Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. Products

From beautiful LEDs to stunning OLEDs, these are the best Sony TVs

By
Among the best high-end TV manufacturers, Sony has long made a name for itself in the TV marketplace as a purveyor of beautiful, well-built screens. That said, because all of the company’s products are aimed at the most well-heeled consumers, picking between the best Sony TVs can be difficult if you try to do it based on specs alone.

Lucky for you, we’ve spent time with many of the company’s best screens, sifting through small differences in backlighting, processing power, and looks to share our top picks. Looking for a TV at a specific price point and not dedicated to the style or interface of one manufacturer in particular? We can help with that too. Check our lists of the best TVs under $500 and the best TVs under $1,000.

Recommended Videos

Sony X800E

The third rung on Sony’s X-series TV ladder is the X800E, which offers 4K Ultra HD resolution, high dynamic range (HDR), and an extremely wide color gamut. The smart TV is powered by Android TV and sports a remote control with voice recognition, making searching across multiple streaming platforms just one “OK Google” away. As an Android TV, it also has Google Chromecast built-in, making streaming from a mobile device, tablet, or laptop a breeze.

Related

The X800E features edge-lighting and lacks some of the image processing power of more-expensive Sony models, but it’s no slouch when it comes to overall picture quality; those who want that signature Sony look at the most affordable price will enjoy the X800E.

Sony X900E

Though it’s technically two steps up from the X800E in terms of price, Sony’s X900E is the next significant leap up the company’s lineup in terms of picture quality. The X900E features the same easy-to-use Android TV functionality but includes a direct backlighting system, which means there’s a grid of backlights behind its LED screen. This gives viewers more even and more intense brightness overall.

In addition, the TV uses local dimming, which means deeper black levels, as well as less of a glow around brighter objects on screen. The X900E also operates at a 120Hz refresh rate, which means fast-moving movie and sports scenes look extra clear. For our money, this is the best performance to price ratio you’ll get in Sony’s entire lineup.

Sony X930E

The Sony X930 offers similar performance and Android TV-fueled usability to the X900E, but it does so from a much more visually striking package. Though it doesn’t feature direct backlighting, an extremely advanced edge lighting system allows The X930E to offer similarly uniform brightness, and is the key to the TV’s extremely thin form factor. This model also offers more advanced color processing, giving it a slightly more refined overall picture quality in a more stunning package than any TV below it in Sony’s lineup.

Sony A1E OLED

Sony’s A1E OLED is a totally different animal than all other Sony screens in that it doesn’t have a backlighting system. OLED technology means that each pixel of the TV is its own backlight, giving it perfect black levels and better contrast than any of Sony’s standard LED TVs — and offers some of the best picture quality you’ll find in any TV on the market.

Another thing that makes the A1E OLED special is that its screen doubles as the TV’s speakers, via a series of actuators behind the panel that allow it to make sound. This means extremely convincing audio — imagine the words someone is speaking on screen actually coming out of their mouth. In order to get a cool floating look, Sony opted for an easel-style stand (which also houses the subwoofer). As such, if you wall-mount the TV, it will stick out from the wall just a little bit.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Caleb Denison
Caleb Denison
Editor at Large
Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…
Beats Studio Pro hit a low price ever during Cyber Week
Beats Studio Pro, folded, in front of case.

The Beats Studio Pro are a great set of noise-canceling headphones. I liked them enough that even at their regular price of $350, I gave them a 3.5/5 in my full review. But with a wild Cyber Monday deal that seems to be sticking around for Cyber Week, that drops their price by 42% to just $200, I'm sorely tempted to give them a much higher score.

If you're already a Beats fan, you don't need me to tell you that the Studio Pro look great. The sleek, fully integrated headband gives these cans one of the lowest profiles in the headphone world. It's not just for show -- the Studio Pro offer an excellent balance of comfort and stability. I'm not a big fan of using full-size, over-ear headphones at the gym or while running, but if that's your bag, the Studio Pro are probably the right way to go.

Read more
Get a portable HD projector for only $300 from Amazon’s Cyber Week sale
The Xgimi MoGo 2 portable projector placed outdoors.

If you're thinking about getting a projector instead of taking advantage of Cyber Week TV deals, but you don't want to handle a big and bulky device, the good news is that there are portable models like the Xgimi MoGo 2. It's on sale from Amazon with a 25% discount, which brings its price down to a more affordable $300 from its original price of $400. You'll have to act fast if you're interested in this offer though, as there's no telling how much time is remaining before you miss out on the savings of $100.

Why you should buy the Xgimi MoGo 2 portable projector
Xgimi has several entries in our list of the best projectors, including the Xgimi MoGo 2 Pro as the best portable 1080p projector. The Xgimi MoGo 2 is its more affordable version, and while it's not as powerful as the Xgimi MoGo 2 Pro with 1920 x 1080 resolution, it's still a pretty worthwhile purchase, especially with Amazon's discount. The Xgimi MoGo 2 is capable of up to 1280 x 720 resolution, but at the same maximum brightness of 400 ISO Lumens as its cousin, and it also offers Intelligent Screen Alignment and Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance, which makes setting up the projector much easier.

Read more
Bose QuietComfort headphones are down to only $199 for Cyber Week
Woman wearing Bose QuietComfort Headphones in green.

Best Buy is offering a huge discount on a fantastic pair of noise-canceling headphones: the Bose QuietComfort, originally sold for $349, are available for a more affordable $199. They're made by one of the most trusted brands in the audio industry, so you won't regret taking advantage of this bargain, but you're going to have to hurry with your purchase because there's no telling when this chance at $150 in savings ends. It's one of the most attractive headphone deals in the market right now, so we won't be surprised if it disappears soon.

Why you should buy the Bose QuietComfort wireless headphones
Bose pioneered the development of active noise cancellation technology, so it's not a surprise that its current flagship model, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, sit on top of our roundup of the best noise-canceling headphones. The Bose QuietComfort cut certain features, but if you just want wireless headphones that will reliably block the sounds from your surroundings so you can focus on the streaming shows that you're watching or the playlists that you're listening to, then they're going to be more than enough. They also have an Aware Mode that you can activate if you want to hear what's going on around you without taking them off, such as when you're crossing the street or giving your order at a café.

Read more