OLED technology is in a sweet moment in which manufacturers are working hard to fine-tune the performance of the screens while maintaining a balance at very stressed prices with the current economic crisis.

However, there are televisions in which that delicate balance between good features and a contained price is still maintained, although this does not always mean that it is a particularly cheap television.

The Sony Bravia XR A80K is an example of this, offering a very well-calibrated OLED screen with an official launch price of 2,299 euros, but thanks to offers like Black Friday it can be found for around 1,329 euros on Amazon.

For this price, we find a “very Sony” television in the sense of austerity and sobriety in the superfluous and a great job of tuning in terms of image and sound quality.

The review of the 55” Sony Bravia XR A80K: analysis, test, and opinion from Computerhoy:

  • Characteristics and technical sheet of the Sony Bravia XR A80K 55 “
  • Design and remote control: Sony is committed to a practical and resistant design including two remote controls
  • Image quality: EVO panel isn’t as bright as it should be, but Cognitive XR gets the job done
  • Software: Google TV continues to add good results
  • Sound: 50 W projected from a screen that serves as a speaker
  • Bonus content: Sony HT-A3000 sound system, SA-SW5 subwoofer and SA-RS3S rear lights
  • Versions, offers, and price of the 55” Sony Bravia XR A80K
  • Review Is it worth buying the 55” Sony Bravia XR A80K?

Datasheet of the Sony Bravia XR A80K 55 “

Before analyzing this television in detail, we provide you with a summary of the main technical characteristics of the Sony Bravia XR A80K.

Due to its features, we place this model in the center of the table of Sony OLED televisions, falling below models such as the sublime Sony Bravia XR A95K.

55” Sony Bravia XR A80K
Screen EVO OLED display | 55 inches
4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) | 10 bit
image processor Cognitive Processor XR
Operating system Google TV | android tv 10
HDR formats HDR Dolby Vision, HDR 10, HLG
Accessories Two Bluetooth and infrared remote controls
Storage 16 GB
Sound Acoustic Surface Audio+ 3.2 System 3x 10W
Woofers 2x 10W
Subwoofers | 50W RMS
home automation Native Google Assistant
Support for Alexa and HomeKit.
connectivity 4x HDMI (2x HDMI 2.1) | 3 x USB 2.0 | LAN
Digital optical output | CI+
Coaxial DTT | Satellite
WiFi 5 (802.11ac) | Bluetooth 4.2
AirPlay 2
Dimensions 122.7 x 71.2 x 5.3 cm (without base)
122.7 x 73.8 x 33 cm (with base)
Weight 19.5 kg (with base) | 17.9 kg (without base)
Additional features Voice control with Google Assistant from the remote
Price On sale for 1,329 euros (the official price of 2,299 euros)

On paper, its specifications do not make it too different from last year’s model, including an OLED Evo panel with excellent behavior and a more than a solvent sound system.

Next, we analyze in detail the performance of the Sony Bravia XR A80K and we check them one by one its specifications for ourselves to tell you about it.

Sony is committed to a practical and resistant design including two remote controls

One of the hallmarks of Sony televisions that we have been testing for some years now is their sobriety in design.

This sobriety is further accentuated when we go down to the middle area of ​​the Japanese firm’s OLED television catalog, where engineers prioritize good image and sound performance over an ultra-thin aesthetic that comes to mind when we talk about OLED screen TVs.

In this sense, the Sony Bravia XR A80K opts for a slightly thicker profile than usual for an OLED TV, sporting a back with the usual straight-cut checkered design that leaves a thickness of 53 mm. It houses all the image and sound electronics of the television.

The front remains clear and without distractions, giving all the prominence to a screen protected at the edges by a graphite gray metal frame. The only notable element is the lower frame, somewhat wider than the rest, in which the light and infrared sensors and the status LED are located.

Under the screen, we find the pair of straight metal legs that stand out for their easy installation and their versatility, since they allow their installation in three different positions: at the ends of the screen, in a more central position to adapt it to narrower furniture, or in a raised position that allows space to install a sound bar under the screen.

If we go to the back, we find a cover made of SORPLAS, a highly resistant recycled plastic with which the carbon footprint of the television is reduced.

All the connectors are oriented towards the right side, facilitating access even when the television is installed on a wall mount, remaining hidden behind a plastic cover once the connection is complete.

Connectivity is usual in Sony televisions in this category:

  • 2 HDMI 2.0 ports
  • 2 HDMI 2.1 ports
  • 3 USB 2.0 ports (one with recording capabilities)
  • Ethernet LAN connector
  • digital optical output
  • IC smart card
  • Coaxial DTT and Satellite antenna connections
  • Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • Bluetooth 4.2

Unfortunately, the cable management on the back of this TV is limited to an opening in the connector cover, so the cables will be visible from the back

The Sony Bravia XR A80K comes with two remote controls to control its functions. The first of them adopt the new compact format of the Sony controls and is more oriented to the consumption of content from streaming platforms or external sources.

In it, the 4 direct access buttons to Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube stand out, as well as playback buttons, a Google Assistant activation button, and a useful location system that allows you to find the remote by emitting a sound in case of loss.

The second controller, with a more practical than aesthetic design, has a more complete and traditional button layout with a numeric keypad and playback control buttons, but without direct access to the content platforms.

EVO panel isn’t as bright as it should be, but Cognitive XR gets the job done

Sony has chosen to mount one of the best W-OLED panels currently manufactured by LG Display in its intermediate models. This improves color representation, although it does not deliver the brightness levels that these same panels offered in the Sony Bravia XR A95J from last year.

The Bravia XR A80K mounts a deuterium-based OLED Evo screen that extends the useful life of the panel and greater energy savings while maintaining brightness levels. However, the absence of an additional cooling system in the panel means that the brightness level is the same as the Sony Bravia XR A80J that we reviewed last year.

We are talking about a 55-inch OLED screen with 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160 pixels), with 10-bit color depth with TRILUMINOS technology and extensive HDR support (HDR 10, HLG, and Dolby Vision).

At the controls of the image processing, we have the Sony Cognitive XR processor, which manages to extract gold from each pixel of this screen with outstanding performance in terms of color management in HDR, but it is convenient to select the color profile correctly when viewing SDR content.

I think that the Cinema profile gives a bit of dull brightness and enhances the greenish tone that is already quite prevalent in the OLED Evo panels, so I preferred to use Personal with an Expert 1 color setting. There is no need to worry about the color profile when watching Netflix as the platform’s calibration profile is automatically activated.