As you would probably expect of someone who’s been testing TVs for over 18 years, I’m pretty darn fussy about picture quality.
I like to try different TVs in my lounge, as living with a product can teach you things about it that even an in-depth review can’t, but it takes something very special to stick around for very long.
It was different with the Sony A95L, though. I fell for Sony’s second-gen QD-OLED TV almost as soon as I saw it, and by the time our review testing had concluded, I knew I had to get one into my living room.
Well, it took over a year, but I finally got a 65-inch A95L for myself a few months ago, and it is, with little doubt, the best TV I’ve ever owned.
That combination of Sony’s legendary picture processing, its authentically cinematic approach to colours, and the awesome brightness, contrast and colours offered by the QD-OLED panel makes it utterly irresistible.
But then I reviewed the A95L’s successor, the Bravia 8 II, and as part of that testing, I ran the two TVs side by side (as you can see in the picture above). And, suddenly, my A95L looked a little less spectacular.
The Bravia 8 II is everything the A95L is, but brighter, more vibrant and with even better shadow detail. Sony has also further improved the already superb processing, most notably in the way the TV subtly sharpens objects and people.
Those elements combine to make the image significantly sharper, more solid and more three-dimensional-looking. It simply has more ‘pop’ and excitement, yet that processing is never visible and that authenticity hasn’t been sacrificed. It’s all gain and no pain.
The Bravia 8 II is so supreme, it makes the A95L that I’ve loved for so long look a little flat. It’s still a lovely TV, of course, but I’ve now seen its evolution, and that has inevitably dulled its sparkle just a little bit.
As someone who never buys a TV when it’s just launched (tech journos don’t get paid nearly enough for that sort of extravagance), this is just one of the few downsides of being a TV reviewer: you see and use the very best models long before they’re within your reach – assuming they ever get there.
Perhaps I will one day get a Bravia 8 II for myself, or perhaps something even better will arrive to take its place in my affections, but until then, I just need to put it to the back of my mind and enjoy my A95L for what it is: still one of the best TVs on the market.
But if you’re lucky enough to be buying a new TV now and have deep enough pockets to purchase a flagship OLED shortly after its launch, I heartily recommend the Bravia 8 II, which has at least now been discounted a little bit.
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