no numpad, and instead, the '123' button brings up a virtual numpad on the screen. There's a mic in the remote and built into the TV that you can use for voice control with Google Assistant, and you can ask it to change inputs, search for content, open apps, and adjust certain settings like brightness. Note that the Sony A80CK version sold at Costco comes with a premium remote with backlighting.

    TV Controls

    There's a single button underneath the center of the TV to turn it On/Off, change channels, adjust the volume, or switch inputs. It also has a switch to turn the built-in mic on or off if you're concerned about privacy.

    In The Box

    • Remote control
    • 2x AAA batteries
    • 4x VESA adapters
    • Power cable
    • User guides
    Misc
    Power Consumption88 W
    Power Consumption (Max)196 W
    FirmwarePKG6.5929.0696NAA