TV reviewers hailed the Sony X80J as an awesome entry-level 4K TV for budget buyers who love watching daytime TV. Their testing revealed wide viewing angles, superb upscaling, a wide color gamut, and excellent reflection diffusion. But gamers should be aware of the exclusion of HDMI 2.1, VRR, and ALLM.
PICTURE QUALITY
4K
- Reviewers were delighted by the perfect 4K ultra HD output the Sony X80J offers. And they also added that the built-in 4K HDR Processor X1 does a fantastic job of upscaling lower-res content, making 1080P content look almost as sharp as 4K.
Color
- Even before calibration, the Sony X80J 4K TV can display superbly accurate colors. In addition, most experts, including RTings and Reviewed.com, noted the presence of a wide color gamut, which is necessary for achieving a true high dynamic range in Dolby Vision. And that is thanks to Sony’s Triluminos Pro screen technology built into the panel.
Black
- Critics were heavily let down by the Sony X80J’s insufficient black levels. Unlike the Sony X75CH, this Sony TV features an ADS-type screen, which mostly resembles an IPS panel. As a result, they also weren’t pleased with the screen uniformity.
Brightness
- As an entry-level LED TV, the Sony Bravia X80J does not have a very high peak brightness. Testers could only measure a peak sustained brightness of 406 nits, which is less than half of what you need for genuinely enjoying HDR movies and TV shows. However, they were relieved to see that the TV does get bright enough to handle annoying reflections in a bright room.
Contrast
- TV reviewers also disliked the low native contrast ratio the Sony X80J LCD TV delivers. In addition, they saw visible clouding and backlight bleed on the edges of this smart TV. And thus, they recommended users with dark rooms avoid this model.
Dimming
- Despite being a direct LED-lit TV, the Sony Bravia X80J does not come with local dimming, so we can’t comment on this aspect. But, product experts counted this exclusion as a big negative, as local dimming would’ve significantly boosted this TV’s contrast ratio and black levels.
Gaming
- Most professional testers hated the gaming performance of the Sony X80J, mainly because of the lack of HDMI 2.1, VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode). And similar to the Sony X81CH, there is also no support for FreeSync or G Sync for PC gamers.
HDR
- The Sony X80J supports HDR 10, HLG, and Dolby Vision, according to both Consumer Reports and Cnet.
- However, other than Dolby Vision, they didn’t like the HDR implementation of this TV all that much. And they pointed to the low peak brightness as the main reason for the sub-par HDR performance of this LED TV.
Motion
- Top reviewers liked the motion handling of the X80J, as it features Sony’s excellent Motionflow XR 200 technology. It also has an optional BFI (Black Frame Insertion) feature that can help provide a clearer picture while playing back any fast-paced video. They also noted that the motion interpolation feature works well and should satisfy those who want the “Soap Opera Effect.”
Refresh Rate
- Unfortunately, the Sony Bravia X80J features a screen that has a native refresh rate of only 60Hz. While 60Hz is fine for most casual gamers, TV experts explained that the lack of a high refresh rate display would be detrimental for PC and next-gen gaming console users.
Response
- Testers were delighted by the low response time of the Sony X80J TV, which they measured at just 12.5ms. Similarly, they also measured the input lag at just 11.6ms, which is pretty low.
- But, they also saw some smearing in dark backgrounds, despite the fast response time.
Viewing Angle
- Thanks to the ADS panel, the Sony X80J series of TVs do have wide viewing angles. Critics went as far as 70 degrees off-axis and still didn’t see a noticeable amount of picture degradation. According to them, it performs adequately in this category, especially when compared to competing IPS LCD and higher-end OLED TVs.
Burn-In
- Our pool of vetted reviewers unanimously agreed that being an LCD TV, the Sony X80J does not suffer from permanent display burn-in. They did see slight temporary image retention, but it goes away quickly, according to them.
DESIGN
Stand
- Just like other entry-level Sony TVs, the X80J features two feet that work together as a stand.
- However, expert reviewers pointed out that the joints between the feet and the TV itself are cheaply built. As a result, the TV wobbles quite a bit with the stand installed.
Back
- Top critics were highly impressed with the side mounting of all ports on the back of the Sony X80J. In addition, they also saw cable clips on the back for seamless cable management, along with four holes for a VESA 300×300 wall mount.
Borders
- The four bezels of the Sony X80J are about 1.5cm wide each. According to product testers, the borders are thicker than some older Android TV models and can distract users.
Thickness
- Certified reviewers measured the thickness of the Sony X80J at 7.3cm at its thickest point. Thus, it may stick out slightly if you use a wall mount.
FEATURES
Tuner
- The Sony X80J features a built-in ATSC 3.0 tuner. Pro testers said that it supports “Next-Gen TV” signals, which enables 4K broadcasts.
- But they also noted that the user needs to be in a supported location to take full advantage of the built-in digital tuner.
Input
- Critics were disappointed that none of the four HDMI ports available on the Sony X80J could carry enough bandwidth to support HDMI 2.1. Other than that, they counted two USB ports on this Sony TV (one of them supports USB 3.0), along with an ethernet port for users who have a poor Wi-Fi signal. Moreover, they also noted the presence of a Digital Audio Out port (Optical). A much better option for gaming is the Sony X81CH that features 4 HDMI ports.
Remote Control
- The Sony X80J includes a large-sized, fully fleshed-out remote with a dedicated Google Assistant button. Product reviewers reported the remote to be well built, and it connects to the TV using Bluetooth. In addition, the remote also features shortcut buttons to YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video.
SMART TV
Apps
- Testers were absolutely ecstatic about the enormous app library the Google Play Store offers on the Sony X80J. And despite it being a budget 4K TV, the apps ran well on the built-in Cognitive Processor XR during their tests. In addition, sideloading different apk files on the Google TV OS is completely painless.
Streaming
- The stock build of the Google TV OS on the Sony X80J already includes a few streaming apps (e.g., YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, etc.). And top experts faced no problem whatsoever while streaming 4K content, even with HDR 10 and Dolby Vision enabled.
Menu
- Critics applauded the smoothness of the Google TV interface on the Sony X80J. According to them, it is incredibly similar to the older Android TV UI, just further streamlined. They also noted that the TV is fully navigable using just voice commands, thanks to Google Assistant.
SOUND QUALITY
Audio
- The Sony X80J features two built-in speakers with a total output power of 20 Watts. Reviewers reported them to be well balanced so that they can provide a clear dialogue output.
- However, they also heard a lot of compression artifacts at high volume levels.
Bass
- Most experts were disheartened by the bass of the Sony X80J’s built-in audio solution. They recommended a separate external audio system for much better performance.
Soundstage
- The Sony X80J has support for eARC. So, with compatible receivers, you can either use Dolby Atmos or DTS:X to reach a vast soundstage for a theatre-like experience. A similar option that is also a budget screen is the Sony X75CH.
