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The Sony XBR-A1E OLED brings a new meaning to your viewing experience as you get an almost infinite contrast ratio as the pixels themselves turn off in black parts whilst emitting a vibrant color when needed. Acoustic Surface technology takes a step forward as the entire screen in the Sony A1E vibrates to produce sound. This gives you an amazing sound system, while the picture quality itself remains pristine and surreal. And so, paired with an Android TV system and a wide color gamut, it is probably the best 4K TV available. But do keep in mind, like other Sony TVs, this A1E OLED falls on the high end of the spectrum when it comes to price. What other qualities make it the best TV in its class? Well, let’s find out…
Featuring an OLED screen, the Sony XBR-A1E OLED has a premium build quality with plenty of other features. Being powered by the X1 Extreme processor and Dolby Vision, it produces splendid picture quality with perfect black levels and vibrant colors. And so, with one of the best picture qualities available out there, amazing sound thanks to its acoustic surface technology, and a premium build quality, the Sony XBR-A1E OLED is of the best 4K TVs out on the market. And if you would like to compare this Sony XBR-A1E to another OLED, you can read our Sony XBR65A8F review for a different model by Sony comparison. Or you can read our OLED65E8PUA review for a comparison to a model made by LG.
Related: In case you want to check other available options, read our Sony X950H review
Apart from having great sound quality, the Sony XBR-A1E OLED also has a perfect response time of 0.2ms, making it a great pick for gamers. It also has a great 120Hz refresh rate which, paired with the moderate input lag of 30ms at 4K, improves game performance. Do keep in mind that the input lag rises a bit at 1080p, which isn’t that noticeable. However, if you want an OLED with a lower input lag, the LG OLED C7 is a great pick which also has a slightly brighter screen.
The A1E OLED TV also features wide viewing angles, which isn’t possible in other choices like the Samsung Q7F or the TCL 55R617. Moreover, with a 3840 x 2160 resolution and a flicker-free OLED panel, this Sony TV also supports black frame insertion and motion interpolation. This greatly improves picture quality and performance when it comes to watching sports matches or playing games.
Now, although the Sony XBR-A1E OLED has a wide color gamut. It isn’t as wide as that of the Samsung Q7F, nor is its peak brightness on par with other QLED TVs like the Samsung Q7F. But, it does support both 4K and HDR while having an Android TV platform, and it surpasses both the Samsung and Roku TVs in terms of app accessibility. It even has its own mobile remote app, although the remote control itself is fairly good, with voice control and a number of buttons. And so, with perfect blacks, Dolby vision, an OLED panel, a great sound system, and plenty of Google Play and app access, it is indeed one of the best 4K TVs out on the market. Although do keep in mind, even though this Sony OLED TV has the best sound quality a TV can have, nothing beats the sound quality of a separate sound system.” So if you don’t know to set up a soundbar, be sure to read our article on how to connect a soundbar to the TV so you can enhance your viewing experience.
Related: Also, read the Sony XBR43X800H review
With its own price tag comes its own unique fancy design. It has a premium build quality with a stand that allows the TV to lean back on it. This makes the stand invisible when watching something, making it possible for you to experience a total screen viewing experience. However, this does cause the TV to be angled slightly towards the ceiling. This may seem like a problem, but you do eventually get used to it, and it doesn’t greatly affect your viewing experience.
You may be wondering where the inputs are, well, they’re located at the bottom end of the stand, which does sort of make it difficult to reach. This does get more difficult when you mount the TV, but when it comes to the number of inputs, Sony does not disappoint. You get 4 HDMI ports, 3USB ports, a composite video input, an ethernet (LAN) port, an optical digital audio output port, as well as an RF antenna input, and an RS-232 port. The borders on the screen measure 1.0 cm thin, which adds to the total screen viewing experience, and along with the glossy screen, makes your viewing experience all the much better.
With a dynamic range of features, the Sony XBR-A1E OLED is genuinely one of the best TVs out there. It surpasses almost all of its competitors with a great OLED picture quality, amazing sound quality, and even one of the best Platforms and app selections, and it is truly an almost perfect smart TV. However, as we have seen from years ago, Sony TVs do have their own premium nature. Standing out in a number of ways, the A1E OLED is the same, and as so, it is also pretty expensive. So for anyone who enjoys a great viewing experience and also wants to have access to a number of amazing features like an acoustic surface sound system, it is a good choice. But for the price, LG OLED TVs are a better pick, as they provide an almost up-to-par performance but don’t reach as high when it comes to price. And if you’re someone who just wants to have a good Ultra HD, 4K viewing experience, the Sony XBR65X900F, and the TLC 55R617 are great picks with their own features at budget-friendly prices. And if neither of those catches your eye, the Sony X720E is even cheaper but do note that it is a 43-inch screen.
Being capable of supporting 4K and HDR whilst also having a unique and amazing sound system, the Sony XBR-A1E is an amazing smart TV. It has Dolby Vision, Motion interpolation, black frame insertion, as well as many other great features. And with a fancy design, a great smart platform, and one of the best picture qualities, it’s a great TV. But it still does come at a high price, and so, it may not be meant for everyone. There are many other more affordable yet capable TVs out there. But if you’re someone who cherishes an almost perfect viewing experience with a number of other unique features, the Sony XBR-A1E OLED is a great choice for you.
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