Sony X85K vs Samsung Q80C

Which TV Is Better?

Products

Sony X85K
Samsung Q80C

Tested using Methodology v1.11

Updated Sep 24, 2025 06:34 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.11

Updated Oct 04, 2024 03:08 PM

SEE PRICE
Samsung.com

Our Verdict

Sony X85K

Samsung Q80C [Q80, Q80CD] QLED

The Sony X85K and the Samsung Q80C trade blows on performance. The Samsung has slightly better contrast due to having a local dimming solution, but it's not great; there's very noticeable blooming and lighting zone transitions on the Samsung, so the Sony is more consistent in comparison. The Sony TV is more accurate, so it respects the content creator's intent better when watching movies. It also has slightly better reflection handling, but the Samsung has a vastly wider viewing angle, making it preferable for any wide seating arrangement. If you tend to watch lower-quality content, the Samsung has better image processing than the Sony, so that's something to keep in mind.

0 

Variants

  • KD-43X85K (43")
  • KD-50X85K (50")
  • KD-55X85K (55")
  • KD-65X85K (65")
  • KD-75X85K (75")
  • KD-85X85K (85")
  • QN50Q80CAFXZA (50")
  • QN55Q80CAFXZA (55")
  • QN65Q80CAFXZA (65")
  • QN75Q80CAFXZA (75")
  • QN85Q80CAFXZA (85")
  • QN98Q80CAFXZA (98")

Check Price

43"
KD-43X85K
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
43"
 
50"
KD-50X85K
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
50"
QN50Q80CAFXZA
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
55"
KD-55X85K
Amazon.com
55"
QN55Q80CAFXZA
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
65"
KD-65X85K
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
65"
QN65Q80CAFXZA
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
75"
KD-75X85K
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
75"
QN75Q80CAFXZA
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
85"
KD-85X85K
Amazon.com
85"
QN85Q80CAFXZA
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
98"
 
98"
QN98Q80CAFXZA
SEE PRICE
Samsung.com

Main Differences for
Mixed Usage

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 

7.7
7.5

Pre Calibration 
 

9.0
6.5

Black Uniformity 
 

8.4
4.0

Blooming 
 

10
6.0

Low-Quality Content Smoothing 
 

4.8
6.3

Viewing Angle 
 

5.8
8.0

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture  

Curved  

No
No
Show Text 

Accelerated Longevity Test 
 

Uniformity Pictures  

50-gray-30
Month 30
50% Gray

Longevity Graph  

See details
Show Text 

Stand  

Stand Picture  

Show Text 

Back  

Back Picture  

Wall Mount  

VESA 300x300
VESA 400x300
Show Text 

Borders  

Borders Picture  

Borders  

0.39" (1.0 cm)
0.35" (0.9 cm)
Show Text 

Thickness  

Thickness Picture  

Max Thickness  

2.80" (7.1 cm)
1.85" (4.7 cm)
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

7.5
8.0

Build quality picture  

Show Text 
Picture Quality

Contrast 
 

6.8
6.8

Contrast Picture  

Contrast 
 

7,458 : 1
12,546 : 1

Native Contrast 
 

7,458 : 1
1,581 : 1
Show Text 

Blooming 
 

10
6.0

Blooming Photo  

Show Text 

Lighting Zone Transitions 
 

10
6.0

Preferred LD Video, Moving Object  

Local Dimming 
 

No
Yes

Backlight 
 

Direct
Full-Array

Dimming Zones Count Of Tested TV 
 

N/A
96
Show Text 

Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode 
 

7.5
6.0

Blooming Photo In Game Mode  

Preferred LD Video, Moving Object In Game Mode  

Game Transitions With VRR And Preferred LD  

Show Text 

HDR Brightness 
 

7.2
7.2

HDR Hallway Photo  

HDR Cityscape Photo  

HDR Landscape Photo  

Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²) 
 

405 cd/m²
460 cd/m²

Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²) 
 

339 cd/m²
381 cd/m²

Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²) 
 

211 cd/m²
132 cd/m²

Peak 2% Window 
 

539 cd/m²
644 cd/m²

Peak 10% Window 
 

538 cd/m²
819 cd/m²

Peak 25% Window 
 

538 cd/m²
740 cd/m²

Peak 50% Window 
 

537 cd/m²
585 cd/m²

Peak 100% Window 
 

536 cd/m²
500 cd/m²

Sustained 2% Window 
 

538 cd/m²
632 cd/m²

Sustained 10% Window 
 

538 cd/m²
805 cd/m²

Sustained 25% Window 
 

537 cd/m²
734 cd/m²

Sustained 50% Window 
 

537 cd/m²
584 cd/m²

Sustained 100% Window 
 

536 cd/m²
499 cd/m²

Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL) 
 

0.000
0.026
Show Text 

HDR Brightness In Game Mode 
 

7.3
7.6

HDR Hallway Photo  

HDR Cityscape Photo  

HDR Landscape Photo  

Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²) 
 

413 cd/m²
473 cd/m²

Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²) 
 

373 cd/m²
425 cd/m²

Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²) 
 

220 cd/m²
166 cd/m²

Peak 2% Window 
 

551 cd/m²
799 cd/m²

Peak 10% Window 
 

550 cd/m²
914 cd/m²

Peak 25% Window 
 

549 cd/m²
743 cd/m²

Peak 50% Window 
 

550 cd/m²
599 cd/m²

Peak 100% Window 
 

549 cd/m²
533 cd/m²

Sustained 2% Window 
 

550 cd/m²
785 cd/m²

Sustained 10% Window 
 

549 cd/m²
896 cd/m²

Sustained 25% Window 
 

549 cd/m²
741 cd/m²

Sustained 50% Window 
 

549 cd/m²
598 cd/m²

Sustained 100% Window 
 

549 cd/m²
533 cd/m²

Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL) 
 

0.000
0.029
Show Text 

PQ EOTF Tracking 
 

8.9
7.8

PQ EOTF Graph  

See details
See details

600 Nit Tracking Delta 
 

0.0071
0.0148

1000 Nit Tracking Delta 
 

0.0071
0.0145

4000 Nit Tracking Delta 
 

0.0071
0.0149
Show Text 

SDR Brightness 
 

8.3
8.4

Real Scene Peak Brightness 
 

489 cd/m²
508 cd/m²

Peak 2% Window 
 

514 cd/m²
638 cd/m²

Peak 10% Window 
 

514 cd/m²
813 cd/m²

Peak 25% Window 
 

514 cd/m²
738 cd/m²

Peak 50% Window 
 

514 cd/m²
573 cd/m²

Peak 100% Window 
 

514 cd/m²
484 cd/m²

Sustained 2% Window 
 

514 cd/m²
630 cd/m²

Sustained 10% Window 
 

514 cd/m²
797 cd/m²

Sustained 25% Window 
 

513 cd/m²
732 cd/m²

Sustained 50% Window 
 

514 cd/m²
572 cd/m²

Sustained 100% Window 
 

513 cd/m²
483 cd/m²

Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL) 
 

0.000
0.027
Show Text 

Color Gamut 
 

8.1
8.0

Wide Color Gamut 
 

Yes
Yes

Color Gamut DCI-P3 Picture  

DCI P3 xy 
 

90.91%
89.79%

DCI P3 uv 
 

95.59%
93.70%

Color Gamut Rec.2020 Picture  

Rec 2020 xy 
 

66.35%
65.34%

Rec 2020 uv 
 

71.88%
71.28%
Show Text 

Color Volume 
 

7.5
7.7

P3 Color Volume ITP Picture  

1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP 
 

67.9%
72.8%

2020 Color Volume ITP Picture  

10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP 
 

30.3%
32.5%

White Luminance 
 

535 cd/m²
650 cd/m²

Red Luminance 
 

112 cd/m²
147 cd/m²

Green Luminance 
 

349 cd/m²
452 cd/m²

Blue Luminance 
 

39 cd/m²
47 cd/m²

Cyan Luminance 
 

384 cd/m²
503 cd/m²

Magenta Luminance 
 

156 cd/m²
205 cd/m²

Yellow Luminance 
 

482 cd/m²
593 cd/m²
Show Text 

Pre Calibration 
 

9.0
6.5

Pre White Balance Picture  

Pre Gamma Curve Picture  

Pre Color Picture  

White Balance dE 
 

1.82
3.89

Color dE 
 

1.05
3.65

Gamma 
 

2.24
1.99

Color Temperature 
 

6,635 K
7,153 K

Picture Mode 
 

Custom
Movie

Color Temp Setting 
 

Expert 1
Warm 2

Gamma Setting 
 

0
2.2
Show Text 

Post Calibration 
 

9.6
9.2

Post White Balance Picture  

Post Gamma Curve Picture  

Post Color Picture  

White Balance dE 
 

0.31
0.95

Color dE 
 

0.74
1.23

Gamma 
 

2.19
2.19

Color Temperature 
 

6,499 K
6,543 K

White Balance Calibration 
 

10 point
20 point

Color Calibration 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 

Gray Uniformity 
 

7.6
7.4

50% Uniformity Picture  

50% Std. Dev. 
 

3.202%
4.408%

50% DSE 
 

0.168%
0.177%

5% Uniformity Picture  

5% Std. Dev. 
 

0.982%
0.474%

5% DSE 
 

0.098%
0.089%
Show Text 

Black Uniformity 
 

8.4
4.0

Black Uniformity Picture With Preferred Local Dimming  

Std. Dev. 
 

N/A
3.710%

Native Black Uniformity Picture  

Native Std. Dev. 
 

0.788%
2.253%
Show Text 

Viewing Angle 
 

5.8
8.0

Viewing Angle Video  

Chroma Graph  

Color Washout 
 

27°
37°

Hue Graph  

Color Shift 
 

54°
67°

Lightness Graph  

Brightness Loss 
 

34°
39°

Black Level Raise 
 

13°
70°

Gamma Shift 
 

17°
49°
Show Text 

Reflections 
 

7.9
7.2

Reflections Picture  

Average Room Off Picture  

Bright Room Off Picture  

Screen Finish 
 

Semi-gloss
Semi-gloss

Total Reflections 
 

4.1%
5.7%

Indirect Reflections 
 

0.6%
0.4%

Calculated Direct Reflections 
 

3.5%
5.3%
Show Text 

HDR Native Gradient 
 

6.8
8.5

HDR Gradient Picture  

100% Black to 50% Gray  

4.0
8.0

50% Gray to 100% White  

8.0
8.0

100% Black to 50% Red  

6.0
10

50% Red to 100% Red  

10
8.0

100% Black to 50% Green  

4.0
8.0

50% Green to 100% Green  

6.0
8.0

100% Black to 50% Blue  

8.0
10

50% Blue to 100% Blue  

8.0
8.0
Show Text 

Low-Quality Content Smoothing 
 

4.8
6.3

Low-Quality Content Smoothing Picture  

Smoothing 
 

3.0
6.0

Detail Preservation 
 

9.0
7.0
Show Text 

Upscaling: Sharpness Processing 
 

7.5
7.5

Sharpness Picture - 480p  

Show Text 

Pixels 
 

Pixels Picture  

Subpixel Layout 
 

BGR
RGB

Type  

LED
LED

Sub-Type 
 

VA
IPS
Show Text 
Motion

Response Time 
 

8.1
8.2

Motion Blur Picture  

Response Time Chart  

80% Response Time 
 

4.2 ms
5.5 ms

100% Response Time 
 

12.8 ms
9.7 ms
Show Text 

Flicker-Free 
 

10
9.9

Backlight chart 
 

Flicker-Free 
 

Yes
No

PWM Dimming Frequency 
 

0 Hz
960 Hz
Show Text 

Black Frame Insertion (BFI) 
 

BFI Picture  

BFI Frequency Picture  

Optional BFI 
 

Yes
Yes

Min Flicker For 60 fps 
 

120 Hz
60 Hz

60Hz For 60 fps 
 

No
Yes

120Hz For 120 fps 
 

Yes
No

Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode 
 

120 Hz
60 Hz
Show Text 

Motion Interpolation 
 

Motion Interpolation (30 fps) Picture  

Motion Interpolation (30 fps) 
 

Yes
Yes

Motion Interpolation (60 fps) Picture  

Motion Interpolation (60 fps) 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Stutter 
 

7.3
6.7

Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps 
 

28.9 ms
32.0 ms

Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps 
 

3.9 ms
7.0 ms
Show Text 

24p Judder 
 

10
10

Judder-Free 24p 
 

Yes
Yes

Judder-Free 24p via 60p 
 

Yes
Yes

Judder-Free 24p via 60i 
 

Yes
Yes

Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Variable Refresh Rate 
 

9.4
9.4

Native Refresh Rate 
 

120 Hz
120 Hz (except 50")

Variable Refresh Rate 
 

Yes
Yes

HDMI Forum VRR 
 

Yes
Yes

FreeSync 
 

No
Yes

G-SYNC Compatible 
 

Yes
Yes

4k VRR Maximum 
 

120 Hz
120 Hz

4k VRR Minimum 
 

< 20 Hz
< 20 Hz

1080p VRR Maximum 
 

120 Hz
120 Hz

1080p VRR Minimum 
 

< 20 Hz
< 20 Hz

1440p VRR Maximum 
 

N/A
120 Hz

1440p VRR Minimum 
 

N/A
< 20 Hz

VRR + Local Dimming  

No Local Dimming
Yes
Show Text 
Inputs

Input Lag 
 

9.3
9.7

1080p @ 60Hz 
 

16.0 ms
10.6 ms

1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode 
 

92.0 ms
95.3 ms

1080p @ 120Hz 
 

7.1 ms
6.0 ms

1080p @ 144Hz 
 

N/A
N/A

1440p @ 60Hz 
 

N/A
10.8 ms

1440p @ 120Hz 
 

N/A
5.9 ms

1440p @ 144Hz 
 

N/A
N/A

4k @ 60Hz 
 

16.0 ms
10.5 ms

4k @ 60Hz + 10-Bit HDR 
 

16.1 ms
10.5 ms

4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 
 

16.0 ms
10.5 ms

4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode 
 

91.6 ms
72.1 ms

4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation 
 

87.6 ms
23.2 ms

4k @ 120Hz 
 

7.0 ms
6.0 ms

4k @ 144Hz 
 

N/A
N/A

8k @ 60Hz 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Supported Resolutions 
 

8.2
9.6

Resolution  

4k
4k

480p @ 59.94Hz (Widescreen) 
 

Yes
Yes

720p @ 59.94Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 
 

Yes
Yes

1080p @ 120Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

1080p @ 144Hz 
 

No
No

1440p @ 60Hz 
 

No
Yes

1440p @ 120Hz 
 

No
Yes

1440p @ 144Hz 
 

No
No

4k @ 60Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 
 

Yes
Yes

4k @ 120Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4 
 

No
Yes

4k @ 144Hz 
 

No
No

8k @ 30Hz or 24Hz 
 

No
No

8k @ 60Hz 
 

No
No
Show Text 

PS5 Compatibility 
 

PS5 Screenshot  

Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) 
 

Yes
Yes

4k @ 120Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

1440p @ 120Hz 
 

No
Yes

1080p @ 120Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

HDR 
 

Yes
Yes

VRR 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Xbox Series X|S Compatibility 
 

Xbox Series X Screenshot  

Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) 
 

Yes
Yes

4k @ 120Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

1440p @ 120Hz 
 

No
Yes

1080p @ 120Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

HDR 
 

Yes
Yes

VRR 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Inputs Specifications  

HDR10 
 

Yes
Yes

HDR10+ 
 

No
Yes

Dolby Vision 
 

Yes
No

HLG 
 

Yes
Yes

HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth 
 

Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)

HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth 
 

Yes (HDMI 3,4)
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)

CEC  

Yes
Yes

HDCP 2.2  

Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)

ATSC Tuner 
 

3.0 (NEXTGEN TV)
1.0

USB 3.0 
 

Yes (1)
No

Variable Analog Audio Out  

No
No

Wi-Fi Support  

Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Show Text 

Input Photos  

Side Inputs Picture  

Rear Inputs Picture  

Total Inputs  

HDMI  

4
4

USB  

2
2

Digital Optical Audio Out  

1
1

Analog Audio Out 3.5mm  

0
0

Analog Audio Out RCA  

0
0

Component In  

0
0

Composite In  

1 (adapter required, not incl.)
0

Tuner (Cable/Ant)  

1
1

Ethernet  

1
1

DisplayPort  

0
0

IR In  

1
0
Show Text 

Audio Passthrough 
 

ARC/eARC Port 
 

eARC
eARC

eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus 
 

Yes
Yes

eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 
 

Yes
Yes

eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT 
 

Yes
Yes

eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 
 

Yes
Yes

eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA 
 

Yes
No

eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 
 

Yes
No

eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream) 
 

7.1
7.1

ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1 
 

Yes
Yes

ARC: DTS 5.1 
 

Yes
No

Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1 
 

Yes
Yes

Optical: DTS 5.1 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 
Sound Quality

Frequency Response 
 

7.2
6.4

Frequency Response  

See details
See details

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

100.79 Hz
84.76 Hz

Std. Dev. @ 70 
 

1.90 dB
2.28 dB

Std. Dev. @ 80 
 

1.96 dB
3.38 dB

Std. Dev. @ Max 
 

4.84 dB
6.13 dB

Max 
 

93.0 dB SPL
85.2 dB SPL

Dynamic Range Compression 
 

5.31 dB
5.52 dB
Show Text 

Distortion 
 

6.3
7.5

Total Harmonic Distortion 
 

See details
See details

Weighted THD @ 80 
 

0.040
0.058

Weighted THD @ Max 
 

15.100
0.231

IMD @ 80 
 

2.91%
3.02%

IMD @ Max 
 

25.82%
4.65%
Show Text 
Smart Features

Interface 
 

8.0
8.5

Smart TV Picture  

Smart OS  

Google TV
Tizen

Version  

10
2023

Ease of Use 
 

Average
Easy

Smoothness 
 

Very Smooth
Very Smooth

Time Taken to Select YouTube 
 

2 s
2 s

Time Taken to Change Backlight 
 

3 s
5 s

Advanced Options 
 

Many
Many
Show Text 

Ad-Free 
 

0.0
0.0

Ads Picture  

Ads 
 

Yes
Yes

Opt-out 
 

No
No

Suggested Content in Home 
 

Yes
Yes

Opt-out of Suggested Content 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Apps and Features 
 

9.0
8.5

Apps Picture  

App Selection 
 

Great
Great

App Smoothness 
 

Very Smooth
Average

Cast Capable 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Drive Playback 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Drive HDR Playback 
 

Yes
Yes

HDR in Netflix 
 

Yes
Yes

HDR in YouTube 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Remote 
 

8.5
8.5

Remote Picture  

Size 
 

Small
Small

Voice Control 
 

Many Features
Many Features

CEC Menu Control 
 

Yes
Yes

Other Smart Features 
 

No
Yes

Remote App  

Android TV
Samsung SmartThings
Show Text 

TV Controls  

Controls Picture  

Show Text 

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Show Text 

Misc  

Power Consumption  

61 W
65 W

Power Consumption (Max)  

155 W
245 W

Firmware  

PKG6.5770.0680NAA
1205

Check Price

43"
KD-43X85K
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
43"
 
50"
KD-50X85K
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
50"
QN50Q80CAFXZA
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
55"
KD-55X85K
Amazon.com
55"
QN55Q80CAFXZA
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
65"
KD-65X85K
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
65"
QN65Q80CAFXZA
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
75"
KD-75X85K
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
75"
QN75Q80CAFXZA
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
85"
KD-85X85K
Amazon.com
85"
QN85Q80CAFXZA
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
98"
 
98"
QN98Q80CAFXZA
SEE PRICE
Samsung.com

Sony X85K

Samsung Q80C [Q80, Q80CD] QLED

Comments

  1. Comparison

Sony X85K vs Samsung Q80C: Main Discussion

What do you think of these products? Let us know below.


Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.

PreviewBack to editorFormat guide
No comments yet, refresh to see new ones