09 Nov
Blog

Sony HT-A5000 Review: A Dolby Atmos Soundbar For Hi-Res Fans

Sony HT-A5000.

Sony HT-A5000 in the test: The Dolby Atmos soundbar for hi-res audio fans

RRP $ 1,000.00

"The Sony HT-A5000 rocks with every sound format and every connection option we could wish for."

advantages

  • 8K capable HDMI input

  • Excellent film and music sound

  • Easy on-screen setup

  • Tons of connectivity options

  • High definition, Sony 360RA and DTS: X

disadvantage

  • No EQ settings

  • Some attitudes are buried

  • Bad integration of music services

At the high end of the soundbar market, you can find great Dolby Atmos compatible models like the Sonos Arc for $ 899, the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 for $ 899, and LG's SP9YA for $ 1,000. And now you can add Sony's $ 1,000 HT-A5000 to that list. Wondering how it compares to the rest of the world – and to Sony's flagship HT-A7000 for $ 1,300? Let's check it out.

Big and easy

Sony HT-A5000.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

In terms of design, the HT-A5000 (which we will simply call the A5000) is not very visible. The HT-A7000 lacks the glass cover and the cloth-wrapped speaker grilles, instead they have been replaced by a simple, textured black plastic housing and gray speaker grilles made of metal. It won't win beauty pageants, but that's a good thing. Personally, I think soundbars shouldn't draw attention to themselves visually as it could detract from their main purpose – to enhance the sound of your TV that your eyes should be focused on.

However, the size is more important. At 47.75 inches wide by 2.75 inches high, the A5000 should have no problem finding a home in front of everyone but the smallest TV. Sony even claims that their Bravia TVs can accommodate the A5000 between their movable legs, but I don't recommend that – any soundbar with speakers facing up should be placed as close to the front as possible to give those drivers every opportunity to hear the sound align with your ceiling, unimpeded.

The HDMI input can process 8K, Dolby Vision and 4K at 120 Hz, making it as future-proof as possible.

Sony also has everything you could need right in the box: soundbar, wall mounting hardware, HDMI and optical cables, a remote control and an analog patch cable to connect a compatible Bravia TV. Yes – if you are the lucky owner of one of Sony's 2020 or 2021 Bravia TVs, you can use this cable to hijack the TV's built-in speakers and let them enhance the soundbar's center channel audio. Unfortunately, I haven't tested this feature without one of these TVs.

HDMI in, HDMI out and 8K

Sony HT-A5000 input ports.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Some soundbar companies (ahem, Sonos, Bose) believe that a single HDMI ARC / eARC port should be enough for everyone. I disagree – and luckily neither does Sony. The A5000 has both a dedicated HDMI input and an HDMI ARC / eARC input / output. Better still, the HDMI input can pass 8K, Dolby Vision and 4K signals to your TV at 120 Hz, making it as future-proof as possible. There's also an optical port if your TV doesn't support HDMI ARC, but the A5000 drops the A7000's analog input.

When it comes to the ability to wirelessly connect to a speaker, the A5000 has it all.

Why is an HDMI input important? Aside from replacing the HDMI input on your TV that you had to sacrifice to connect the soundbar, with older TVs we can connect Blu-ray players or streaming media devices directly to the soundbar. This bypasses the inherent sound quality limitations of HDMI ARC connections that are imposed by televisions that do not have HDMI eARC. There is a lot to unpack. Instead of filling the space in this review with the full explanation, please read our guides on HDMI ARC / eARC and Dolby Atmos. If you care about the best possible audio quality, you'll thank me.

These ports are packed very tightly into a small recess on the back of the A5000, making them difficult to use, but as long as you don't have to access them often, you shouldn't be too hurt by it.

Setup on the screen

Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos Soundbar system message on the screen.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Speaking of HDMI, the A5000 repeats one of my favorite functions of the HT-A7000 – the setup process and on-screen menus. Using a smartphone app to set up a speaker isn't difficult, but being able to use your TV's screen while sitting back on your sofa with the remote in hand is much better.

From the initial connection, to adding the A5000 to your Wi-Fi network, to quick automatic room calibration, Sony makes it easy and – dare I say it – fun. And you can always press the home button on the remote and navigate the soundbar's on-screen menus, which is much more convenient than reading on the small scrolling digital display behind the speaker grille or pulling out your phone.

Connections galore

Sony HT-A5000 screen display.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

I have to give it to Sony. When it comes to the ability to wirelessly connect to a speaker, the A5000 has it all. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Chromecast – choose your favorite. The Bluetooth connection, which is hardly a minor matter with many soundbars, is also convincing with the support of the Sony LDAC codec, so that you can stream in the highest quality from an Android mobile phone. You can also use LDAC for a high quality wireless connection to a compatible Bravia TV if you want to be completely wireless.

Thanks to the exceptional support for high quality wireless streaming, music generally sounds great.

These options mean that regardless of which phone you have or which music streaming service you subscribe to, you can get the most out of the A5000's features. And given the growing support for lossless, high-resolution audio from Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, and others, these benefits are no longer theoretical marginal cases.

Sony cleverly offers you the option of switching the Bluetooth function from receiving to sending (again with LDAC support) so that you can use any set of wireless headphones or earphones for private listening.

Great for music, even better for movies

Sony HT-A5000.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

OK, to the point: how does that thing sound? Damn good. If you stick to the basic mode of the A5000 (with the Sound Field function switched off), you will get perfectly clear and balanced stereo sound. It's great for sitcoms, news shows, and comedy specials – basically anytime you want to focus on dialogue. In this mode, the bass remains mellow even with the subwoofer set to the maximum and offers just enough bass to give the voices more depth and some weight to the background soundtrack.

It's also the preferred mode for listening to two-channel stereo music, especially if you're a purist looking to keep additional digital processing to a minimum. And thanks to the soundbar's exceptional support for high quality wireless streaming, music generally sounds great.

The only downside is there's not much you can do if you don't like the way Sony tuned the A5000. I have sued Sony for missing EQ adjustments on their expensive A7000 and will do it again for the A5000. It's an odd choice for a company that offers extensive EQ options for their wireless headphones and earbuds.

Dolby Atmos movies have all been rendered with this key ingredient – sounds that seem to be coming from everywhere.

If you have a Tidal HiFi or Amazon Music subscription, you owe it to yourself to try tracks mastered using the Sony 360 Reality Audio (360RA) format that the A5000 supports. Simply put, 360RA tries to mimic the sound of a live performance indoors by using surround sound technology to give the music an open, airy feel. As with Dolby Atmos Music, some tracks benefit more from this than others. Pink Floyd's Learning To Fly, for example, felt like it was made for 360RA, while John Mayer's I Guess I Just Feel Like seemed to lose something in the move.

But even if songs don't necessarily benefit from 360RA, sometimes the format itself is preferable when you want an ambient sound – for example, when entertaining a group of guests. I find it easier to have a conversation when the music is not directed at you, as is the case with traditional stereo. Currently, the 360RA only works over a WiFi Chromecast connection from a phone or tablet, so you cannot control it through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

The only downside to the A5000's musical capabilities is the lack of integration of music services into the Sony Music Center app. The app lists many of the most popular services (Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Spotify, Deezer, etc.) but tapping on it will only redirect you to the service's app on your phone (assuming you have it installed). Unlike Sonos, there is no way to access Search, manage favorites or playlists, or other music service features. However, you can use the app to control multiroom audio if you have other compatible Sony speakers.

Sony HT-A5000.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

You're not buying a $ 1,000 Dolby Atmos soundbar for stereo audio. You want to be blown away by fully immersive 3D soundtracks that convey power, excitement and emotion and for that you need to enable Sound Field mode. This instantly changes the soundstage from a fairly narrow and forward-facing affair to one that spreads out across the room.

The A5000's built-in subwoofer is surprisingly powerful. For smaller spaces, that's probably all you need.

The Sound Field mode is not a 3D variant, but three – Sony's own Vertical Surround Engine, Dolby's virtualized speaker mode and DTS Virtual: X – and each has its own sound signature. Sony's version pulls back at low frequencies to create a high, wide, and deep presentation that emphasizes clarity. Dolby, on the other hand, pushes the built-in subwoofer to its limits for a thundering sound, but can introduce undesirable distortion and often cloud the mids and high frequencies. DTS Virtual: X is somewhere in between, but not Goldilocks way. It's more of a compromise.

Since each of these 3D flavors sounds so different, they can all be great choices depending on what you're playing. I found the Sony version to be ideal for native Dolby Atmos movies and music. Avengers: Infinity War, Mad Max: Fury Road and Ford v. Ferrari have all been rendered with this important Dolby Atmos ingredient – sounds that seem to come from everywhere and move in sync with the action on the screen. Wondering if you need one of Sony's wireless subwoofers? You would definitely get better low frequency effects, but the A5000's built-in subwoofer is surprisingly powerful. For smaller spaces, that's probably all you need.

I plugged a Shield TV into the HDMI input and enjoyed Dolby Atmos songs from Tidal like Save Your Tears from The Weeknd and Riders On The Storm from The Doors. Dolby Atmos Music can feel lackluster at times, especially if you're using headphones, but the A5000 lets you enjoy the emerging format to its fullest.

Sony HT-A5000 built-in display.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

But here's a tip: as with most Dolby Atmos sound bars, if you feel like something is missing – like you're not listening to an immersive mix – dive into the advanced audio settings and turn up the levels for the treble and treble Surround channels. Sony's calibration software tends to take a conservative approach that doesn't always produce the best results.

Definitely worth trying out Dolby and DTS Virtual: X's virtualized speaker mode for all content, whether it's Atmos or not, but switching between these 3D versions isn't much fun. There is no way to do this in the Sony Music Center app, including by pressing a preset button on the remote control.

Instead, you need to pause your movie or music, press the home button on the remote, then navigate to Setup> Advanced Settings> Audio Settings> Sound Field Settings from the on-screen menu. You can then choose a different 3D variant and return to your content.

This may not be too bad if it is just a question of finding the one you like the most, but since there is no way to tweak the EQ, switching between them is your only option if you want the performance of either dislike them.

Beyond the bar

Sony HT-A5000 remote control.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

As with most mid- to high-end soundbars, you can expand the sound capabilities of the A5000 by adding two Sony wireless subwoofers of your choice (SA-SW5 or SA-SW3) and a number of wireless surround satellites (SA-RS3S). This does not improve the performance of the altitude channel of the system, but it can make a huge difference to the overall level of immersion. If you have the room in your home and on your budget, I highly recommend these additions.

Our opinion

The Sony HT-A5000 offers a premium price, but offers both music and movie lovers a first-class sound experience.

Is there a better alternative?

At this price point, the HT-A5000 has several direct competitors, and all of them are excellent in their own way. The choice among them really depends on the features that are important to you. Here's what you should know:

  • If you are an audiophile, LG SP9YA is a strong competitor because, like the A5000, it supports Hi-Res audio over Wi-Fi and USB. It also comes with its own wireless subwoofer, which makes it satisfactory for movies right out of the box. It doesn't support Bluetooth LDAC or Sony 360RA, however, and its hard-wired power cord could be a nuisance for some installations.
  • If you want easy, powerful control over your music sources and multiroom audio, and want some smart home perks, drag the Sonos Arc or the Bose Smart Soundbar 900. Both don't have HDMI inputs, which limits their flexibility, but that's only a problem if you have an older TV. Both can serve as smart speakers with your choice of Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
  • If you're looking for a real replacement for a home theater system for movies and TV shows but multiroom audio isn't that important, this is it Vizio Elevate comes with a wireless subwoofer and surround satellite speakers that usually cost extra.
  • Would you like even better sound, but don't want to clutter your room with more speakers? For $ 300 more that Sony HT-A7000 is a larger, more powerful speaker (with two HDMI inputs plus one analog input) that is well worth the extra investment.

How long it will take?

Sony products are very well made and the HT-A5000 is no exception. If you are considering 8K compatibility, it could be 10 years or more before you even have to think about upgrading. And even then, it will be a choice, not a condition.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. the Sony HT-A5000 will be a huge movie and music upgrade for any TV room in the house.

Editor's recommendations



06 Nov
Blog

Sony Bravia XR Z9J Master Series 8K HDR TV Review

Sony Z9J TV with multicolored, glittering swirls on the screen.

Sony Bravia XR Z9J Master Series 8K HDR TVs

RRP $ 6,500.00

"The Z9J is one of the best televisions of all time."

advantages

  • Incredible brightness

  • Excellent control of the background lighting / black levels

  • Spot-on color

  • Excellent movement

  • good sound

disadvantage

  • It lacks high-end gaming features

  • Very expensive

The Sony Master Series Bravia XR Z9J is one of the most emerging TVs that you can buy today. Sure, LG has its $ 30,000 worth of $ 30,000 8K OLED TV, but among the LED / LCD TVs, the Sony Z9J is the most expensive commercially available TV you can buy. At around $ 6,500 on the street, the 75-inch Sony Z9J makes Samsung's $ 2,600 flagship 75-inch 8K Q900R look like a budget buy in comparison.

Do you need the Z9J? No. Do you want the Z9J? Yes sir. Will you ever own one I doubt it. But here's the thing: none of this really matters.

Allow me to explain.

Pure Sony flex

Streaming options on the Sony Z9J.Dan Baker / Digital Trends

The Sony Master Series Z9J is the successor to a line of Z-Series TVs that represent the best that Sony can make. When we talk about "setting the bar" that is the purpose of the Z-Series. If the Z9J could speak on behalf of Sony, I think it would say something like, “Hi. I am the Z9J. I'm the best LED / LCD TV Sony has ever made, and I'm the best LED / LCD TV money can buy. Sony knows TV technology better than any other brand and I am proof of that. "

This Z9J – such a racket. But does it have the means to back up these claims? In most cases, yes.

While the Z9J doesn't quite reach TV nirvana (it seems to have too much self-esteem for an inanimate object), it comes very close to it. I've tested TVs that can get brighter, TVs that can get darker, and TVs with more advanced gaming features, but all in all, the Sony Z9J outperforms them all with the right…. Perhaps more importantly, though, the Z9J is just plain fun to see.

Oh, and the fact that it's an 8K TV? That's just a bonus.

How does Sony do it?

The XR processor is key to the Z9J's outstanding performance.

Details about the Sony Bravia XR Z9J

While we tested the 75-inch model XR75Z9J, our test also applies to the 85-inch model XR85Z9J.

Screen size Model no RRP
75 in

XR75Z9J

 $ 6,499
85 in XR85Z9J $ 8,999

Again with the processor

Image with colorful stripes on the Sony Z9J.Dan Baker / Digital Trends

The latest generation of image processing chips from Sony is called the Cognitive Processor XR. For the sake of brevity – and undoubtedly to the chagrin of Sony – I will simply refer to it as the “XR processor” in the following. This processor is key to the Z9J's outstanding performance. In some ways I understand how it works and in others I am completely amazed. Look, I'm not an engineer, I just play one on TV.

What I understand is that the processor is supposed to understand how the human eye / visual system works and then actively maximize the performance of a television by using cognitive intelligence and doing a lot of processes per second. It's not just about how quickly this processor can make decisions, it's also about how meaningful those decisions are. For example, if we see an image of a cheetah on the screen in the grassy plains of Africa, with the cheetah in the foreground and the grasses in the background, the XR processor is likely to put its effort into resolving fine details in the cheetah coat for each Image it appears in instead of trying to add detail to a blurry grass background. That is smart decision making.

Another way to express the importance of this TV's processor: if the Z9J were a car, the XR processor would be its engine. Several other brands build TVs with many of the same parts as in the Sony Z9J, but they don't look like the Z9J because they don't have the Z9J's motor. In other words, you could build the shell of a McLaren 720S to specification, right down to the wheels, tires, mirrors, seats, and steering wheel – and it would look just like a McLaren 720s. But throw a Toyota Camry engine under the hood and that car has no hope of doing anything remotely like a McLaren 720s.

Now that I'm immersed in that auto metaphor, let me go ahead and beat her to death. If I put a McLaren 720s engine in our 720s-looking shell, but gave the car a Chevy Malibu drivetrain and suspension … well, you get it. It still won't work like the McLaren 720s. Likewise, Sony's XR processor needs some other premium mechanics to work its magic. That brings us to the backlight system.

Proven backlighting system

Beautiful starry sky over a bridge on the Sony Z9J TV.Dan Baker / Digital Trends

Sony used to call its fancy backlight system "Sony Backlight Master Drive". This is the marketing language for Sony's Secret Sauce lighting system. While LG, Samsung and TCL are promoting mini LED backlight systems, Sony is sticking to a tried and tested system that remains a mystery to anyone who cannot physically disassemble and analyze it – it has simply left out the fancy name. Ask Sony what's going on behind the curtain and it will respond with something like, "We don't say, but it looks great, doesn't it?"

All right, Sony. You won't tell. And you are right. It looks great.

HDR images, both in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, look spectacular.

I don't know how it can be that Sony can use a fraction of full-size LEDs with far fewer dimming zones than the competition and somehow create a TV that looks better than TVs with much more impressive specs on paper, but the company pulls that trick year round for year through. The result is excellent backlighting with minimal blooming and halo effects, excellent black levels, very impressive shadow details and really impressive brightness – all where it matters. HDR images, both in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, look spectacular.

That brings us back to the XR processor. Thanks to the intelligent decision-making of the XR processor, the backlight system does what it does when it has to. At least I think that's what happens. I end up seeing a stunning TV, and with Sony keeping its approach so secret, I can only make one smart guess.

Masterful color

Colorful picture of a major event on the display of the Sony Z9J.Dan Baker / Digital Trends

Since it's not enough for me to simply say that the Z9J has impeccable color rendering, I use a Spectracal C6 colorimeter profiled on an X-rite i1 Pro spectrometer and Calman Ultimate software to measure TV performance to eat. In terms of color, the Z9J is an exemplary performer. I've only seen two other TVs with standard color accuracy that can stand up to the Z9J, and these two TVs were also made by Sony (the A90J and the A80J).

Flawless movement

Images of burning firewood on the Sony Z9J TV.Dan Baker / Digital Trends

Historically, Sony's strength, cinematic and fluid movement with a minimum of artifacts, is one of the Z9J's more admirable features. There's a fine line between breaking down motion blur and introducing gross motion smoothing that makes an image appear artificial or what I believe to be the dreaded “soap opera” effect, and I've never seen a brand tread that line as neatly as Sony it does. Although to be honest, many of Sony's premium TVs do equally admirably in this category at a much lower price point.

Superior upscaling

With so little 8K content to enjoy (thanks, YouTube, for some amazing 8K footage for 8K TVs, albeit heavily compressed), it's important that every 8K TV is capable of 4K To upscale 1080p and 720p material to 8K resolution without it looking worse than its native resolution. While I feel like most TV manufacturers offer solid upscaling, I'll have to leave it up to Sony as it is cut off from the competition in this area. Pictures just look cleaner on Sony 8K TVs, regardless of the original resolution. But no TV is a miracle worker, and I contend that no 75-inch or taller TV looks good when playing 720p cable or satellite content.

Sound of stars

Close up of the bottom of the Sony Z9J's screen.Dan Baker / Digital Trends

For those of you who regularly read my TV reviews, I'm going to sound like a broken record here. I think a premium TV like the Z9J deserves an equally high quality sound system. Really, a television just doesn't have to sound terrible to be passable in my book. After that, an immersive, immersive audio experience is best delivered from a high quality soundbar (we have more than a few amazing suggestions for the best soundbars you can buy) or even better, a multi-speaker audio system powered by an A / V Device powered is receiver (an admittedly dying type of sound system).

All in all, the Sony Z9J delivers a surprisingly satisfying audio experience with punch, grunt, clarity, and musicality. It's one of the best sounding TVs you can buy. And it should be the price.

Performance metrics

In SDR without adjustments to the user-defined picture mode (automatic local dimming to medium and peak luminance to off). I measured 389 nits of peak brightness from a 10% window. With Auto Local Dimming on low, I measured 431 nits, and with that setting on high, I got 381.

With automatic local dimming to medium and low peak luminance, I achieved 784 nits. With medium peak luminance I reached 1422 nits and with high setting 1902 nits. This is for SDR folks. This is an incredibly bright SDR picture. You shouldn't take this TV outside with you, but you could take this TV outside and still see it in full sun.

With HDR there were variations depending on where the auto local dimming setting was, but the advanced contrast setting had a big impact on the TV's brightness output. At the medium setting, I have a peak brightness of 2,500 nits. Impressive.

I assume that the Z9J is likely to be able to achieve a peak brightness of 4,000 nits with small HDR highlights.

I just went into Vivid mode to grin and it zoomed in to 3,600 nits. Impressive.

Keep the following in mind: Measuring a test pattern with a 10% white window is not a fair measure of real content performance. I assume that the Z9J is likely to be able to achieve a peak brightness of 4,000 nits with small HDR highlights.

Is there something it can't do?

Caleb Denison plays a video game on the Sony Z9J.Dan Baker / Digital Trends

Given the mountain of praise I've given the Z9J, one might wonder what its weaknesses might be. It has a couple.

First, the Sony Z9J is not the best choice for gamers who want the latest features supported by next generation game consoles like the Xbox Series X / S or PCs with hot rod graphics cards like the RTX-3000 series. At the time of writing, variable refresh rate (VRR) is not yet supported (at least not in the US) and firmware updates for VRR support in markets outside the US have been less than warmly received. The auto-low-latency mode was only recently (somehow) offered in a firmware update and is supposedly buggy.

While I don't see hardcore gamers opting for the Z9J, with so many other standout gaming TV options available at a fraction of the cost, I think anyone who pays that much for a TV should get everything. All the bells and whistles. The Z9J falls short in this regard.

Car video game on the Sony Z9J.Dan Baker / Digital Trends

In all honesty, I think the Z9J's biggest weakness is that it can't be enjoyed by very many people at home. To say it is prohibitive is a gross understatement. Fortunately, I expect the Sony X95J to match 95% of the Z9J's performance at a much more accessible price point (relatively speaking, of course – it's still pretty expensive). Does the Z9J really have to be that expensive? That's the harsh reality with luxury products, I suppose.

Why i love it

Sony Z9J TV with multicolored, glittering swirls on the screen.Dan Baker / Digital Trends

By the time I saw the Sony Z9J, I would have told you that the TV I was going to buy this year would be either the LG G1 Gallery Series OLED or the Sony A90J OLED – and it would be a tough call between the two. Now that I've seen this TV I'm not sure. No TV stopped me from OLED like the Sony Z9J. I think it's the HDR brightness beat and the way the image seems to jump off the screen into my room in a way I haven't seen from OLED before. Don't get me wrong, OLED is still the king of contrast thanks to its perfect black levels, but the Z9J does so well that I don't have to work too hard to forgive him for suffering a bit in the blacks department. It's just that good.

I spent hours just watching it because it was such an incredible joy to see.

The greatest validation I can give this TV is that I spent hours just watching it because it was such an incredible joy to see. Sure, I probably should have done other work, but I got myself a passport and watched for sheer pleasure knowing it would be a year or so before a TV like the Z9J crossed my test room again.

After all the hours I've spent watching, I want to see it even more. I said that about the few televisions in my life.

Our opinion

Is there a better alternative?

In terms of picture quality, in my opinion only the LG C1 and G1 OLED TVs, the Sony A90 or the Samsung Q900R can hold a candle to the Z9J, and for different reasons. Unfortunately, the blanket answer to this question is yes, as the price of this TV is unjustifiable.

How long it will take?

The Z9J is only held back by the lack of support for some functions related to HDMI 2.1, and these are reserved for advanced gaming problems. In terms of product quality and relevance, the Z9J will still be talked about in five or more years, just like the Z9D is today. Sony offers a one-year parts and labor warranty against defects in televisions used in the home.

Should you buy it?

If you have the resources, beat yourself up. The Z9J is a standout television. Just invite me to a watch party.

Editor's recommendations



04 Nov
Blog

Sony WF-C500 Earbuds Review: Small Buds, Big Sound

Sony WF-C500 true wireless earbuds.

Sony WF-C500 earphones

RRP $ 100.00

"The base buds from Sony are the most comfortable so far and they have that Sony sound."

advantages

  • Great Sony sound

  • Very comfortable fit

  • Excellent controls

  • Amazing earbuds battery life

disadvantage

  • Mediocre total battery life

  • No transparency mode

  • No sidetone on calls

Sony is no stranger to true wireless earbuds. It sells some of the best we've ever tested, like the WF-1000XM4 for $ 280, the WF-1000XM3 for $ 200, and the WF-SP800N for $ 200.

But Sony has been reluctant to step into the more budget-friendly end of the market. That is, until the WF-C500 hit the market for $ 100, its smallest and most affordable true wireless earbuds yet. But to bring the price down, Sony had to cut away many of the features that made its other models so compelling. Did it go too far? Let's take a look.

That Sony sound

Sony WF-C500 true wireless earbuds.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

I've tested a lot of Sony headphones and earbuds, and one thing I've found to be consistent is Sony's sound signature. It tends to be warm, like getting a bear hug from your favorite songs. Bass is always solid but rarely intrusive, and there is usually a nice amount of detail and separation in the mids, upper-mids, and high frequencies. The good news for Sony fans is that the C500 doesn't deviate from this sound formula – they sound rich and full, and the Sony Headphones app gives you the same amount of EQ tweaking that you get in the company's flagship earbuds Find. the 1000XM4.

You can sit the C500 as low as you want and once in place it won't move at all.

I'm not saying the C500 sounds as good as the XM4 – if they did it would be a miracle given the price – but they can do very well with any other set of earbuds I've tested on the same or similar prices, such as Jabra Elite 3, Soundcore Life P3, Sennheiser CX True Wireless and Wyze Buds Pro. If you're a fan of ultra-clear high frequencies, the C500 may sound a bit muffled, but again, the app's EQ adjustments can help a lot in getting the exact sound you want.

There is very good stereo separation. And the C500's soundstage, while not as wide or deep as its more expensive siblings, is still large enough to make you feel like your music is around you, not buried in your skull. I've found the shape of the buds to provide excellent noise isolation. While there is no active noise cancellation (ANC), you may not feel its absence too clearly.

The C500 are equipped with the quality-enhancing DSEE technology from Sony, which increases the sound quality even more, especially when listening to highly compressed digital music.

Great fit

Sony WF-C500 true wireless earbuds side by side with Sony WF-1000XM4.Sony WF-C500 (left) and Sony WF-1000XM4 Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

As much as I admire the way Sony earbuds sound and (if applicable) cancel noise, they aren't always the most comfortable headphones. The WF-1000XM3 and SP800N stick out of the ears a little awkwardly, and the WF-1000XM4 takes up a lot of space in the concha, which will be a challenge for those with smaller ears. The C500, on the other hand, are far more comfortable. They still fill your entire outer ear like the XM4, but they're just a little smaller.

These are good controls – their surface area is almost the same size as the earbuds so you can't miss them.

It doesn't look like much of a difference if you sit them next to each other, but in your ear it's a different story. You can sit them as low as you want and once placed they won't move at all. Combine this with their IPX4 water and sweat resistance and you have a nice little set of companions that will make runners and other fitness enthusiasts pretty happy, but with one major caveat: there is no transparency mode so you need to be extra vigilant when You wear them while around potential safety hazards like traffic.

Big buttons

Sony WF-C500 true wireless earbuds.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Another first for the WF-C500 is the use of oversized, physical buttons. In the past, Sony preferred touch controls on their earbuds, which work well, but I'll be using physical buttons instead of touch controls every day. And those are good controls – their surface area is almost the same size as the earbuds themselves, so you can't miss them. They take almost no force to push (sometimes a good thing, sometimes not) and provide a nice tactile click when you push them. They're not quite as satisfactory to use as Jabra's buttons, but they come very close to them.

The WF-C500 lacks some helpful functions such as transparency mode and auto-pause.

There's no way to change how the buttons are controlled, but you get pretty much everything you need: play / pause, skip forward / back tracks, answer / end a call, increase / decrease volume, and trigger voice assistant. You can also use the earbuds independently for music and calls, but depending on which you choose, you will lose access to the volume or track skip features.

Best (and worst?) Battery

Sony sometimes makes mind-boggling choices, like the tiny USB charging cables it includes with its full-size headphones or the inconsistent support for Bluetooth codecs. With the C500, I find it difficult to understand why the company decided to adorn the earbuds with a phenomenal battery life of 10 hours (certainly one of the largest capacities at this price), but then decided to charge the same time to give case.

Typically, you can expect between two and three full charges on a charging case. If this had been the case with the C500, Sony could have created a fantastic total gaming experience of 30 to 40 hours. But with only 20 total hours, these earbuds actually land on the lower end of the real wireless spectrum, which is a shame. A quick charge option gives you an extra hour of playtime with just 10 minutes of charging time.

case closed

Sony WF-C500 true wireless earbuds.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

I won't say much about the charging case of the WF-C500. It doesn't offer wireless charging, but its compact, rounded shape sits comfortably in the hand or pocket. The earbuds snap on and off with ease, and the case lid opens and closes with a nice, precise movement. The LED indicator lights on the housing and the buds are visible through the translucent plastic of the lid.

Answer call (inside)

Call quality on the C500 can be very good, but you have to choose your moments. They don't do very well for external noise cancellation and loud noises like traffic or wind drown your voice. But when you go to a quiet place it's a whole different experience – your voice will come across with a lot of clarity and detail. Unfortunately, even in quiet places, you will find that the sound of your own voice is muffled because the C500 does not listen in on calls.

Didn't make the cut

So what did Sony leave out functionally to offer the WF-C500 for $ 100? Quite a lot:

  • Wireless charging
  • Active noise cancellation
  • Transparency mode
  • In-ear sensors for autoplay / pause
  • Fit test for earplugs
  • Customizable controls
  • Sidetone for calls

Our opinion

Man with Sony WF-C500 True Wireless Earbuds.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The WF-C500 are a very comfortable set of true wireless earphones with excellent sound quality. They're missing some helpful features like transparency mode and auto-pause, and their overall battery life is a bit anemic, but they're still a good buy for Sony fans looking for a budget-friendly set of buds.

Is there a better alternative?

Yeah, I think Jabra is $ 80 Elite 3 manages to offer more advantages and a lower price point than the WF-C500, which means that you should definitely consider these before buying the Sonys.

The Elite 3 has a transparency mode that comes in very handy for people who wear their earbuds for hours or even just jogging around the neighborhood.

They are extremely comfortable, have better dust and water protection (IP55) and while they don't last as long on a single charge (7 hours versus 10 hours), the overall time is better (28 hours versus 20 hours). . The Jabra Sound + app can even track the last known location of the Elite 3.

The sound quality is very comparable, but here I give the C500 a bit of an edge if for no reason other than Sony you can customize the C500's EQ in more ways, and its DSEE technology can definitely improve the sound of some digital music.

How long will they last?

It's always hard to tell if you've only had a short amount of time with a product like this, but the WF-C500 appears to be very well built and will likely prove to be quite rugged. However, their biggest advantage in terms of longevity is their battery capacity. As a product ages and you go through multiple charge / discharge cycles, its capacity decreases. If you only start with four to five hours, you will only be able to see two hours after a few years. Even if the C500 drops 50% of its capacity (a worst case scenario), they can still last longer than a brand new set of Apple AirPods Pro.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. You can find other earbuds that cost less and have more features, but what is it? WF-C500 do, they do it very well.

Editor's recommendations



15 Aug
Blog

Sony A80J OLED TV Review (XR-55A80J, XR-65A80J, XR-77A80J)

Mountain and landscape view on the screen of Sony A80J 4K HDR OLED TV.

Sony A80J OLED TV review: you can stop looking now

RRP $ 2,300.00

“The Sony A80J is an impeccable television. One of the best that has ever been made. "

advantages

  • Impeccable picture quality

  • Excellent sound quality

  • Google TV platform

  • Excellent out-of-box settings

  • Flexible stand options

disadvantage

  • Certain game features are missing

I think about OLED TVs all the time; And not just because I'm a TV reviewer and I tend to spend too much time thinking about my job. In all honesty, it's because, like you, I watch quite a bit of TV at home, and because I don't own an OLED TV myself (a discussion for another time), I spend a lot of time wishing myself TV did own an OLED television.

Yes, I am an unabashed fan of OLED televisions and I do not apologize for it. It's the perfect black levels of OLED, and most importantly, the superior contrast that catches most people's eye, but what really seals the deal for me is the TV tech's lack of LED backlights – backlights that work in one making dark space noticeable all the time thanks to very annoying effects that plague LCD televisions, which are referred to as "blooming" and "halo".

With Sony, LG, and Vizio all making OLED TVs now, there's a hearty buffet of options to choose from, but if I were to buy an OLED TV this year, the Sony A80J reviewed here would be one of only two I would consider would pull.

Which is the other I come to that. First, let me explain why I think the Sony A80J OLED is one of the best TVs you can buy this year.

Out of the box

Sony A80J sits on top of the media console. The picture is a close-up on the stand of the television.

Riley Young / Digital Trends

A side view of the Sony A80J 4K HDR OLED TV shows how thin the TV is.

Riley Young / Digital Trends

A close up view of the plugins and ports on the back of the Sony A80J 4K HDR OLED TV.

Riley Young / Digital Trends

OLED TV panels are so thin and noticeable that a five year old could frame one in PlayDough and it would still look like a work of art. Fortunately, Sony's approach to OLED TV design is significantly superior.

With wafer-thin metallic-black bezels and sturdy metal feet, the A80J OLED TV exudes a business-class aesthetic – neither overly conspicuous nor a bit dreary or boring. The remote that came with the TV is standard Sony tariff – no backlight, sorry – but it does the job.

There are two positions in which the metal feet can be oriented. One position throws the TV low toward its supporting media stand or sideboard, the other lifts the bottom of the TV slightly to accommodate a soundbar without blocking the screen. It's a chic look, but keep in mind that the feet reach the edge of the TV in both configurations, which makes for a wide stand that requires an equally wide media stand.

To install

Flames on the screen of a Sony A80J 4K HDR OLED TV.Riley Young / Digital Trends

One of the most notable features of the Sony A80J is its out-of-the-box image accuracy. Select the preset picture settings “Cinema” or “Custom” and viewers hardly have to do anything to ensure that they are getting the best possible picture quality.

Of course, accuracy isn't necessarily what everyone is looking for. While accuracy dictates that a television must have a relatively warm color temperature in order to best represent the creator's intent, many viewers tend to prefer a cooler color temperature setting. For this reason, many will prefer the TV's standard picture mode, which is a little brighter and more vibrant.

When it comes to photo editing, Sony's has historically been the best.

For TV enthusiasts, however, it should be noted that the white point and color measurements I obtained using a SpectraCal C6 colorimeter (profiled on an x-rite i1display Pro) along with the Calman software are some of the most accurate I have seen how it comes from a television factory. In fact, many other TVs struggle to get the same ultra-low error counts after a professional calibration that the A80J gets out of the box right out of the box with no adjustments required.

White point and color measurements are found using a SpectraCal C6 colorimeter.Riley Young / Digital Trends

features

What makes a Sony OLED TV look like a Sony OLED TV isn't the OLED panel – it's actually made by LG Display – but the TV's processor. And when it comes to image processing, Sony's has historically been the best.

The A80J continues that legacy. Although the influence of the Sony marketing department is not neglected, the so-called Bravia XR Cognitive Intelligence Processor, which drives the image of the A80J, delivers images that are optimized so that they do their best without ever noticeably dropping the ball. That said, if Sony's newest, most powerful processor compromises its magic, you'll never believe it.

Aside from the top notch workmanship, the A80J is a very capable smart TV that runs the latest version of Android TV, now Google TV. As for smart TV interfaces, it has quickly become one of my favorites. Not only is the Google Assistant seamlessly integrated into the TV for controlling smart home devices, but the TV itself can also be controlled from other smart home devices, including the Google Home app on a mobile device.

Google TV setup on Sony A80J.Riley Young / Digital Trends

Perhaps the best part of the Google TV platform is that once it is set up on one device, it pushes all the essential settings to other devices that are running the platform. For example, having set up a Chromecast with Google TV at home, when I logged into my Google account on the A80J, I found that it was already logged into all of my favorite streaming apps. I didn't have to enter usernames or memorize complicated passwords. All I needed to stream was quick authentication with my phone and I was seeing my favorites in seconds.

If the A80J falls short anywhere in terms of features, it must be due to its lack of full support for certain gaming features typically associated with the latest HDMI 2.1 specification. While the A80J has two HDMI 2.1 ports and can support up to 4K resolution at 120 Hz with HDR, both the variable refresh rate (VRR) and the auto-low-latency mode (ALLM) are not yet supported. While future support for these features could one day come via an update, historical delays make me skeptical if they come in the near future. I discuss the impact this deficit has on gaming a little below.

Sound quality

A photo of one of the converters on the back of the Sony A80J.Riley Young / Digital Trends

The days of making fun of televisions for sounding awful are far from over – many of the televisions I test were meant to be sold with a warning sign begging buyers to pick up a soundbar before they check out . But certain Sony TV models – and Sony OLED TVs in particular – are setting new standards in how good a TV can sound, even if thinner than an iPhone.

I think most people will be amazed at how good this TV sounds.

To generate the sound, the Sony A80J has attached two converters to the back of its OLED screen. That way, the screen itself makes up most of the sound that you hear. Supported by a small “subwoofer” recessed into the back of the television, the built-in on-screen loudspeaker system creates a remarkably full, dynamic and lively stereophonic sound signature. While I was able to force the A80J's sound system to distort at higher volumes, I think most people will be amazed at how good this TV sounds. With an emphasis on dialogue clarity and voices that seem to come from where the actors' mouths are on the screen, not only will viewers be happy to understand what is being said, but they will also be entertained by the way it seems like the voice is also coming from the actor's location on the screen.

picture quality

Dog runs on the screen of a Sony A80J 4K HDR OLED TV.Riley Young / Digital Trends

Having been amazed by the picture quality of OLED televisions for almost seven years, I sometimes find it harder and harder to say something new or unique about the latest models. The improvements in OLED image quality have been gradual improvements over the past few years – and this is true this year as well – but the incremental changes that the A80J OLED brings are a matter of finesse but are very welcome nonetheless.

The A80J just seems to take everything to the next level.

With a Sony OLED you start with a base of perfect black tones, paint in lively yet precise colors and then gild the lily with sparkling HDR highlights and precise fine details. I should also point out that the A80J's handling of motion – be it the cadence of a 24fps movie or the fast-paced action of a sports broadcast – is some of the best I've seen, and that includes Sony TVs past. The A80J just seems to take everything to the next level.

And yet, it's not Sony's best OLED TV. What would be better?

Not the brightest TV on the floor

Sony's A90J OLED TV made many headlines this year as one of the brightest OLED TVs you can buy. LG also has a brighter OLED model, the Gallery Series G1, which has similar brightness claims.

One of the reasons brighter OLED TVs are big news is because one of the few complaints about OLED TVs is that they don't get anywhere near as bright as LED and even newer backlit mini LED LCD TVs . For those who watch TV with lots of natural light (or lots of bright lights on fire) during the day, an OLED TV doesn't have the pop or contrast that an LED-backlit TV does. Brighter OLEDs are intended to question this notion.

Whether they do this successfully is a debate for another article. My point is that the A90J is a brighter OLED TV and therefore could be considered marginally better. But as I said, if I were to buy an OLED TV now, it would be the Sony A80J or maybe the LG C1 OLED. Neither of these are the brighter, better OLEDs, but they'll make most people (me included) pretty happy.

Not the absolute best for gaming

A car video game played on a Sony A80J 4K HDR OLED TV.Riley Young / Digital Trends

The only reason I buy a LG C1 OLED TV over a Sony A80J OLED TV is for next-generation gaming purposes. The LG C1 OLED offers four full-fledged HDMI 2.1 ports that support all available next-generation gaming functions at the same time and can all be addressed via an entertaining and somewhat handy gaming dashboard.

The Sony A80J OLED just doesn't do much for gaming, which may seem strange given that Sony is making the new PlayStation 5 console. But what most people don't realize is that the A80J is still an excellent TV for playing games. Sure, it may not offer a variable refresh rate (VRR) and some other features that some competing TVs have, but it will still be fine for most casual gamers. Only the hardcore gamers have to consider looking elsewhere. In other words, unless you know exactly what makes HDMI 2.1 play without looking up, then you can count on the A80J to deliver a great gaming experience with low input lag, great graphics, and smooth movement.

My recording

Sony's A80J offers some of the best picture quality you will find on a television and is only surpassed by televisions that cost many times more. It's also one of the most user-friendly TVs to buy thanks to its Google TV platform and impeccable standard picture preset options. It sounds great too. All in all, the A80J is a wonderful package and I highly recommend it.

Is there a better alternative?

The Sony A90J and LG G1 OLED TVs are a bit brighter, but whether they're better TVs really depends on the viewing environment. Most people will find the A80J bright enough, with excellent contrast and sparkling HDR highlights. The LG C1 could be a better alternative for those looking for the latest in gaming features.

How long it will take?

As with all OLED TVs, there is a slight possibility of burn-in caused by viewing the same picture for a long period of time, day after day, month after month. If you watch the same news channel for many hours a day, you shouldn't buy an OLED television. However, for most normal considerations, burn-in is not a problem. Apart from this consideration, the Sony A80J should reach far into the future even without full HDMI 2.1 support on board.

guarantee

Sony offers a one-year limited warranty on the A80J OLED TVs. More details can be found here.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Sony A80J is a standout TV and an excellent choice for most buyers looking for great picture quality and sound.

Editor's recommendations



11 Aug
Blog

Sony HT-A7000 Review: A Fully-Loaded Soundbar Experience

Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos soundbar close-up of the top.

Sony HT-A7000 in the test: A fully featured soundbar experience

RRP $ 1,300.00

"Great sound, ease of use, and a huge list of features make it hard to beat."

advantages

  • Great music and movie sound

  • Easy on-screen setup

  • AirPlay 2, Chromecast

  • Hi-Res Audio, 360 Reality Audio

  • 2 HDMI inputs

  • Upscaling audio to 3D surround sound

disadvantage

  • Expensive

  • No manual EQ settings

  • Subwoofer not included

Soundbars come in all sizes, prices, and configurations. Some are characterized by two-channel stereo, while others opt for 3.1, 5.1, or even 7.1 surround sound. The most powerful models have Dolby Atmos, DTS: X and often offer some form of multi-room streaming capabilities. Sony's new $ 1,300 HT-A7000 7.1.2 soundbar has all of that and more, including Hi-Res wireless audio, Sony 360 Reality Audio, intelligent upscaling of a variety of audio sources, and compatibility with Apple's home automation platforms. Google and Amazon.

Sony also gives you two models of wireless subwoofers and a pair of wireless surround speakers to choose from, but these are optional upgrades that can raise the price of the soundbar well over $ 2,000.

Do all these outstanding capabilities justify the equally high price? We put it to the test.

What's in the box?

The scope of delivery of the Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos soundbarSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The HT-A7000 (which we'll call the A7000 from here on) comes in a fair amount of Styrofoam, which is great for protection but is difficult to recycle in some places. Inside you will find the soundbar, a remote control with two AA batteries, an HDMI cable, a special analog cable to connect the bar to a compatible Sony Bravia TV (more on that later), a power cord, two wall brackets, a wall mounting template and a quick guide .

design

Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos soundbar close-up of the top.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

At just over 51 inches wide, 3.25 inches high, and 5.5 inches deep, there's no getting around the fact that the A7000 is a large (and 19 pounds heavier) speaker. It's almost as wide as a 65-inch TV and, ironically, so tall that it obscures some of the undersides of Sony's own TVs, even when their stands are placed in their so-called soundbar position. Unless your TV is already wall-mounted or you intend to do so, it is best to take a few measurements before you hit the buy button.

It's great to have two HDMI inputs – on many soundbars, you're lucky enough to get just one.

Another consideration: even if the A7000 fits between your legs under your TV, you don't want to slide it too far back – its upward-facing drivers (keys for Dolby Atmos and DTS: X sound) shouldn't pass through. any other objects are covered.

But despite its size, Sony did a good job of minimizing the A7000's looks. The upward facing drivers are hidden behind black panels of fabric that wrap around the sides. The rest of the top of the bar is made of black glass. It's a fingerprint magnet, but when blemishes clean it looks really sharp. The glass houses a couple of touch controls that give you access to power, volume, source, bluetooth and a shortcut to Spotify Connect. A non-removable perforated sheet metal grid completes the picture.

Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos soundbar close up of the display.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

A row of drivers sit behind this grille. They're clearly visible in these photos, but don't worry – unless you light the A7000 with studio lights like I did, you won't see it at all. What you see is a scrolling text display that gives you vital information such as the source you are playing from, volume, audio format and various other helpful messages. I'm not a huge fan of these type of displays – I find the limited space and scrolling text a bit annoying, but it's way better than a bunch of color-coded LEDs that you have to decipher (ahem, Vizio).

The good news is that Sony is one of the few soundbar companies that takes full advantage of the A7000's HDMI connection to a TV, giving you on-screen access to all of the speaker's settings and modes.

There are several ports and connections on the back of the soundbar, including two full HDMI inputs with 4K / 8K / Dolby Vision passthrough, a dedicated HDMI ARC / eARC output, an optical input, an analog input, a USB connection for Music playback and port for the Bravia center channel connector that I mentioned earlier.

Having two HDMI inputs is great – many soundbars are lucky enough to get just one – but Sony doesn't exactly make it easy to plug in all of those cables. The connectors are buried in a small cavity and packed very close together.

Unless you're going to be plugging and unplugging a lot of cables, that's not a big deal, but I'm still amazed that soundbar designers find it useful when a USB port is so inaccessible. I would choose Sony, but I've made the same choices with other brands.

Because the A7000 is a full-featured, modern soundbar, Sony's remote control design has been basically unchanged since the mid-1990s. While very functional, it's decked out with buttons, some of which will only work if you buy Sony's optional wireless surround speakers. I actually like having all of these buttons as the A7000 can partially replace an A / V receiver, but the lack of a backlight is disappointing at this price point.

Connections, setup and configuration

Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos Soundbar close-up of the input connectors.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

If your TV supports HDMI ARC / eARC, which most models over the past seven years do, you can use a single HDMI cable to connect the A7000 to your TV. If your TV doesn't have this feature, you're still using an HDMI cable, but that must also be connected to an optical cable.

Unfortunately, if your TV can connect using HDMI ARC / eARC, there is no way to use the optical port as a source for another device like a CD player – if it isn't being used to receive a TV audio signal, it is essentially redundant.

Once connected, you can begin Sony's excellent on-screen setup process.

Those who use an optical TV connection won't get advanced audio formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS: X from their TVs, but given the A7000's dual HDMI inputs, there are still plenty of ways to get those formats from Blu-ray players to get streaming media devices or other third party boxes.

Room calibration of the Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos soundbar on the screen.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Once connected, you can begin Sony's excellent on-screen setup process.

In less than five minutes, the step-by-step process takes you through the placement, automatic calibration, setting up Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast and Amazon Alexa integration – all without having an app on your Have to use phone or something small, scrolling display.

Not that you have to go without an app when you need it: the Sony Music Center app for Android and iOS gives you another interface for controlling the A7000, including the ability to group the soundbar with other Sony speakers.

I've struggled with speech intelligibility with other soundbars, but the A7000 is clear as a bell.

But thanks to Sony's support for all three of the major home automation platforms (Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa), you can add the A7000 to virtually any multiroom scenario, regardless of whether your other speakers are Sony devices or not.

Sound quality

Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos soundbar.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

As a single speaker, the A7000 does an excellent job of processing films and music. If you're wondering if Sony's claims about a built-in subwoofer are the real deal or just marketing hype, I can assure you that it's powerful enough to feel these low-frequency effects when you turn up the volume. Even better, the center channel reproduces dialogue with such clarity and precision that I doubt you'll ever need to use the included speech enhancement feature. I've struggled with speech intelligibility with other soundbars, but the A7000 is as clear as a bell.

When it comes to Dolby Atmos, the A7000 really delivers. However, the speaker's secret weapon is the Immersive AE (IAE) mode.

But regardless of the content you're playing, I have two tips that I think will help if you don't find the audio overwhelming. First, Sony's automatic room calibration appears to be taking a conservative approach to speaker levels. In my media room, the ceilings are low and the TV is much closer to the left wall than the right. If you go into the advanced settings and adjust parameters such as the level of the height and side channels and their calculated distances from your listening position, you can significantly improve the overall performance as well as immersive formats such as Dolby Atmos.

Second, the A7000 is a beast when it comes to volume. With 75% of its range, I was already well above what I could comfortably endure in my room. But I've found that around the 45-50% level there's a real sweet spot where the sound goes from good to great. I encourage you to explore all of these options to get the most out of the soundbar.

Sony SA-SW5 wireless subwoofer.

Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

SA-RS3S wireless surround speakers from Sony.

Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos Soundbar close up of the top speaker.

Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

When it comes to Dolby Atmos material, the A7000 really delivers – especially when you make the tweaks outlined above. The side-firing tweeters help project a wide soundstage, while the upward-pointing treble drivers create that distinctive sound dome effect that movies like Mad Max Fury Road and Ford v. What makes Ferrari so entertaining.

However, the speaker's secret weapon is the Immersive AE (IAE) mode. It is accessible at the touch of a button on the remote control and uses Sony's 3D upscaling technology. Whether you're watching 2-channel stereo TV shows, streaming music, or even playing Dolby 5.1 surround content, it will render as if it was mastered as a 7.1.2 source. Purists may find it overprocessed, especially when applied to stereo tracks, but I found it addicting.

When listening to Dolby Atmos or in IAE mode, Sony offers you the choice between three special sound modes: cinema, music or standard. As the names suggest, they offer some digital processing to enhance certain types of content. As with all types of EQ presets, you may find that they improve or detract from your listening experience – I didn't find them nearly as interesting as the Immersive AE feature itself.

But that brings us to my only real criticism of the A7000: there is no way to directly control the equalizer. No frequency-specific adjustments, no controls for bass, treble, or mids – there isn't even a loudness switch I could find.

Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos soundbar.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Not that I'd make a few gross changes to the soundbar's signature – it's already nicely balanced to my ears – but leaving out those controls on a $ 1,300 system feels untenable. If you are serious enough about your home theater sound to make this investment, you should be able to get under the hood if you choose to.

The A7000 really brings Sony 360 Reality Audio to life.

The A7000 may be the first soundbar I've auditioned that doesn't make me flinch when using Bluetooth. Using a Google Pixel 5, I streamed a variety of songs using Sony's Hi-Res wireless audio LDAC codec as well as the garden variant AAC codec and they both sounded really solid. There's usually a big leap in quality when you switch from Bluetooth to Wi-Fi streaming, e.g. Chromecast or AirPlay, but they are remarkably similar on the A7000. I attribute this to Sony's DSEEE Extreme upscaling technology, which is designed to restore lossy, compressed digital audio to an approximation of lossless audio.

I also took a quick tour of some Sony 360 Reality Audio (360 RA) tracks over Tidal HiFi to see how the A7000 handled it. This reinforced two things I already knew about 360 RA: not all 360 RA traces are created equal, and your speaker will dictate much of the experience. I wasn't particularly impressed with Sony's $ 700 SRS-RA5000, a speaker the company designed specifically to deliver 360 RA audio, but the A7000 really brings that format to life.

Tracks like Dave Brubeck's Take Five and even the much newer Invisible by Duran Duran are in no way exciting, but turn up the Everlong from Foo Fighters or The Chainsmokers and Halsey's Closer and you get a feel for 360 RA's ability to place itself In a live music environment.

Is it worth adding one of Sony's wireless subwoofers and wireless surround sounds? If you have the resources, it is absolutely something I would recommend. As good as the built-in subwoofer and side radiating tweeters are, there is simply no substitute for discreet speakers. The resulting combo is exciting in every way.

Extras

Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos Soundbar close up of the remote control.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Unfortunately, my time with the A7000 didn't give me the chance to try out every single one of its many features, but they are absolutely worth mentioning because they illustrate how thoughtful Sony has been with the development.

You can connect Bluetooth headphones for private listening. Many TVs support this, but when yours doesn't, it's really handy. Bose also offers this feature on its soundbars, but the company only promises that it will work with Bose headphones. Sony, atypical of a company that has a history of promoting its own technologies and standards, lets you use any bluetooth headset.

The Sony Music Center app gives you direct access to Amazon Music, Apple Music, Tidal, TuneIn Radio and any music on your home network, e.g. on a NAS (Network Attached Storage) drive.

As mentioned earlier, if you have a compatible Sony Bravia TV, you can connect the A7000 using a dedicated cable and use the TV's entire built-in speaker system as the center channel. I didn't have a Bravia TV available, but I suspect the sound will be pretty good, especially for dialogue and other on-screen noises.

Our opinion

Though expensive, Sony's HT-A7000 is a feature-loaded Dolby Atmos soundbar that sounds great on its own – and even better when accompanied by Sony's optional wireless subwoofers and surround speakers. With an easy-to-use screen interface, it's much more intuitive to get the most out of the speaker than some of its competitors.

Is there a better alternative?

I'm not sure if there are soundbars at this price point or below that are better than the HT-A7000, but I can think of two models that are better value for money depending on your needs and tastes:

LGs $ 1,000 SP9YA saves you $ 300 and comes with its own wireless subwoofer. Given its great audio performance for movies and music, and the ability to add wireless surround speakers later, it's a great alternative to the HT-A7000. However, it only has a single HDMI input, it lacks Sony's sleek on-screen menus, and you can't stream 360 Reality Audio. Some may also find it difficult to work with the hardwired power cord depending on the installation.

Vizios Elevate soundbar Also costs $ 1,000 and includes wired surround speakers in addition to the wireless subwoofer, which means it's a true all-in-one system. It has two HDMI inputs, but like many Vizio products, its primary focus is on being a TV companion, not a complete alternative to an A / V receiver-based system. As a result, it doesn't support Hi-Res audio (unless it's a Blu-ray Disc soundtrack in Dolby TrueHD), Apple AirPlay 2, or Amazon Alexa, even though Chromecast is on board. Still, it's a beautifully designed product that sounds fantastic.

How long it will take?

Sony builds great products and has a good track record of keeping those products updated with new software over time. I expect you will spend many, many years with the HT-A7000. With support for every audio format under the sun, it will be a long time to be considered obsolete.

Should you buy it?

Yes. At $ 1,300, it's an investment, but given its considerable capabilities and excellent sound quality, the payback will pay off over many years of audio and video enjoyment.

Editor's recommendations



27 Jun
Blog

Sony WF-1000XM4 Review: Smaller, Better in Almost Every Way

Sony WF-1000XM4

"With a completely new design and many improvements, they are hard to beat."

  • Great sound quality

  • Good battery life

  • Great noise cancellation

  • LDAC bluetooth codec

  • Wireless charging

  • May not fit small ears

  • Something is missing in high-end details

Sony's highly anticipated successor to its highly rated WF-1000XM3 True Wireless Noise-Canceling Earbuds is finally here: The WF-1000XM4 is priced at $ 280, and it even addresses our very few criticisms of the XM3 with a slew of improvements – some big, some small.

Has Sony set a new benchmark for the true wireless world yet again, or is there still work to be done? Let's get into that.

Video review

What's in the box

Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

First of all, kudos to Sony for developing packaging that should be adopted as the industry standard. The XM4 comes in a tiny box that avoids all of the flashy lettering and glossy prints you see on boxes from companies like JBL and Soundcore. This allows each piece to be recycled or composted.

The only hint of plastic is in the thin outer packing tape that holds the two halves of the box together. Once opened, there's no way to close it again, but I'll bet most people toss their earbud packs away anyway, which is really the whole point.

Inside you will find the WF-1000XM4 already stowed in its charging case, a short USB-C charging cable, two additional sizes of foam earplugs (the media are pre-installed) and a printed manual.

design

Sony WF-1000XM4 vs WF-1000XM3Sony WF-1000XM3 (left) and WF-1000XM4 Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

As much as we praise the WF-1000XM3, they always had one big caveat: they are some of the bulkiest buds you can buy that aren't specifically designed for aggressive training. This applies to the earphones and their charging case with a copper tip.

The WF-1000XM4 earbuds are 10% smaller than the XM3, which is good, but not earth-shattering. The charging case, on the other hand, is 40% smaller and now also offers wireless charging as an option. This is a big deal. The case still isn't small for AirPods Pro, but it's not the weird man anymore when you look at the rest of the real wireless options. I can now conveniently call it a pocket bag – which I can't say about the XM3.

The touch-sensitive interfaces are now much easier to type.

The case lid opens easily and stays open on its own until you close it, which it does with a satisfactory click. But getting the earbuds is surprisingly tedious compared to the XM3 due to the incredibly strong magnets and the narrow shape of the charging port. On the plus side, these magnets also grab the earbuds as soon as they get close to the jacks and reinsert them immediately and safely.

The other big change is the shape of the earbuds themselves. For years Sony has used the same capsule shape for its true wireless earbuds, with most of the case sticking out clearly from your ear. For the XM4, Sony designers tried something completely different and created a more compact, rounded case that fits much tighter. It looks a lot better in my opinion, although there may be some disagreement about the look of the prominent copper-capped microphone housings. And not just optically: The touch-sensitive user interface now takes up almost 100% of the exposed part of the earphone, which makes typing more easy. With the XM3, you had to make sure your fingers were connected to a small touch-sensitive circle.

I'm not a fan of touch controls in general, but the XM4 could turn me into a convert.

It's also worth noting that with the XM3, Sony fixed one of our other small flaws: the lack of water resistance. With an IPX4 rating, the XM4 are officially sweatproof for the gym or wherever you want to take them with you.

Comfort, controls and connections

Sony WF-1000XM4Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

I find the WF-1000XM4 quite comfortable to wear, but I'm not sure everyone will agree. The new shape is designed to fit inside your concha – the cavity that leads to the ear canal. But the XM4 are pretty big. If you have small ears, you may not be able to put them in all the way. The XM3, in comparison, has a much smaller "footprint" in the concha, to use an awkward metaphor.

The XM4 feels bigger to my ears than most of its top competitors, including the Jabra Elite 85t, Apple AirPods Pro, Master & Dynamic MW08, and JBL Tour Pro +.

The foam earplugs adapt to the shape of your ear better than silicone: you don't have to struggle to find a suitable set.

If your ears can accommodate the larger shape of the XM4, you will be rewarded with a very secure fit. There's a lot of surface contact, and once in place, it's not going anywhere. They inspire much more confidence than their predecessors.

While the XM3 was available with silicone earplugs, the XM4 only comes with memory foam. They mold to your ear shape better than silicone, which means you probably won't have to struggle as much to find a set that fits. But they also create a stronger feeling of having an object in the ear canal, and they degrade faster than silicone.

I'm generally not a fan of touch controls, but the XM4 could turn me into a convert. The generous size of the touchpad makes typing easy, accurate and fast.

I'm less enthusiastic about Sony's control customization scheme that it has retained from the XM3. The headphones app groups the controls by function: environment, playback, volume and none. Since each earbud can only be assigned to one control group, you have to select your two favorites. Do you want to control playback and volume? You cannot change the ANC mode. Like ANC control and also playback? Volume is no longer available. JBL does the same, so this situation isn't unique to Sony, but I would prefer more flexibility à la carte.

At least for Android users there is a workaround. The XM4 enables wake word access to both Google Assistant and Alexa when using a phone with Android 6 or higher. Each of these voice assistants can adjust the volume for you. So when you choose playback and environment for your physical controls, you can always say, "Alexa, turn up the volume."

Wear sensors let you pause and resume playback automatically whenever you remove or reinsert the earbuds, and they work really well and are quick to respond to changes. If it bothers you, you can turn it off in the headphones app.

The frequency response is strong end to end and the bass has incredible depth.

The XM4's excellent bluetooth connection works very smoothly and allowed me to place 12 or 15 meters between the earbuds and my phone before the connection started shaking. In contrast to the XM3, which occasionally gave me tiny dropouts of half a second, the XM4 never missed a blow. I just wish Sony had found a way to incorporate bluetooth multipoint that allows you to connect the earbuds to two devices at the same time. Sony's full-size WH-1000XM4 can do this, but it's still a rarity in the world of earbuds.

Sound quality

Sony WF-1000XM4Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The WF-1000XM4 sounds great. The frequency response is strong end to end and the bass has incredible depth. I guarantee that whoever uses them will enjoy their rich and full sound signature.

But as I jumped back and forth between the XM4 and XM3, something became clear: the XM3s show clearer upper mids and high frequencies, which give the vocals a little more presence. It also adds a level of power that the XM4 seems to lack.

These observations are based on factory settings without EQ adjustments in the Sony Headphones app. Switching the XM4 to “Bright” or “Treble Boost” helps a little, but even then I think the XM3 is better overall for clarity.

Will you notice if you just hear the XM4? I doubt it. It's only when you put the two of them next to each other and listen to each other track by track that it really becomes clear.

The XM4 are the first true Sony wireless earbuds to support the company's high quality LDAC Bluetooth codec. In theory at least, you should use it to reproduce far more nuances than the XM3, which only works with the much lower SBC and AAC codecs. In addition, the XM4 features DSEE Extreme, Sony's latest version of its excellent digital signal processing technology, which can upscale compressed digital music such as MP3s to a far higher quality.

To be clear, the difference between these two siblings is really a matter of taste. The XM4 does a better job of low-end details that you can really hear when songs layer the bass guitar, drums, and low-end synthesizer. Too often these elements get smeared together, but the XM4 lets you hear them clearly which is a real delight. So think of the XM4 as an alternate take on Sony's superb sound quality, but aimed at those who want to hear extra detail at the bottom.

Noise cancellation and transparency

Sony WF-1000XM4Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Sony's noise cancellation technology has always been great, and the WF-1000XM4 manages to improve on it. Sony claims that the built-in V1 processor chip in the XM4 improves the XM3's ANC performance across the board, reducing external noise across the audible spectrum. I tend to agree.

The XM4s aren't just better at masking sound; they're better at making it invisible.

One of my benchmark tests for ANC is running my loud bathroom fan, which makes both low-pitched and high-pitched noise. Then I turn ANC on and off to hear the differences and repeat the process at different distances. The XM4 is an ace in this test, killing almost 90% of fan noise at 3 feet and 100% when I'm sitting right in front of the bathroom.

But the XM4s aren't just better at masking sound; they're better at making it invisible. Some ANC systems kill external noises but introduce new ones, such as: B. a low hiss that can be heard when no music is playing. The XM4's ANC system is very quiet, which is what you need when you need to concentrate in a noisy environment and don't want music to drown out these noises.

Apple's AirPods Pro have built a solid lead over the WF-1000XM3 in this area, but the XM4 has once again leveled the playing field. But the XM4 is still not as effective at suppressing wind noise as the AirPods Pro, even with Sony's optional wind noise reduction system.

The transparency mode is also more convenient to use thanks to the new talk-to-chat function. It uses sensors to find out when you are speaking and automatically turns on transparency mode while you pause your music. I thought it worked really well. The headphones app lets you toggle them on and off, adjust the sensitivity, and decide how long to keep the transparency on after it detects your voice.

Battery life

Sony WF-1000XM4Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

When fully charged, Sony claims eight hours of playtime with the ANC on and an impressive 12 hours when it is off – a large increase over the XM3's six and eight hour capacity, respectively. Several features, like wake word access to voice assistants and wind noise cancellation, will reduce these numbers, but by and large I found them to be correct.

The XM4 also gets a faster quick charge option: a five minute quick charge adds another hour to playtime, while the XM3 took 10 minutes to gain 90 minutes of playtime. The charging case contains enough juice for two full charges, which gives a total listening time of at least 24 hours before you have to go looking for a power outlet or a wireless charging mat.

Compatibility with voice assistants

Sony has always been agnostic about voice assistants on their headphones: you can use your phone's built-in assistant or switch to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

Android users even get something that was a rarity with wireless earbuds: the ability to trigger Alexa or Google Assistant by simply saying their wake-up words. I've tried both assistants and it works just as well as the Google Pixel Buds or the Amazon Echo Buds, with each assistant responding quickly and accurately to my voice commands.

Call quality

Sony WF-1000XM4Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Calling up the WF-1000XM4 is good. Most competing noises, such as traffic, are effectively neutralized, as is wind noise, which was a weakness of the WF-1000XM3. It's not perfect: when the earbuds try to correct for those external noises – especially wind – it can make it sound like you're talking through multiple layers of fabric. But since that's preferable to the annoying whistling of the wind, I think it's an improvement.

During a call, the earbuds automatically deactivate ANC, but you can still turn it back on or switch to transparency mode, which is not possible with all earbuds during a call.

Our opinion

Sony has taken the already excellent WF-1000XM3 and made significant improvements across the board with the new WF-1000XM4. While the new shape can cause some fit issues for some, they are some of the best true wireless earbuds you can buy.

Is there a better alternative?

Function by function, it's hard to find a range of wireless earbuds that can really compete with the WF-1000XM4, but there are better options for certain functions.

The AirPods Pro and Bose QuietComfort earbuds are better for ANC and transparency, with the Bose shining particularly brightly for call quality.

The Master & dynamic MW08 deliver a more nuanced sound quality with better clarity.

And now that Sony is still selling that WF-1000XM3 For a discounted price of $ 180, they're still worth considering if you're okay with some missing features like wireless charging and water resistance.

How long will they last?

Sony backs the WF-1000XM4 with a one year warranty, but I expect they will last for many years. Both the processing quality and the materials are excellent. The foam earbuds will likely need to be replaced every six months with regular daily wear, but this is not uncommon.

Should you buy it?

Absolutely. If you are looking for wireless earbuds with fantastic features, great ANC, and fantastic sound quality, you can't go wrong with the WF-1000XM4.

Editor's recommendations



09 Apr
Blog

Sony SRS-RA5000 360 Speaker Review: An Expensive Experiment

Sony SRS-RA5000 360 speakers

"A fascinating but expensive speaker that doesn't quite live up to the hype."

  • Easy adjustment

  • Crystal clear sound

  • Chromecast support

  • Works with Google Assistant / Amazon Alexa

  • Expensive

  • Polarizing design

  • Difficult placement requirements

  • Overwhelming 360 RA effects

  • No hi-fi bluetooth codecs

When Sony unveiled its 360 Reality Audio (360 RA) music technology – a stunning 3D format designed to restore listening to live music – the only way to hear it was through headphones.

Starting in March, you can now listen to 360 RA tracks aloud through two models of wireless speakers: The Small Room for $ 300 Sony SRS-RA3000 and the much larger $ 700 SRS-RA5000.

They're both designed to optimize 360 ​​RA playback, but also have the ability to make regular stereo tracks an even more immersive experience if you so choose.

Sony was kind enough to send Digital Trends a RA5000 to try out. So we tested the unusual looking speaker to see if it actually offered a listening experience worth investing in.

What's in the box?

Sony SRS-RA5000 360 speakersSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Sony keeps things simple with the RA5000. In the fully recyclable box you will find the speaker, its power supply and a collection of printed materials such as a quick start guide, safety information and warranty documentation. It's a bit of a surprise – especially considering the $ 700 price tag – that Sony didn't use a 3.5mm cable or two, but you might be expected to buy one when you need it.

With its copper-grilled speakers; curvy body wrapped in cloth; and tall stature, it will be controversial.

design

Sony SRS-RA5000 360 speakersSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

In recent years, Sony has been enthusiastic about black or anthracite-colored devices with copper accents. You can find this color scheme on the WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones and the excellent WF-1000XM3 wireless earphones, but the most bombastic display comes with the RA5000.

With his trio of copper-grilled step-up speakers; his curvy body wrapped in cloth; I suspect it will be a controversial purchase. I really like the way it looks, but my family members are divided about the aesthetics.

If a speaker isn't your cup of tea in terms of design, you can usually just stick it in a bookcase or in a corner behind a plant. That won't fly with the RA5000.

Although it can fill a room with sound from almost any position, the closer you get to it in a central location, the better able it is to accomplish its mission of true 360-degree sound.

However, this raises two questions: How can you supply a central location with electricity (there is no on-board battery) and how do you disguise the enormous power supply module?

Unfortunately, I don't have an answer to either question. For my assessment, I simply placed the RA5000 on a coffee table and let the power cord dangle over the edge. A nearby extension cord under my couch served as a power source, but the trip hazard it created (not to mention how unsightly it looked) means it would never work as a permanent place.

There are a total of six touch-sensitive buttons along the top edges that allow you to access the most frequently used functions such as playback, volume, source, Bluetooth on / off / pairing and sound calibration.

Sony does not include a remote control, presumably because a phone is required to use the RA5000.

Another difficult aspect of the RA5000 design is the use of metal grids over the three high-boosting drivers. These thin shields are eye-catching, but seem to be very easy to dent. Our test device arrived with a very noticeable and a slightly smaller bruise. This is something to keep in mind if you want to put the speaker in a very central location (exactly where Sony suggests it).

Setup and configuration

The Sony Music Center app serves as a guide for configuring the RA5000 and gives you access to settings such as EQ and turning the speaker’s Immersive Audio Enhancement mode on and off. You can also use it to trigger the speaker's automatic sound calibration. However, this can also be done using the touch-sensitive controls that line the upper edge of the housing.

Using the SRS-RA5000 as a Bluetooth speaker is a breeze. Just long press the power button to enter pairing mode, then select the speaker from your phone's Bluetooth device list.

To get the most of it, we recommend that you take the extra step of adding it to the Google Home app so that you can enjoy Chromecast audio.

This opens up all the functions that make the RA5000 unique: It enables 360 RA streaming, which is not supported via Bluetooth. This allows you to stream stereo tracks with much higher quality (up to CD quality), which is also not possible via Bluetooth. Finally, if you have other Chromecast-enabled devices, you can manage the speaker as part of a larger multiroom audio system. If you have a Google Assistant smart speaker, you can use your voice to control the RA5000.

Amazon Alexa users can also control the speaker using voice commands by adding the RA5000 as a device in the Amazon Alexa app.

Sound quality

Sony SRS-RA5000 360 speakersSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The SRS-RA5000 is a speaker with a mission: to enable people to listen to Sony 360 RA music without headphones, while “upgrading” their non-360 RA sources for an even more immersive sound experience. Given the high price tag, these two scenarios should better be fantastic. Otherwise it will be difficult to give the RA5000 our recommendation.

I just don't appreciate what 360 RA brings to the noisy listening experience.

To really get a feel for how it handles these tasks, I created several playlists in the Tidal app. I started by searching through Tidal's 360 RA track library for songs I'd heard countless times before – Heart's Barracuda, Billy Joel's Big Shot, Pharrell Williams' Happy, and Dave Brubeck's Take Five. Then I added the standard HiFi stereo versions of these tracks so I could easily switch back and forth between the two formats.

I also listened to these stereo versions with and without Sony's Immersive Audio Enhancement feature.

Sony SRS-RA5000 360 speakersSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The judgment? The RA5000 does a good job rendering 360 RA tracks with its signature open-air ambient sound. The up and side firing drivers add both width and height to these songs, making for an even more immersive experience than listening to the stereo version, even when using Immersive Audio Enhancement. Not sure if you are actually hearing 360 RA audio? An LED indicator light under the speaker glows cyan when the format is recognized.

But as noticeable as the effect is, I just don't appreciate what 360 RA brings to the loud listening experience. I find that opening up and “stretching” the music to fill the room with sound tends to hollow out the recordings. Intimate details in the mids that I know own these tracks are harder to spot. Lushness and immediacy give way to the ambience, and I think a lot of the songs don't survive this transition intact. Then there is the question of consistency. It turns out that not all 360 RA tracks are the same.

The upward and side fire drivers give these songs both breadth and height, making for an even more immersive experience.

Fire up the 360 ​​RA version of Heart's Barracuda, and the RA5000 does an excellent job of making the iconic rapid-fire guitar licks fill the room. But Ann Wilson's normally soul-piercing vocals sound like she's singing with her back to the audience.

Big Shot loses much of the deep bass thrumming that gives this song so much of its nuance, which is very strange given that the RA5000 is more than capable of producing excellent bass response.

Pharrell Williams' Happy 360 RA is a much better mix, and on the RA5000 at least, it's more fun to listen to than the stereo version. But I still prefer the way this song sounds when played on a traditional stereo pair of speakers. Only Dave Brubeck's Take Five sounded much better in its 360 RA version.

Is this an inherent problem with the 360 ​​RA format? I do not believe that. Some of the above issues can also be heard when listening with headphones. With headphones, however, the spatial rendering is much better controlled and can better convince your brain that the songs are being played by a band on stage in an open space.

The RA5000, despite its 360 degree driver suite, still acts as a very identifiable sound source, reducing the effectiveness of the 360 ​​RA spatial audio effect.

Now, if you gave me a choice between the 360 ​​RA tracks that play on the $ 700 RA5000 and Dolby Atmos Music tracks that play on the $ 800 Sonos Arc soundbar, I'd be Atmos take on the arc every day.

One thing that particularly confused me about the RA5000 is the Bluetooth capabilities. According to Sony, the speaker is designed for high resolution audio, which means it can accurately reproduce frequencies from 20 Hz to 40 kHz. The problem is that only SBC and AAC bluetooth codecs are supported, neither of which can carry high resolution audio.

That would be a bit understandable if there wasn't a better Bluetooth codec. But there is and Sony invented it. LDAC is one of only two Bluetooth codecs recognized as high definition by the Japan Audio Society. However, for reasons known only to Sony, the RA5000's LDAC was not supported.

More than music?

Sony SRS-RA5000 360 speakersSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Comparing it to the Sonos Arc soundbar raises another consideration: for $ 700, can this $ 700 spatial audio speaker do anything other than let you listen to streaming music?

The answer: it depends. You can connect the RA5000 to a newer Sony Bravia TV via Bluetooth. According to Sony, a signal is delivered with very low latency, which means that the audio and video remain well synchronized. However, Bluetooth doesn't allow for multi-channel audio like 5.1 or 7.1, and it definitely lacks the bandwidth required for Dolby Atmos, which is a huge missed opportunity given the RA5000's upstream drivers.

The TV connection feels like an afterthought. It is not officially endorsed by any other TV brand. Since the RA5000 has neither an HDMI port nor an optical port, it is pretty clear that Sony would prefer to use this speaker primarily for listening to music.

Our opinion

The $ 700 Sony SRS-RA5000 is a bold experiment – an eye-catching design that aims to bring immersive live music sound to rooms of all sizes. However, this experiment is not entirely successful, making the RA5000 difficult to recommend.

Is there a better alternative?

For a lot less money the $ 200 Amazon Echo Studio uses a similar multidirectional driver setup to support 3D sound formats like Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 RA. Plus, it can be connected via WiFi to select Fire TV streaming devices for home theater sound, and it's a full-fledged smart speaker from Amazon Alexa. It can't match the overall clarity and depth of the RA5000, but it's pretty impressive for the price.

For a traditional wireless speaker that's $ 700 Denon Home 350 has many of the same features (other than spatial audio) and offers bigger, bolder, more powerful sound, as well as decent stereo separation.

How long it will take?

Sony builds high quality products and the SRS-RA5000 is no exception. Since there is no internal battery to worry about and an additional analog input is no longer available, it should function without any problems for many years as long as you take care not to damage it (e.g. by accidentally pulling the power cord).

Should you buy it?

No. With the SRS-RA5000's unique design, cumbersome placement requirements, and high price tag, only those who want to experiment deeply with Sony's 360 Reality Audio should take the plunge.

Editor's recommendations




26 Mar
Blog

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K HDR OLED TV Review

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K HDR OLED

"The A90J offers the best picture and sound quality in a television today."

  • Brightest OLED TV

  • Exceptional HDR performance

  • Perfect black levels

  • Breathtaking detail

Since CES 2021, rumors have spread about the Sony A90J OLED TV. The promise of a strong increase in brightness and a bold new image processor made TV freaks like me drool. The $ 4,000 Question? Is the hype surrounding this television – for which I am partly responsible – true? We'll find out in a moment.

In this review, I'm going to discuss what makes the A90J OLED TV so high quality, how bright it really gets, and why you might or might not want all that brightness on tap, analyze the picture quality and go into it, and there's a little bit of gaming features to determine too on how great this TV really is, and whether it's worth saving a few cents – or really Benjamin's – so you can buy it.

Spoiler alert: this TV is superb.

Jump to: Out of the box | User experience | Sound quality | About this brightness | Picture settings / picture quality | Play | My attitude

Out of the box

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED TVRiley Young / Digital Trends

As soon as you crack the box, it becomes immediately clear that the A90J is a premium luxury product – you can tell by that $ 4,000 price tag too. The good news is that the A90J looks and feels absolutely like an ultra-premium TV. From the frameless edges to the ultra-slim shape to the brushed metal remote control that came with it, you'll feel like you got what you paid for with this TV. I didn't experience any disappointments with unboxing.

One of the things I like the most about the design of this TV is the convertible stand. You have three options for leg placement. For one, the TV can sit a few inches above your media stand, leaving just the right amount of space for a soundbar, which hides any unruly cables left over due to a disappointing cable management system. The second option is to flip the feet so that the TV is flush with your media housing and doesn't leave a noticeable gap – the same ultra-smooth look as last year's Z8H 8K OLED TV. The third option places the legs in the center of the TV, allowing for much tighter space for smaller media stands.

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED television "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://img.dtcn.com/image/digitaltrends/sony-a90j-review-ry-9 - 640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAARiley Young / Digital Trends

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED television "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://img.dtcn.com/image/digitaltrends/sony-a90j-review-ry-7 - 640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAARiley Young / Digital Trends

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED television "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://img.dtcn.com/image/digitaltrends/sony-a90j-review-ry-6 - 640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAARiley Young / Digital Trends

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED television "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://img.dtcn.com/image/digitaltrends/sony-a90j-review-ry-15 - 640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAARiley Young / Digital Trends

For wall mounting, expect a very clean look with just a slight dent from the wall. Even with that bump, the TV's incredibly thin OLED panel continues to attract oohs and aahs.

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K HDR OLED TV details

While we tested the 65-inch model XR65A90J, our test also applies to the 55-inch model.

Screen size Model number RRP
55 inches XR55A90J $ 3,000
65 inches XR65A90J $ 4,000

User experience

Setting up the A90J is a breeze, especially if you have a Google Account and the Google Home app – all thanks to the recently released Google TV platform, first seen in the new Chromecast with Google TV.

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED TVRiley Young / Digital Trends

I enjoyed Google TV when it came out, but I've grown since the new Chromecast became my favorite streaming device in my bedroom. The implementation as a smart TV platform in Sony televisions solidified my fandom. Not only did the A90J more or less do its initial setup itself, but since I previously entered usernames and passwords for the streaming apps I previously used through Google TV, there was no need to go through that tedious process again – Google TV remembered most of them and immediately signed me up by clicking "Yes". I know this is probably more of a pain point for a reviewer like me, but I still love it.

The bottom line is that the television is a pleasure to use.

Aside from being easy to set up, Google TV does a better and better job of mixing content that I watch regularly with relevant suggested content that somehow doesn't feel like an ad. With Google TV, you can easily pick up where you left off on a movie or show. This is a very familiar and accessible interface in general, even if you've never used it before. And of course, Chromecast is built in along with all of The Google Assistant's power for search, TV control, and general information.

The bottom line is that the television is a pleasure to use. Even the Settings menu has explanations of what each button and slider do when you adjust it.

Sound quality

Sound quality isn't something I normally think about in these reviews, but, sweet grace, this TV sounds amazing.

If you didn't already know, Sony places transducers on the back of the OLED panel that turn the screen into a speaker. That way, the sound comes straight from the screen itself, and this system does an incredible job of localizing sound to the screen source. For example, if someone is speaking on the right side of the screen, you will hear them speak from where their face appears – as if the actor's voice is actually coming out of the screen's mouth.

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED TVRiley Young / Digital Trends

The bass response of the A90J has been improved since Sony first used this type of audio solution and implemented an additional bass driver and maze of bass ports on the back of the TV. I love to hear TV sound that big. No, it's not the same as a dedicated sub, but you'll be amazed at how deep and loud the A90J can sound when called.

I can't think of any other TV that sounds this good.

Also, Sony used some acoustic tricks to vertically improve the sound field. So it seems that the sound is coming from outside the confines of the TV. Additionally, virtual surround effects, which I normally don't like, sound very convincing from the A90J. I can't think of any other TV that honestly sounds this good.

However, if you prefer a more sophisticated multispeaker surround system, you can use the TV as the center speaker. Many people – other reviewers, apparently – believe that the two speaker ports on the back of the TV are for powering a center channel speaker. It is not – these ports are actually inputs. The television is designed to receive a signal from an A / V receiver, downconvert the signal to speaker level, and then amplify it through its own speakers, effectively replacing a center channel speaker. And it works fantastically well.

About this brightness

I'm about to dig into picture quality, but first I want to talk about two of the reasons this TV is supposed to be such a big deal this year. One is brightness potential – possibly the brightest OLED TV ever made. The other is the processing that we always talk about with Sony TVs because the processing makes a huge difference in picture quality and that Sony’s has been the best in the past.

In terms of processing, Sony has moved from Extreme to Ultimate and has now taken a new direction. Sony calls this year's novelty the Cognitive Processor XR. The name is a bit mouthful, but what it means is that Sony – according to its own description – designed the image processor to work in a similar way to how our brains think and how we perceive things.

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED television "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://img.dtcn.com/image/digitaltrends/sony-a90j-review-ry-14 - 640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAARiley Young / Digital Trends

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED television "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://img.dtcn.com/image/digitaltrends/sony-a90j-review-ry-4 - 640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAARiley Young / Digital Trends

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED television "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://img.dtcn.com/image/digitaltrends/sony-a90j-review-ry-1 - 640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAARiley Young / Digital Trends

According to Sony, the processor is so advanced that it can pick up every element of image quality and the cross-reference at the same time, just like our brains. The result should be an extremely realistic picture. For example, one of its advantages is that the XR processor can detect that it needs to improve details in an animal's fur, but not necessarily the details of the blurry meadows and trees in the background. I know this sounds like a lot, and I'm sure there is more than a tablespoon of marketing out there, but Sony has lived up to its claims for superior workmanship in the past and I can tell you now that it actually delivers the new XR processor.

As for the A90J's newly discovered brightness boost, you may have heard that LG also has a new OLED TV that can get brighter than ever, and you may think Sony is getting the OLED panels from LG Display that they are possibly playing the same game to become the reigning king of brightness. BUT they are not.

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED TVRiley Young / Digital Trends

Sony's approach differs in that while it uses a similar new OLED panel from LG Display – which I haven't yet confirmed – it has also developed a new heat sink technology that allows the panel to be harder and run a little longer without the Damaging pixels or prematurely wearing them out. It was rumored that the TV can reach 1300 nits in Vivid mode – that's almost twice as bright as previous Sony OLEDs. I'll talk about whether this brightness is realistic or even desirable in a moment, but first let me talk about the picture settings and some measurements I took when I rated the TV.

Picture settings / picture quality

If you want the brightest picture on the A90J while maintaining some level of accuracy (adhering to Hollywood picture standards), avoid Standard or Vivid Picture modes. The TV's custom mode is used for playback. Once Custom is selected, you'll want to turn off the ambient light sensor. This setting is conveniently listed next to the brightness settings. Please note that switching off the sensor deactivates other functions with which the brightness curve can be adjusted depending on the room lighting, e.g. B. Dolby Vision IQ. Also under the brightness setting, I recommend setting the peak brightness to high. This will brighten the image in both SDR and HDR modes.

With these settings I have a peak value of 370 nits in the SDR. I measured the standard 150 nits with the low peak brightness setting. The color accuracy in this mode, after reducing the amount of blue that blends into white, was insanely spot on. Only the most extreme red crossed the threshold for noticeable inaccuracies, and even then only barely. I am seriously impressed.

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED TVRiley Young / Digital Trends

No further adjustments to the image settings were required for HDR. I checked the peak brightness and it stayed constant at around 760 nits (closer to 800 nits when the light meter accuracy is adjusted) which is very good for a custom mode or a cinema mode like this one.

The color was very accurate when the peak brightness was not set to high. Slight inaccuracies crept in when the peak brightness was increased, which is to be expected. But again hardly noticeable. We keep the television at the highest level and it comes closer than almost anything I've seen before. Save a reference monitor like Sony's own BVM X300, a ridiculously expensive true RGB OLED mastering monitor that Hollywood uses when mastering movies.

When I went into Vivid mode, I didn't have to make any adjustments to get 1,250 nits (closer to 1,300 to compensate for the inaccuracy of the light meter), although that number fell to around 950 once the A90J's automatic brightness limiter was activated. This is a good thing to do to prevent these pixels from overheating unnecessarily.

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED TVRiley Young / Digital Trends

So there you have it: confirmation that this TV can indeed get extraordinarily bright when you ask it, no doubt about it. And a clear indication that Sony is taking a different approach than LG.

But how can this strong brightness be transferred to real television? Do you need that much brightness on an OLED TV? I say yes, but with some caveats.

Everything I've ever loved about OLED TV picture quality is elevated.

I would never watch TV in Vivid mode. It looks tough and artificial. If you've had to go to Vivid during a big sports party and watch daylight shining straight into the TV, then this kind of brightness comes in handy. For normal playback, the user-defined mode or the cinema mode with activated peak brightness is more than just pleasant, it is dazzling. This extra brightness, used in the right places and in the right way, enhances the overall image, but has a particularly positive effect on HDR highlights.

The A90J is everything I have ever loved about OLED TV picture quality. The accuracy, level of detail and richness of this TV are intense. I absolutely love it. While I can freely admit that I've been a Sony fan for a while, this TV is objectively good. Best picture quality I've ever seen. That's it. I know there will be a lot of great TVs out there, but this TV is the benchmark now and will be hard to beat.

Play

Now let's talk about gaming. This TV has two HDMI 2.1 ports with the ability to support 4K 120 Hz, VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and many other desirable features. Unfortunately, one of those ports is the TV's eARC port. So if you want to connect more than one HDMI 2.1 device – such as the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 – you'll have to give up the eARC capability. It is not possible to connect both consoles directly to the TV and connect a cable to a soundbar or receiver.

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED TV games "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://img.dtcn.com/image/digitaltrends/sony-a90j-review-ry -17 -640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAARiley Young / Digital Trends

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED TV games "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://img.dtcn.com/image/digitaltrends/sony-a90j-review-ry -16 -640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAARiley Young / Digital Trends

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED television "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://img.dtcn.com/image/digitaltrends/sony-a90j-review-ry-8 - 640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAARiley Young / Digital Trends

Sony Bravia XR A90J 4K OLED television "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://img.dtcn.com/image/digitaltrends/sony-a90j-review-ry-10 - 640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAA

However, if you're running the consoles through an HDMI 2.1 friendly A / V receiver that passes 4K 120Hz signals, this might be fine. All I know is that a lot of the receivers available this year are struggling a little with this.

Otherwise, as far as I've been able to determine, almost everything seems to work fine at startup except VRR – that's another story. It may be a while before we see a firmware update from Sony that enables VRR on 2021 and selects 2020 TVs.

That being said, the A90J's picture quality goes for gaming – they look incredible. This TV isn't as game-oriented as the LG G1, but that's a discussion for a Versus article coming out soon. Watch this room.

My attitude

To be honest, the A90J is a work of art and a feat of engineering. I absolutely love it. The challenge is the price, but luckily, prices go down over time. Price aside, the A90J is one of the best TVs you can buy in 2021 and maybe beyond.

Is there a better alternative?

In terms of picture and sound quality, no. However, the LG G1 OLED evo comes very close and has the advantage of advanced gaming features and a much cheaper price at launch.

How long it will take?

The Sony A90J is a remarkably advanced, well-built television. It should take a long time to come.

warranty

Sony provides a one-year parts and labor warranty on its televisions when purchased from an authorized dealer. Please refer to the Sony Manual and Warranty page for more information.

Should you buy it?

Yes. It may be expensive, but the A90J has the best picture and sound quality you can get in a TV today.

Editor's recommendations




16 Feb
Blog

Sony XBR75Z8H 8K HDR TV review: 8K is the way

Sony Z8H 75 Inch 8K Ultra HD Smart LED TV

"The Sony Z8H offers an absolutely impressive picture quality."

  • Incredible HDR brightness

  • Deep black

  • Exact shadow details

  • Exceptional color

  • good sound

  • Some artifacts in very detailed patterns

Some may be reluctant to jump into an 8K TV due to the lack of 8K content right now and the question of whether you can even tell a difference between 8K and 4K. To investigate these concerns, we went for a 75-inch Sony Z8H 8K HDR TV, which we believe is the smallest screen you would need for an 8K TV. And as we found out, you get more than just a big picture from an 8K TV.

Sony Z8H 8K HDR TV details

While we tested the 75-inch model, our test also applies to the 85-inch model.

Screen size Model number RRP
75 in XBR75Z8H $ 4,998
85 in XBR85Z8H $ 8,999

First impressions

Sony Z8H TVRiley Young / Digital Trends

Sony Z8H TVRiley Young / Digital Trends

Sony Z8H TVRiley Young / Digital Trends

Sony Z8H TVRiley Young / Digital Trends

We immediately noticed the very sturdy feet that the Z8H is equipped with – which is good as the TV itself is quite heavy. The feet can be placed in the center of the TV or on the outer edge of the TV, although using the feet to the edge requires a very wide media stand. If you're handling such a large TV and screwing in the feet, more than one person is required. So keep that in mind.

The Z8H is a bold but attractive television made of high quality materials.

The box also contains six decorative rear cable management panels, a brushed aluminum remote control and a printed installation guide. Usually the setup guide is something we toss aside, but in the case of the ZH8, we eventually had to fish it out again. For more information on setting up the TV, check out our unboxing video.

The Z8H is a bold but attractive television made of high quality materials. Metal edges, slim bezels and sturdy feet ensure a first-class feeling. This metal edge isn't just for looks either. It acts as a tweeter to enhance sound effects and expand the soundstage so that the TV sound becomes as big as it looks.

Entrances

The back of the Z8H has four HDMI inputs, one on the side, two on the bottom, and one near the center back. The HDMI port near the back center is noteworthy as it is the only HDMI port that supports 8K at 60 Hz or 4K at 120 Hz. The connection is located next to two loudspeaker connections via which you can use the loudspeakers of the Z8H as center channels for a surround sound system.

When the Z8H is ready for operation, you must manually force a software update. The Android operating system makes you think that everything has been updated. In reality, however, the updates must be downloaded by yourself. So check the firmware updates section in the settings menu.

sound

Riley Young / Digital Trends

With a TV this big, you want sound that is just as big – and the Z8H absolutely delivers. As already mentioned, it is possible to make the television the center channel for your surround sound system. However, if you don't plan on using a surround sound connection, the Z8H still offers a premium experience – it has big, full, and rich sound through the built-in speakers and uses the frame as a tweeter so the sounds seem to come from many different locations , both inside and outside the confines of the TV.

ATSC 3.0 tuner

Another aspect that makes the Z8H a premium experience is the integrated ATSC 3.0 tuner, which is the new standard for wireless broadcasts. The promise of ATSC 3.0 is the potential for the transmission of 4K over the air. However, in our Portland, Oregon market, we found that broadcasters were simply using improved bandwidth to serve more channels with slightly better picture quality.

If we had to choose a word to describe the image quality of the Z8H it would be noticeable.

picture quality

Riley Young / Digital Trends

If we had to choose a word to describe the image quality of the Z8H it would be noticeable. The HDR highlights have an intense brightness, maintain very good black levels and reduce the blooming to a great extent. In our test with bright images on a purely black background, the backgrounds were a deep, deep black, while the bright objects remained extremely bright.

colour

Riley Young / Digital Trends

The Z8H has a brightness of 2,500 nits for HDR top lights. As we found out through our image quality tests, it creates the contrast that HDR really brings home. It also handles color space very well. The color of the Z8H is ready to use immediately and with almost no adjustments. There's always a chance colors will wash out when pushed into the higher brightness range of HDR, but the Z8H absolutely doesn't. You get a vibrancy along with a deep wealth of full color saturation.

In true Sony style, films at 24 frames per second look super smooth.

Move

Riley Young / Digital Trends

In real Sony style, films at 24 frames per second look super smooth, with almost no jerking. And while the Z8H had a tough time during some pretty intense test patterns, turning the Motion Flow to "Auto" really smooths out those tough spots. The Motion Flow option may add some “soap opera” effect to movies, but the Z8H is perfectly fine for almost all other types of content – and it makes a big difference in smoothing out time-lapse, especially in sports.

Problems with upscaling

The Z8H has some problems, however. In tests we ran, it showed a “shimmer” effect in very detailed areas on some images while they were moving. We also noticed a slight moirè effect in tight lattice patterns, for example in high-rise buildings in New York. While we can't be 100% sure, we believe this problem arises from trying to scale complex, highly detailed 4K images to 8K in real time.

Play

Riley Young / Digital Trends

Playing on the Z8H is a blast, and you can get 4K 60Hz reliably with HDR. There was a bit of a problem connecting the 8K / 4K 120 Hz HDMI port as the PlayStation 5 HDR we were using didn't want to turn on until we lowered the resolution to 1080p. We reached out to Sony to see if it could fix this issue. As promised at this point, the company has released a firmware update to address this issue. Playing high definition games on such a big screen TV and having that kind of HDR punch is not only fun, it's absolutely beautiful too.

Our opinion

You may have noticed that we had very little to say about 8K resolution, and there is a reason for that: you don't necessarily buy an 8K set just for its resolution, but to have all of the premium features you want. Premium design, premium sound, premium tuner, premium picture quality, premium gaming experience – if you want to offer the very best from Sony, you have to buy one of their 8K TVs to get it. And Sony is not alone. Other manufacturers do the same. But remember: it's the whole package; not just the resolution. Where the Z8H shines is evident in its premium performance at every turn. Sure, you have to buy an 8K TV to get it, but the Z8H is a wonderful TV and well worth the price for those who value premium performance.

Is there a better alternative?

We wouldn't say there is a better alternative, only alternatives. Since the Z8H is one of the best LED / LCD TVs you can buy, this is your must-see Samsung Q900TS than a competitor who is around $ 500 cheaper at the moment.

How long it will take?

Due to its 8K resolution, premium processing and the ATSC 3.0 tuner, the Z8H is designed to maintain its premium performance in the future.

warranty

Sony offers a one-year limited warranty on the Z8H. The full guarantee can be found here.

Should you buy it?

Yes. If you have the means, the Z8H is a remarkable TV with outstanding performance – and it happens to be an 8K model. We wouldn't necessarily buy this TV for its resolution, but certainly for its top-notch performance.

Editor's recommendations




12 Nov
Blog

Sony Xperia 5 II Review: A Compact Flagship Phone for 2020

Sony Xperia 5 II review shutter

"The Sony Xperia 5 II is just the right size and specification, but the best of features are yet to be exploited and some frustrating omissions make it difficult to recommend."

  • Compact, lightweight design

  • Nice OLED screen

  • Powerful processor

  • Long battery life

  • No wireless charging

  • No. 5G in the US

  • Camera quirks are frustrating

The Sony Xperia 5 II is the compact flagship smartphone that many yearn for. However, to get the most out of this desirable combination of high quality and small packages, you have to work hard and pay a significant price. I've been living with the phone for a few weeks now and it really is.

design

Shiny, glassy and slippery like a well-oiled fish. This is the best way to describe the Xperia 5 II outside of its modest dimensions and light weight. Because of the 8mm thickness and the larger, not wider shape that the 21: 9 aspect ratio screen allows, it's really compact. It weighs only 163 grams and thanks to its slim design, people with small hands can reach the other side of the screen with their thumbs. It slips easily into pockets and pouches, and unfortunately almost any surface it touches.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Xperia 5 II is made of glass with an aluminum frame and glides around with its own mind on anything that is not a perfectly flat surface. For this reason, you also need to hold on because the body does not offer much support. This brings me to the one thing I really don't like about the phone's design – a mass of buttons on the right side.

From top to bottom there's a small volume rocker, then the on / off switch with a built-in fingerprint sensor, then a Google Assistant button and finally a physical camera shutter button. Pick up the Xperia 5 II and it is almost certain that you will press a button. Usually it is the useless Google Assistant that cannot be remapped or simply disabled. A frustrating design decision that gets worse when I don't have the option to use the feature or not.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The fingerprint sensor is fast and reliable, but located a little too centrally on the side in my opinion, and I like the physical camera trigger that is placed on the bottom of the frame so as not to intrude. Finding a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top of the frame is great, despite the phone's slimness. I like the pull-out SIM card tray that doesn't require a SIM removal tool, but it doesn't compromise the phone's IP68 waterproof rating.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Sony Xperia 5 II is easy to use, compact enough for everyone, made of high quality materials and is almost the perfect size for a smartphone. You just have to deal with all of the smoothness.

screen

The 21: 9 aspect ratio is great for watching super widescreen movies and contributes to the phone's small size. While there are 21: 9 movies, the reality is that they're a little rarer than 16: 9 videos. This means you are still watching the most with black bars on either side, although there are plenty of games that take advantage of the super widescreen view, including Minecraft, Asphalt 9, and Fortnite.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

However, this is the specification we want for 2020. The OLED screen offers a resolution of 2520 x 1080, a refresh rate of 120 Hz and 10-bit HDR support. It's not the 4K monster adapted for the Xperia 1 II, but under normal circumstances you won't really notice the lower number of pixels. Plus, it has the same creator mode and image enhancement technology as the more expensive phone. I like the look of it and I doubt many would wish they could get the Xperia 1 II instead.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The display is very nice. Dreamy indeed. Carfection's Audi e-Tron Sportback review is sharp and colorful, while Mnet's live version of WJSN Chocomes Hmph! pops off the screen with its electrified, ultra-vibrant colors. Music videos are great on the Xperia 5 II because of its stereo speakers that have loads of volume and a sweet, controlled sound. Sony's dynamic vibration feature adds vibration that matches what is displayed on the screen. It works well because you can adjust the intensity. Keep it low and it's a pleasing added effect.

And if you use the phone vertically, as you do most of the time, that extra screen real estate gives you more content in feeds and messaging apps without scrolling.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

No, the Xperia 5 II doesn't quite match the Xperia 1 II in terms of sheer, astounding visual appeal of a mobile device, but it's arguably all that anyone needs.

camera

There are three 12-megapixel cameras on the back of the Xperia 5 II: a f / 1.7 standard camera, a f / 2.4 telephoto camera, and a f / 2.2 ultrawide camera. Sony worked with Zeiss Optics on the lenses. Features include optical and electronic image stabilization, HDR, 4K video recording, eye tracking, 3x optical zoom and dual-pixel autofocus. It's almost the same setup as the back of the Xperia 1 II, but with a few changes.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Because it's so similar to the Xperia 1 II, it has the same problems. The photos it takes are often beautiful, with excellent balance and dynamics, but it finds it difficult to focus up close and the results can be inconsistent. There is no night mode for super bright night pictures, so pictures in low light are not as noticeable as some other phones, but there is a lot of realism and detail. The 8-megapixel selfie camera washes out skin tone to death in the default settings. So it is advisable to turn off any enhancements before starting there.

Overall, I edit my pictures a lot. It uses the Google Photos editing suite to make them look just right. It's worth it because the Sony camera captures a lot of delicious detail. I didn't get a chance to play with the Xperia 5 II's eye tracking feature due to the lack of living things (thank you 2020) but I've used it in the past and was very impressed. Proper focus of the eye is critical to accurately capturing portraits. Only a few other telephones have this feature.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Sony sells the Xperia cameras because of their Photo Pro and Cinema Pro apps, which have been tweaked by Sony's experienced camera and cinema teams and are essentially pimped-up manual modes. If you regularly use manual mode for your smartphone's camera, you will appreciate the depth and versatility of each one, and be able to use it to create stunning stills and videos. However, if you've never touched manual mode and are unfamiliar with the principles of shutter speed, white balance, ISO, and manual focus, the learning curve is very steep.

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  • 1.
    The Cinema Pro app from Sony
  • 2.
    Sony's Photo Pro app

It sounds like I'm on the Xperia 5 II's camera, but I'm not really. It's just frustrating. Some wonderfully atmospheric photos with beautiful colors can be taken. I like the combination of ultrawide and telephoto, and the physical camera shutter is a great tactile, ergonomic addition. But it's inconsistent, sometimes outperformed by other cameras on phones that cost less, and places too much emphasis on features beyond many potential owners.

The Sony camera of the Xperia 5 II and Xperia 1 II has everything you need to take wonderful photos. Unlike the Pixel 5 or iPhone 12 Pro, however, this doesn't just happen by pressing the shutter button. If this sounds like something you like and you want to learn more about the mechanics of photography, you will appreciate the Sony phone more.

Software and performance

No performance issues were found when using the Xperia 5 II as a daily phone. It's as fast as you'd expect from a phone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Asphalt 9 Legends plays great and also makes use of the screen with an aspect ratio of 21: 9. The lightness of the phone makes it great for long games and movie sessions.

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sony xperia 5 ii check the creation mode "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn5.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/sony-xperia-5-ii-creator- mode -640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Check Sony Xperia 5 II apps "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn6.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/sony-xperia-5-ii-apps-640x640. jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Sony's user interface with Android 10 is unobtrusive and the software is fast and reliable. Various non-Sony apps are preinstalled, including LinkedIn, which annoy you with annoying notifications and make manual uninstallation difficult. The large screen takes a bit of getting used to once you've viewed a screen with a wider aspect ratio. Icons can appear tightly grouped, and scrolling apps like Twitter and Instagram feel limited at first, but the ergonomic benefits that the shape brings will soon be felt.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I experienced some problems with the WiFi range and cellular connection. The Xperia 5 II dropped its signal more often than other phones I tested, and it lacks the Wi-Fi range of other models, including the Pixel 5 and iPhone 12 Pro. Calls are good, but it's easy to cover the microphone on the bottom of the phone with your finger, and the front camera retains the faded look that can be seen in their selfies on video calls.

The phone supports 5G in the UK but not in the US. While 5G isn't a reason to buy a phone right now, it does matter later and should be considered when purchasing an expensive device. It is also unfortunate that the phone still has Android 10 instead of Android 11 and there is also no confirmed date for the software update.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The 4,000 mAh battery has proven to be very powerful and easily lasts me a full day, with average screen time per day being between two and four hours. The battery performance of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE that I had used before was very similar. Long days ended up about 30%. Without video calls, the battery should last two days without any problems.

Unfortunately, there is no wireless charging, and while it supports fast wired charging at 21 watts, you get an 18 W charger in the box. If you already have the higher powered charger, it will be reduced to 50% in 30 minutes. If not, allow at least 45 minutes. However, I like the adaptive charge mode that manages overnight charge cycles to help extend battery life.

Price and availability

The The Sony Xperia 5 II can be pre-ordered in the US. before a December 3 release for $ 949 (it's already discounted to $ 900). It is available now in the UK for £ 799.

Our opinion

If you like Sony's 21: 9 aspect ratio and design, and really should, the Xperia 5 II is the model to buy compared to the Xperia 1 II. It does almost everything for $ 250 less. The screen, battery life, build, and compact size are impressive, although you will have to put some effort into making the most of the camera's talents.

I like the quirky Xperia 5 II, but realize that there are better purchases for the same price or less. It's definitely part of an extinct breed: a really high quality flagship compact phone.

Are there any better alternatives?

Yes. At $ 949, the Xperia 5 II has a lot of competition despite its high specification. The $ 900 OnePlus 8 Pro is our pick of Android alternatives because of the great software and screen, while the $ 1,000 iPhone 12 Pro is a great alternative and has great software, camera, and design. The Galaxy S20 Plus is now available for roughly the same price. If you're happy with the plastic back, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is great value for money at $ 699.

All of these phones are bigger than the Xperia 5 II, however. If you're looking for a brilliant point-and-shoot camera in a compact smartphone, the $ 699 Google Pixel 5 is our pick.

How long it will take?

The technology ensures that the Xperia 5 II has at least a two-year contract or financing plan on before it can possibly feel old. The lack of 5G can lead you to update around this time anyway. The phone is made of glass, but has an IP68 rating and should therefore prove to be relatively durable in a housing.

Sony has been frustratingly dull about its Android software update schedule. It told Digital Trends that it committed to providing regular and timely updates when we asked about Android 11 on the Xperia 1 II, but without providing any specific dates. It's similarly unclear for the Xperia 5 II. Then expect an update, but just be patient.

Should you buy it?

No, there are better phones with a generally accessible camera for the same price. And the lack of 5G in the US hurts its longevity. However, in the UK this is a better option due to the slightly better price and 5G support.

Editor's recommendations




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