Our Verdict
The Sony X690E is a good TV for a mixed usage. It has a better than average picture quality, very low input lag for gaming and great handling of motion. Unfortunately, its simplistic smart features might not please all, and its narrow viewing angle means it's only suitable for watching directly in front.
- High contrast ratio gives deep and uniform blacks
- Very low input lag for gaming
- Picture quality deteriorates at an angle
- Very limited HDR capabilities
- Basic smart features
Decent TV for movies in a dark room. The Sony X690E produces uniform blacks thanks to its great contrast ratio, which helps keep letterboxes clean and free of blooming. Unfortunately, it lacks a local dimming feature to further enhance the depth of the picture.
Decent TV shows performance. The TV's decent picture quality and brightness make it a better than average choice for watching broadcast or online content. It's not the best at handling reflections though and its elementary smart features might be a little limiting for some.
The Sony X690E does better than average for watching sports. It has a good screen uniformity, which helps keep fields and ice rinks looking clean. Unfortunately, it's not great when viewed from an angle, making it less useful for wider living rooms.
Great TV for playing video games. The Sony X690E's very low input lag and low motion blur make it a great choice for gaming. Games feel responsive and look very fluid and clear. Unfortunately, its backlight flicker function cannot be enabled in game mode.
Mediocre HDR performance. While the Sony X690E does have some basic HDR support, its capabilities stop it from offering any picture quality enhancement with HDR content.
While its HDR capabilities are limited, the X690E's input lag and overall gaming experience does not deteriorate with an HDR input.
Good TV for a PC monitor. It supports the most important resolutions, and its low input lag and motion blur keep it responsive and enjoyable to use with a mouse. Unfortunately, its narrow viewing angle means that sitting too close to it will often cause darkening and other deterioration on the edges of the screen.
Changelog
- Updated Mar 12, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Mar 12, 2018: With the newest firmware update (04.100) the input lag bug no longer occurs, and the input lag is low in 'Game' or 'Graphics' mode after power cycling the TV.
- Updated Sep 25, 2017: Review published.
- Updated Sep 23, 2017: Early access published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 60" (KD60X690E). For the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 70" (KD70X690E) as well.
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Sony X690E doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.
| Size | Model |
| 60" | KD60X690E |
| 70" | KD70X690E |
Popular TV Comparisons
The Sony X690E is a good entry-level 4K LED TV that offers better than average picture quality for its price. It doesn't have very good smart features but its a competitively priced TV, especially for the larger sizes it is available at.
The Sony X850E is better than the Sony X690E. The Sony X850E has better HDR performance due to better color gamut and better color volume. It can get brighter both in HDR and in SDR and is more suitable for a brighter room. The Sony X850E has better reflection handling, smart features, and motion interpolation support, which is great for those who watch TV shows. On the other hand, the Sony X690E is more responsive as it has lower input lag that makes more suitable for playing video games.
The Samsung MU6300 and the Sony X690E have very similar performance. The Sony X690E has a faster response time which is great for fast content and can remove 24p judder from movies. The Samsung MU6300, on the other hand, has a better native contrast ratio that helps it show better blacks while watching movies in a dark room. Finally, the Samsung MU6300 can get slightly brighter and is more suitable for brighter rooms.
The Sony X690E is a bit better than the Sony X720E for most users, unless you have a wide seating arrangement. The X690E uses a VA panel, which performs better in a dark room thanks to the better contrast ratio and much better black uniformity. The X690E also has better reflection handling and a faster response time. The X720E uses an IPS panel which has much wider viewing angles and is a bit brighter.
The Samsung NU7100 and the Sony X690E have very similar performance. The Sony X690E has a faster response time and thus a smaller blur trail in fast-action sports. The Samsung, on the other hand, has lower input lag and is very responsive when you play video games or use the TV as a PC monitor. The Samsung NU7100 also has better blacks due to the higher native contrast ratio and better black uniformity, and this matters if you watch movies in a dark room. Finally, the Samsung NU7100 is brighter, which is great if you watch TV shows in a bright room.
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 use 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
Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
