Sony XR65A95L 65 inch TV: In-Depth Review and Customer Opinions

The Sony XR65A95L is one of the flagship models in Sony's 2023 lineup of premium OLED TVs. As a high-end 65-inch 4K smart TV, the XR65A95L delivers exceptional picture quality and sound along with Sony's latest processing and smart TV features.

The XR65A95L utilizes an advanced OLED panel and Sony's proprietary XR image processing to produce stunning 4K visuals with pure blacks, vibrant colors, and impressive brightness. Paired with the cognitive intelligence of the XR processor, the TV can analyze and optimize every scene for a lifelike viewing experience.

As part of the Bravia XR series, the XR65A95L also comes equipped with features tailored for next-generation gaming. With cutting-edge technologies like variable refresh rate and auto low latency mode, the TV ensures smooth, lag-free gameplay for PS5, Xbox Series X, and other consoles.

Other highlights of this 65-inch flagship include Acoustic Surface Audio+ for impressive built-in sound, Google TV for smart streaming, and extensive connectivity options. Overall, the Sony A95L delivers the advanced technology, stunning visuals, and premium performance that discerning users expect from a high-end OLED TV.

Design

The Sony XR-65A95L has an impressively sleek design featuring an ultra-thin profile and minimal bezels around the screen. At its thinnest point, the TV is only around 0.6 inches thick, allowing it to maintain a slender and modern aesthetic when wall-mounted. Despite the slim form factor, the build quality feels incredibly premium with metal used throughout the exterior.

Sony opted for a simple two-legged stand to allow the focus to remain on the display itself. The feet are set wide apart for stability and have a stylish brushed metal finish. There are no fancy adjustable stand options, but the TV can be tilted backwards up to a few degrees for aiming the screen. Cable management is tidy with a channel that runs across the bottom of the stand.

Overall, the design oozes quality and allows the 65-inch screen to take center stage, unencumbered by thick borders or an overly elaborate stand. The refined minimalism will fit nicely in modern decor. The minimalist aesthetic contrasts with some competing models like the Hisense 65R6G which opts for a chunkier plastic body and stand. While not as sleek, the Hisense stand does offer more adjustability options including swivel and height adjustment to optimize viewing angles.

In terms of inputs, the Sony XR-65A95L keeps connector ports neatly hidden away on the rear of the panel. For wall mounting, a detachable plate covers the ports for a clean installation. The inputs include 4 HDMI 2.1 ports, 3 USB ports, RF, Composite, Optical Audio out, Ethernet, and more. Hisense takes a similar approach but does include one HDMI port on the side for easy access.

When it comes to dimensions, the XR-65A95L measures 57 x 33 x 0.6 inches without stand and weighs 55 pounds. The Hisense has a larger footprint at 57 x 35 x 3 inches and weighs a heftier 61 pounds. However, the additional size and weight of the Hisense allows for the adjustable stand and likely contributes to its lower price point.

For many buyers, the premium minimalist design of the Sony XR-65A95L will be a key selling point despite the higher cost. However, those needing more versatile placement options may be willing to sacrifice some sleekness for the adjustability of alternatives like the Hisense model. Ultimately, aesthetic preferences and room setup will determine which design is the right fit.

Display Quality

The Sony XR-65A95L has an excellent display that lives up to Sony's reputation for TV picture quality. This 65-inch TV features a 4K OLED panel with a 3840 x 2160 resolution.

OLED stands out with its wide viewing angles and ability to achieve perfect blacks since each pixel can turn on and off independently. This results in an effectively infinite contrast ratio and renders deep blacks right next to bright highlights with no bleeding or blooming.

In terms of brightness, this TV hits around 800 nits peak brightness on a 10% window which is great for HDR content. It handles reflections well and remains viewable in bright rooms. The enhanced OLED panel provides improved color volume and saturation compared to standard OLEDs.

Motion handling is also superb on the XR-65A95L. It has a fast response time that reduces blurring and makes fast action smooth. The TV's native 120Hz refresh rate combines with black frame insertion to further improve motion resolution. Gamers will appreciate the silky smooth visuals when gaming in 4K at up to 120fps.

The Sony XR-65A95L delivers stunning picture quality with deep blacks, vibrant colors, excellent motion handling, and impressive brightness. It provides an immersive viewing experience whether you're watching movies, TV shows, sports, or gaming. The OLED panel allows for precise control over each individual pixel for perfect black levels and pixel-level precision.

If you're looking for an alternative 65-inch OLED TV, the LG OLED65C3PUA is also an excellent option. LG's C-Series OLED TVs provide similar performance to Sony's A95L in many regards. You get the same perfect black levels and wide viewing angles inherent to OLED technology. LG also matches Sony's 120Hz native refresh rate for smooth motion clarity.

One difference is that the LG C3 peaks at around 700 nits brightness rather than the 800 nits on the Sony. However, this is still plenty bright for most rooms and HDR content. LG's webOS smart platform is also highly regarded for its intuitive and responsive interface. Gaming connectivity is solid too with HDMI 2.1 ports enabling 4K 120Hz gaming with the latest consoles.

So if you're open to either brand, the LG OLED65C3PUA provides stellar image quality and features that rival Sony's finest OLED TVs. With both of these OLEDs, you can expect an amazing viewing experience whether watching movies in a dark room or sports in a bright living room. Their self-illuminating pixels produce perfect blacks and vibrant color unmatched by LED/LCD televisions.

Sound Quality

The Sony A95L delivers premium sound quality thanks to its integrated Acoustic Surface Audio+ speakers. The TV uses actuators behind the screen to turn it into a center speaker, resulting in impressive audio directly from the display.

The audio profile is well-balanced, with clear dialogue and depth. The dedicated subwoofer provides powerful bass without muddying other frequencies. Volume is loud enough to fill a room without distortion.

Sony includes several audio features to customize and optimize the listening experience. There are sound modes like Standard, Cinema, Music, and Game to match different content types. Users can also adjust EQ settings and enable Surround Sound for more immersion. Voice Zoom zooms in on dialogue, while speaker positioning modes simulate theater audio.

Overall, the acoustic engineering and audio technologies allow the A95L to produce room-filling, cinematic sound without requiring a separate sound system. The seamless integration of the TV's ultra-thin design with its speakers delivers an audiovisual experience not found on many other displays.

Smart Features

The Sony A95K comes with the Google TV platform, giving you access to a wide variety of streaming apps and services. Google TV provides personalized recommendations based on your viewing history and subscriptions.

Voice control is available through the Google Assistant, allowing you to search for content, get answers, and control smart home devices using just your voice. The TV has far-field microphones built-in to pick up voice commands from anywhere in the room. You can say things like "Find dramas from the 1980s" or "Turn up the volume" to control the TV completely hands-free.

In terms of smart home integration, the A95K works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home ecosystems, allowing you to control compatible lights, locks, thermostats and more using voice commands through the TV. Chromecast is also built-in, making it easy to cast content from your mobile device to the big screen.

Some of the most popular apps available on Google TV include Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, Hulu, YouTube, and many more. With access to all the major streaming platforms, you'll have endless entertainment options on the A95K.

Connectivity

The Sony XR65A95L offers abundant connectivity options for your various devices and needs.

HDMI and USB

This TV comes with 4 HDMI ports, allowing you to connect multiple devices like gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, soundbars and more. The HDMI ports support HDMI 2.1, HDCP 2.3 and eARC, providing higher bandwidth for 4K 120Hz gaming and uncompressed audio passthrough. There are also 3 USB ports, with USB 3.0 support, which is great for plugging in external storage devices, keyboards and more.

WiFi and Ethernet

For network connectivity, the XR65A95L includes both WiFi and ethernet. It supports the latest WiFi 6 standard for fast and reliable wireless connectivity. There is also a gigabit ethernet port if you want the most stable wired network connection.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 4.2 allows you to pair wireless audio devices like headphones and speakers directly with the TV. You can listen to TV audio wirelessly without any cables. Bluetooth connectivity also enables features like voice commands through the remote control.

Gaming Performance

The Sony XR65A95L delivers an excellent gaming experience thanks to its impressive combination of features and performance. With an input lag of just 8.5ms and a response time of 0.1ms, it provides super responsive gameplay.

For the latest generation of gaming consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X, the XR65A95L is ready to take full advantage of their capabilities. It has HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K resolution at 120Hz, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). VRR matches the TV's refresh rate with the console's graphical output to prevent screen tearing and stuttering, while ALLM automatically switches to low latency game mode when a console is connected.

The TV also supports HDR gaming with formats like HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision. This allows it to display the vivid colors, highlights and shadows that game developers intended. Sony's XR processor does an excellent job upscaling sub-4K content to the panel's native 4K resolution. So even if a game runs at 1440p or 1080p, it will still look crisp and detailed on the XR65A95L's screen.

With superb response times, advanced gaming features and top-notch picture quality, the Sony Bravia XR65A95L delivers an amazing gaming experience for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and other consoles. It's one of the best gaming TVs currently available.

Remote Control

The Sony XR-65A95L comes with an updated remote control that keeps the minimalist design but adds some new dedicated buttons. The remote is made of plastic but has a premium brushed metal finish.

At the top, you have the power, input selection, and settings buttons. The directional pad in the middle provides easy navigation. Below the navigation are dedicated buttons for popular streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube. This makes jumping into your favorite apps quick and simple.

A new addition is the built-in microphone for voice control. Press the microphone button to access Google Assistant and Sony's own voice control system. You can search for content, launch apps, control smart home devices, and more using just your voice. The voice recognition is very accurate and makes controlling the TV hands-free a breeze.

The compact remote fits nicely in hand. The buttons have a satisfying tactile click so you know your presses registered. The minimalist design helps keep things simple while the addition of extra streaming buttons and voice control mic makes accessing content faster than ever.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Gorgeous OLED display with perfect blacks and vibrant colors
• Cognitive Processor XR delivers incredible picture quality
• Acoustic Surface Audio+ provides great built-in sound
• Fluid gaming performance with HDMI 2.1 ports
• Intuitive Google TV interface
• Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
• Premium, minimalist design

Cons

• Very expensive
• Lacks brightness compared to LED/QLED TVs
• Mediocre viewing angles
• Only 60Hz refresh rate
• Lacks HDR10+ support
• Only two HDMI 2.1 ports

Conclusion

The Sony XR65A95L is an impressive 65-inch OLED TV that offers top-notch picture quality, robust smart features, and an inviting design. Its self-lit OLED panel delivers perfect blacks, vibrant colors, wide viewing angles, and an exceptional contrast ratio. Images look incredibly sharp and detailed in 4K resolution.

For sound, it uses Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology to emanate audio directly from the screen. This creates an immersive, cinema-like experience with clear vocals and powerful bass. The TV also supports Dolby Atmos for surround sound.

Gaming performance is superb, with cutting-edge features like 4K 120fps, VRR, and ALLM. Input lag is impressively low. The Google TV platform is highly intuitive and lets you access hundreds of apps. Connectivity options abound, including four HDMI ports.

In summary, the Sony XR65A95L is one of the best 65-inch OLED TVs on the market, offering spectacular visuals and audio. Its smart platform and gaming capabilities are top-notch. We highly recommend it for premium home entertainment. The only downside is the very high price, but for those seeking one of the finest 4K OLED displays available, the Sony XR65A95L delivers.