Sony XR55X90L 55 inch TV: In-Depth Review and Customer Opinions

The Sony XR55X90L is a 2022 model 55-inch 4K Ultra HD LED TV that provides an immersive viewing experience with impressive visuals and sound. Part of Sony's premium X90L series, this TV combines the picture quality of Sony's cognitive processor XR with the rich sound of Acoustic Multi-Audio speakers to deliver cinematic entertainment.

With Sony's XR Triluminos Pro color and XR Contrast Booster technology, the XR55X90L produces vibrant and realistic colors with deep blacks and peak brightness. The cognitive processor also handles upscaling for crisp detail. On the audio side, you get clear dialogue and rich spatial sound with Dolby Atmos support.

For smart features, the XR55X90L runs on Google TV providing access to popular streaming apps, voice control, and Chromecast built-in. Gaming is enhanced by dedicated Game Mode, HDMI 2.1 ports, and low input lag. With sleek minimalist design and thin bezels, the XR55X90L is a great option for movie watching, sports, and gaming in living rooms and home theaters.

Design

The Sony X90L has an attractive, minimalist design with an impressively thin profile and slim bezels around the screen. At just 2.3 inches deep, it can easily mount flush to a wall. The bezels measure just 0.39 inches on the sides and top, maximizing the screen real estate.

The slim form factor and discreet appearance allow the X90L to blend nicely into both contemporary and traditional décor styles. The metal stand has a wide, centered pedestal that provides stable support without drawing much attention. Overall, the streamlined aesthetics complement the brilliant 4K picture.

With its minimalist design and thin profile, the X90L can fit into tight spaces and look subtle on the wall. This allows it to work well in a wide variety of room layouts. The discreet styling enables the gorgeous picture to take center stage, without bold design elements distracting the eye. If you're looking for a TV that makes a statement through performance rather than aggressive styling, the X90L is an excellent choice.

While the X90L keeps things simple and understated, some shoppers may prefer a TV with a bit more design flair. Models like the SAMSUNG QN55Q70C have an attractive stand with gleaming metal accents. The QN55Q70C also has nearly invisible bezels for a striking infinity screen effect. So for those wanting a TV that makes more of a design impact, the Samsung provides a nice alternative.

But the elegantly straightforward esthetic of the Sony X90L will appeal to many buyers. If you want a TV that somewhat fades into the background and puts the emphasis on the viewing experience, the X90L is a great match. It eschews showy design for a practical, slim form factor. With dimensions of just 57 x 32.9 x 2.3 inches, the X90L can fit into tight spots and hang flush on the wall. So if you're limited on space or want a streamlined look, the Sony delivers.

In summary, the pared-back design of the X90L focuses on delivering an immersive viewing experience in an understated package. The minimal bezels and slim profile let the TV integrate smoothly into your existing décor. For shoppers wanting a TV with more decorative flair, options like the Samsung QN55Q70C are available. But the Sony sticks to the basics, providing stellar 4K performance without aggressive styling.

Display Quality

The Sony X90L has an excellent 4K display powered by Sony's cognitive processor XR. The TV utilizes full array LED backlighting with XR Triluminos Pro to deliver vivid colors and bright highlights. The 4K resolution provides stunning clarity and detail with over 8 million pixels. So images look incredibly realistic, especially when viewing 4K content. The full array backlight ensures uniform illumination across the entire screen. This allows the TV to achieve deep blacks for excellent contrast.

XR Triluminos Pro is Sony's advanced color technology. It reproduces the full palette of rich colors seen in nature. The cognitive processor analyzes and processes color individually. As a result, you get natural-looking colors that aren't oversaturated. Skin tones appear very accurate and true to life.

Overall, the display quality is truly impressive. The combination of 4K resolution, precise backlighting, and wide color gamut creates an immersive viewing experience whether you're watching movies, TV shows, sports or playing games. If you want a similar Sony 4K TV but in a 55-inch size, check out the Sony KD55X85K. It delivers the same exceptional picture quality and uses the same XR processor and Triluminos Pro technology as the X90L.

With the XR processor, the KD55X85K can upscale lower resolution content close to 4K quality. This allows you to get great picture performance even from non-4K sources. The cognitive processing also provides intelligent contrast enhancement. It analyzes the image in zones to bring out natural depth and textures.

For gaming, the X85K has low input lag and supports advanced features like 4K 120fps, Variable Refresh Rate, and Auto Low Latency Mode. An auto game mode optimizes settings for gameplay when a game console is detected. So you can enjoy responsive, smooth gaming in stunning 4K resolution.

Like the X90L, the KD55X85K uses Acoustic Multi-Audio with two sound positioning tweeters. This provides a more immersive sound experience by making sound effects and dialogue seem to come directly from the screen. The X-Balanced Speaker fine tunes audio components to minimize distortion even at high volumes.

With sleek minimalist looks and an aluminum flame finished stand, the KD55X85K matches the aesthetic of the X90L. You get the same great Sony picture and sound quality in a 55-inch size. So if you want a slightly smaller 4K TV with Sony's latest display technology, the KD55X85K is an excellent option worth considering.

Sound Quality

The Sony X90L delivers an immersive audio experience thanks to its Acoustic Multi-Audio and XR Surround technologies.

Acoustic Multi-Audio uses tweeters at the back to complement the full-range speakers at the front, providing truly surround-sound audio without the need for extra speakers. The advanced tweeters produce high-frequency audio and help create an enveloping acoustic field around you.

XR Surround expands and upmixes stereo audio to near 5.1 channel surround sound, giving more depth and realism to the listening experience. It uses advanced processing to analyze the audio signals and map them to virtual surround speakers for a spacious and three-dimensional effect. So you'll feel like you're right in the middle of the action when watching movies and shows.

The overall sound output from the TV is clear, well-defined and impactful. The integration of the front-firing and up-firing speakers creates an immersive soundscape that makes shows, movies and games come alive with detail and dynamism.

Smart Features

The Sony XR-55X90L comes packed with smart features powered by Google TV. This provides a smooth, intuitive interface for accessing apps, content recommendations, voice control, and more.

Google TV offers a personalized home screen that surfaces content you'll enjoy from across various apps and subscriptions. It learns from your viewing behavior to serve up customized recommendations. This makes it easy to discover new movies, shows, videos and more that match your interests.

Voice control works seamlessly through the Google Assistant built into the TV and remote. Just press the mic button on the remote to ask Google to search for content, answer questions, control smart home devices and more. Voice commands make navigation swift and hands-free.

You can also cast content to the TV from compatible apps on your mobile device using Chromecast. This provides easy streaming from YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, music apps and more. Chromecast allows everyone to share videos, shows, movies, photos and other content on the big screen.

Overall, Google TV supercharges the XR-55X90L with an intelligent smart platform that makes finding, accessing and controlling content intuitive through recommendations, voice and casting.

Gaming

The Sony XR55X90L is an excellent TV for gaming thanks to its impressive gaming features. It has an Auto Low Latency Mode which automatically switches the TV into a low latency setting when you start gaming. This results in very low input lag, allowing for a responsive gaming experience with minimal delay between your controller and on-screen actions.

Additionally, the TV has HDMI 2.1 ports. These latest HDMI ports support advanced gaming features like 4K/120fps, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). With HDMI 2.1, you can game in 4K resolution at up to 120 frames per second on compatible consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X. VRR allows for smooth, tear-free visuals by synchronizing the TV's refresh rate to the frame rate of the console.

With its low input lag and HDMI 2.1 support, the Sony XR55X90L delivers an excellent gaming experience making it a great option for serious gamers who want a future-proof TV that can keep up with the latest gaming consoles and features.

Ports & Connectivity

The Sony XR55X90L offers a solid selection of ports and connectivity options. On the back of the TV, you'll find 4 HDMI ports, with HDMI 3 & 4 supporting eARC for high quality audio pass-through. There are also 2 USB ports, allowing you to connect external devices like hard drives and flash drives. One of the USB ports supports USB recording, letting you record live TV onto a connected USB device.

For audio, there is an optical digital audio output, good for connecting to soundbars and home theater receivers. A headphone jack is also included on the side of the TV. The TV has built-in WiFi and Ethernet connectivity, providing options for connecting to your home network and the internet. Bluetooth is also supported for pairing wireless headphones, speakers, and other peripherals.

Overall, the port selection provides ample options for connecting media players, game consoles, sound systems, and more. The inclusion of the latest HDMI 2.1 ports is great for gamers who want 4K 120Hz playback and other next-gen gaming features.

Remote Control

The Sony XR55X90L comes with Sony's premium backlit remote control that looks very sleek and modern. The remote has a voice control button that allows you to use voice commands to control certain TV functions and settings. This can be very convenient for hands-free control.

The backlighting on the remote makes the buttons glow in low light conditions so you can easily see and use the remote even in the dark. The buttons have a nice tactile feel and responsive feedback. The layout of the buttons is well organized with frequently used buttons within easy reach.

The remote connects to the TV via Bluetooth so you don't have to point it directly at the TV for it to work. The Bluetooth connection provides a stable and reliable operation. The remote can even be used to control other compatible devices like a soundbar.

Overall, the backlit Bluetooth remote that comes with the Sony XR55X90L is very well designed and functional for convenient control of the TV. The voice control button adds a nice touch of next-gen functionality.

Pros

The Sony XR55X90L offers excellent picture quality and great gaming features that make it a top choice for home entertainment.

• The 4K LCD panel delivers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and great contrast thanks to Sony's unique cognitive intelligence XR processor. Images look incredibly lifelike and detailed.

• The TV supports advanced gaming features like 4K 120fps, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). It's an ideal big screen gaming TV.

• The XR Contrast Booster 10 technology analyzes areas of high contrast and adjusts backlight intensity for brighter highlights and deeper blacks. This takes HDR content to the next level.

• The XR Motion Clarity technology minimizes motion blur fast action scenes and sports. Quick on-screen motion stays smooth and fluid.

• For gamers, the fast response time and dedicated game mode offer super responsive gameplay with incredibly low input lag. Fast paced action is fluid and immersive.

Cons

The Sony XR55X90L has a few drawbacks to consider:

• The built-in speakers are mediocre and lack bass. For a truly immersive audio experience, you'll want to pair the TV with a soundbar or speaker system. The speakers get reasonably loud but don't produce a very dynamic or full sound.

• The TV's viewing angles are limited due to the VA panel. Contrast and color start to degrade when viewing from the sides. To get the best picture, you'll want to sit directly in front of the screen. If you tend to watch at wider angles, an IPS panel TV may be a better choice.

Overall the cons are relatively minor given the TV's many strengths. The audio and viewing angle limitations can be easily addressed by adding external speakers or sitting centrally. For most buyers, the X90L's vivid HDR performance and gaming capabilities will outweigh these small drawbacks.