If you’ve been waiting to buy a Mini-LED TV, your timing couldn’t be better. The Sony BRAVIA XR X95K is Sony’s first move into the Mini-LED market and I just set up and tested out the 75″ version. The picture quality is stunning, and it’s one of the most impressive Mini-LED TVs I’ve seen yet.
It has an ultra-thin build with wide viewing angles, low profile stand, and brilliant colour and contrast. It also has the Google TV operating system to make streaming and gaming familiar and easy. I watched hours of TV and movies on it and we connected it to our PS5 for gaming. Here are my thoughts on the Sony BRAVIA XR X95K.
Sony BRAVIA XR X95K 4K TV Specs
You can choose the Sony BRAVIA XR X95K in the 65-inch, 75-inch, or 85-inch size. The 75-inch model I set up weighs 42.7 kg (94 lbs). The TV includes a multi-position stand that’s extremely low profile.
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- 75″ 4K mini-LED TV with 3846 x 2160 native resolution
- Has XR Triluminos Pro, XR Backlight Master Drive, and Cognitive Processor XR for realistic colour and real-to-life picture quality
- XR Motion Clarity technology to reduce blurring in fast-action games, movies, and sports
- 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM, 8.5ms input lag, and BRAVIA XR-exclusive features for the PlayStation 5
- 4K upscaling will bring HD and 2K content to near-4K resolution
- Anti-reflective screen and wide 178-degree viewing angles
- Two front-firing speakers and dual subwoofers offer impressive sound quality in a thin panel TV
- Four HDMI 2.1 ports and two USB inputs
- Google TV operating system with voice control, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and HomeKit support
Setting up the 75-inch Sony BRAVIA XR X95K 4K TV
It’s kind of understating things a bit when I say the Sony BRAVIA XR X95K is a huge TV. Weighing in at almost 100 lbs, it’s a TV you’ll need assistance unboxing and setting up. It’s packaged securely, and you’ll pull the box over the TV, lift the TV out of the styrofoam packaging, and either attach the legs with a screwdriver like we did or set it up with your wall mount.
This is a size of TV you’ll need to have a plan for placement and mounting. In my case, my current wall mount does not support TVs as large or as heavy as the 75-inch BRAVIA XR X95K. I placed it on a table as that’s the only surface I have that’s large enough to safely accommodate it.
My first impression of the TV was that it was extremely thin and that I love the low-profile stand. It makes it feel as though the TV is floating over the stand. It’s also hard to define how large a 75-inch TV is until you’re standing in front of it. It gives you the feeling that you’re looking out a window.
If you have a Google account you’ll find it very easy to set up the Sony BRAVIA XR X95K. You scan a QR code, connect to your Wi-Fi network, and your TV will pull in all of your streaming services and passwords. It took about 5 minutes for the entire process and I was up and running with all of my apps already logged in.
Testing the Sony BRAVIA XR X95K 4K TV
One of the most fun parts of testing a TV is watching content you’ve already seen, just so you can be wowed by it all over again. I already own a QLED TV in a smaller size, so I was interested to see how Mini-LED would perform on a larger screen and how well Sony’s technology touches would translate to this new backlight.
Sony Mini-LED for the win
Although Sony has offered LED and OLED TVs for a while, the BRAVIA XR X95K is their first foray into the Mini-LED market. To say they’ve knocked it out of the park with this TV is an understatement.
The Mini-LED backlight is run by XR Backlight Master Drive and Sony Cognitive Processor XR. I’ve written about Cognitive Processor XR so take a look if you’d like to know more about this technology. It’s a processor with cognitive intelligence and it’s available on all Sony BRAVIA XR TVs. It works as the brain of the TV, and it improves picture quality because it processes images in real-time in a way that’s very similar to how our brains process what we see. The result is images are displayed in a way that’s as realistic and natural as possible.
After watching several hours of content on this TV, it’s fair to say it’s one of the brightest TVs I’ve seen. While Mini-LED can’t reach the pure black levels an OLED can, I think the contrast and colour on this TV offers a picture that’s as close to OLED as you can get.
You can adjust the brightness level based on what you’re watching, and there are presets for movies, sports, vivid, and gaming. It’s easy to make micro-adjustments to dial up the brightness level of the backlight or adjust the contrast so you can see the difference between peak brightness and default levels.
Anti-reflective coating and viewing angle
The Sony BRAVIA XR X95K is all screen, with a bezel that’s so small it disappears when you’re watching. The screen was designed to have wide 178-degree viewing angles, and it really delivers in that department. You can stand directly on the side of the TV and still see the picture, and it’s almost as good from the side as it is from the front.
The TV also has an anti-reflective coating to minimize glare from sunlight or harsh lighting. It works exceptionally well when you’re watching the TV, and the only time I noticed a bit of glare from lights or a window was in photos or video I was taking of the TV.
Gaming on the Sony BRAVIA XR X95K
The Sony BRAVIA XR X95K is a console gamer’s dream, and you’re going to love it even more if you have a PlayStation 5. There are four HDMI ports including an HDMI 2.1 eARC port that’s 4K/120Hz, and the TV has 8.5ms input lag, VRR, and ALLM.
There are BRAVIA XR-exclusive features for the PlayStation 5, and I was impressed with how the TV detects the PlayStation 5 and guides you through steps to get the best gaming quality possible. It told me to move the HDMI cable to port 4 for 4K/120Hz and optimized HDR by having me adjust a few screen settings. It’s so easy anyone can optimize the game settings on this TV.
We played quite a few different games on the Sony BRAVIA XR X95K including Grand Theft Auto Online. The TV performed exceptionally well for every fast-paced game, with no noticeable input lag and great colour representation. While the picture quality and control were impressive, it’s the screen size that really blew us away. Even at that large size the colours popped, the black levels were inky and extremely dark, and there was very minimal blooming. It was so minimal I had to really look for it to see it.
Sound quality on Sony BRAVIA XR X95K
In a panel this thin you would expect that sound quality would be lacking, but I was really impressed with the audio on the Sony BRAVIA XR X95K. There are two forward-firing speakers and dual subwoofers, and you can adjust the audio output in the settings for what you’re watching. I switched to Dolby Audio when watching a Marvel movie and the difference between standard and Dolby was instantly noticeable. The audio feel as though it’s being projected from all around the screen. I always have a sound bar plugged into my own TV, but I’m not sure it would be really needed with this one. It’s loud for dialogue, clear without being tinny, and even at loud volume it’s intense without being brash or overwhelming.
Should you choose the 75-inch Sony BRAVIA XR X95K 4K UHD TV?
I’ve only touched on a few of the features of the Sony BRAVIA XR X95K TV, and there are many more I could talk about. The 75-inch size is very impressive in person, and it makes you feel like everything you watch or play is larger than life.
The Mini-LED backlight puts this Sony TV at a lower price point than a Sony OLED, but it’s so well done it would be hard for me to want to choose an OLED over it. Colours are vivid and real without being too bright, contrast is very well defined, and despite looking for it I didn’t see any significant blooming or blur.
Gaming on this TV is exceptional, and I think the added PlayStation 5 features are really going to appeal to gamers. It’s hard not to get the settings exactly right when the TV walks you through the entire process, and 8.5ms input lag is amazing considering you’re connected to a TV.
There are no downsides to this TV, and the only thing you’ll have to plan for is a place to put it and a wall or stand that can support the 100 lb weight. Once you have it on a stand or mounted on your wall, you’re going to love everything you watch.
You can find the Sony BRAVIA XR X95K TV in 65″, 75″, and 85″ sizes right now at Best Buy.
3846 x 2160 resolution
Anti-reflective screen would be a great feature
I definitely am intrigued by the anti-reflective screen – many TVs will claim they have one but it doesn’t hold up.
Anti-reflective screen would be a great feature
Great size and specs make this TV very attractive.
The “stunning picture quality”. That is always the most important factor for me, when choosing a new set.
Google TV and Chromecast!
One thing I really like about this TV is the quality of the resolution with 3846 x 2160 native resolution
Picture quality sounds amazing, with vivid colours and great contrast.
Google TV and Chromecast support
One thing I really like about this TV is how thin and low profile it is. Has a sleek design that will look great in any living room.
I really like that it has an anti-reflective screen!
love the picture quality & resolution!
75″ 4K mini-LED TV with 3846 x 2160 native resolution
Sound quality on Sony BRAVIA XR X95K Sounds amazing with two forward-firing speakers and dual subwoofers.
One thing I really like about this TV is how thin it is!
The anti-reflective screen is a great feature
I like the Google TV OS
my fav quality is the anti-reflective screen
love the anti-reflective screen (:
that’s gotta be the anti-reflective screen as my favourite feature
for me, it would be the anti-reflective screen
my fav is the anti-reflective screen
anti-reflective screen
3846 x 2160 resolution
I like the two tweeters, dual subwoofers and Dolby sound!
sound quality and resolution
I like the anti-reflective screen.
3846 x 2160 native resolution
I am really excited about the two tweeters, dual subwoofers and Dolby sound!
I like the anti-reflective screen.
We like that the newest tech is Mini-LED which is credited with producing an image that rivals an OLED screen.
sound quality and resolution
anti-reflective screen and sound quality
I like its a 4K mini-LED TV with 3846 x 2160 native resolution
anti-reflective screen is great for my bright space!
I love the anti-reflective screen!
Must have awesome sound and HD colour at the least,LED be great
I like the XR Motion Clarity to reduce blurring.
I like the Anti-reflective screen.
I definitely am intrigued by the anti-reflective screen – many TVs will claim they have one but it doesn’t hold up.
I am a gamer so the gaming side of things is what I’m most interested in
The anti-reflective screen is my favourite quality.
I’m a fan of the google tv OS, the 4k VRR OLED with 120hz. 2.1HDMI future proof.
I love the 3846 x 2160 native resolution. Clarity right?
I like the 178 degree viewing angle. It’s hard to enjoy a family movie if everyone has to be directly in front of the screen.
I like the Motion Clarity tech as I have simulation sickness and blurs can make things worse when I play games or watch fast paced movies.
I really like that the sound quality of this TV is good. Usually built-in speakers on TVs are terrible.
The best part about this story was that I bought four-year Geek Squad protection, and it returned the full value of the set that broke, which I applied to the new Sony TV.
I really like the concept behind the Mini-led backlight and the Sony Cognitive Processor XR. The concept of matching how our brains view images sounds really interesting.
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